6 Reasons Coffee is the Perfect Pre-Workout

6 Reasons Coffee is the Perfect Pre-Workout

Coffee is the second most consumed drink in the world after water thanks to its incomparable taste and its captivating smell that enhances our mood. Consuming coffee (in moderation) also has many health benefits because of its high nutritional value. 

Several recent studies has demonstrated the benefits of drinking coffee before a workout.

  1. Coffee can improve blood circulation:In Japan, researchers have tested blood circulation in subjects who do not drink coffee in the usual way. After ingestion of 150 ml of black coffee for the first group and decaffeinated coffee for the second group, the researchers carried out measurements. By observing the vessels of the subjects' fingers, the researchers found that the blood flow was increased by 30%.While those who drank decaffeinated coffee did not undergo any change. It should be noted that a better blood circulation allows nutrients and oxygen to reach the muscles faster, which allows better performance in training.

  2. Caffeine can Combat Muscle Pain: 

    A study in Illinois shows that eating about 2 to 3 cups of coffee 1 hour before training intensively reduces the perception of muscle pain. Drinking coffee before bodybuilding can be a way to go beyond your limits by going a step further than what the pain usually requires.

  3. Weight Loss Aid: 

    A recent study shows that doing your workout after drinking coffee can help you lose weight. This study, conducted in Spain, shows that athletes who consumed caffeine before training burned about 15% more calories during the three hours that followed the session, compared to a placebo. To achieve this effect, the dose administered was 4.5 mg per kilogram of body weight.

  4. Improved Concentration: 

    In 2014, a study by Hojns Hopkins University showed that caffeine improves memory 24 hours after consumption.The study included candidates who were not used to caffeine and had a placebo group. The first group therefore received 200 mg of caffeine after viewing a series of images. The other group received a placebo following the same procedure. The next day, both groups took tests to measure what they had memorized. The group that had consumed caffeine showed much better results.

    This effect is related, among other things, by the stimulation of the concentration capacity of the brain. Concentration is an important factor during training. This makes it possible to execute the movements with more attention and therefore to solicit the muscles more effectively.

  5. Muscle Protection: 

    We know that with age, the muscles tend to weaken and the person loses strength. However, in an animal study from the University of Coventry, caffeine was used to compensate for this age-related loss of strength. These effects were observed in particular on the diaphragm muscle, but also on the skeletal muscles.

    These results suggest that caffeine consumption may be able to maintain a good physical condition in older sportsmen.

  6. Caffeine to store glycogen: 

    In another study, which was published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found that consuming coffee with carbohydrates stores more muscle glycogen (over 66%) compared to the same carbohydrate dose consumed alone, within 4 hours of high intensity training.

    Glycogen is a form of fuel derived from carbohydrates, stored in the muscles. It represents an important energetic stock for the muscles and also helps to make them look larger. Caffeine would therefore accelerate recovery since, during training, glycogen stores tend to empty.

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