Beyond having a delicious flavor, taking coffee before workout can help to improve the quality of workouts due to its high caffeine content, a stimulant with a wide range of advantages that we can use to our advantage.
Drinking coffee is on the rise in our society. Apart from the clear explosion of coffee shops in recent years, in practically every house there is a coffee maker. And if you don’t have one, the entry price for a coffee maker is very low, so you have no excuse not to drink coffee.
The Benefits of Drinking Coffee Before Workout are:
Increased physical performance
Drinking coffee before workout can change the way your body uses its resources to produce energy for training.
Caffeine consumption prioritizes the use of fats, and delay the use of glycogen in the muscles. This means that when we work out, we can lift weight more effectively, especially in the first 15 minutes of training, since it will take longer to notice muscle fatigue.
Increased calorie consumption during training
Although I have said before that coffee before workout causes fat to be used during training, it is not a miracle drink that eliminates all body fat on its own.
What is certain is that it accelerates the metabolism, increases the heart rate and that will increases caloric consumption. If you are in a weight loss program, coffee can help you maximize the total caloric intake of the workout, making it easier to reach your target calories.
Increased concentration and mood
The effect of caffeine in the brain has always been closely related to increased productivity. I’m sure you have a friend who, without their coffee in the morning, won’t even be able to say hello. Well, something similar happens when you work out in the gym.
And this happens not because of placebo but because of caffeine’s ability to block adenosine receptors, which is responsible for slowing down neural functions. Knowing this, a coffee before workout can make you feel more mentally active and connected to the exercises.
Even on days where you’re the most tired and training is difficult, caffeine can give you a mental boost so you can overcome your fatigue. It is shown that its consumption has an effect on the production of dopamine, which can improve our mood.
Relieve the Muscles
In a 2007 study, caffeine consumption is considered to have a notable effect in reducing post-workout soreness.
This can be very useful since it accelerates muscle recovery and we can increase the frequency of training, with which we will see results more quickly.
How long do I have to wait for the caffeine to take effect?
The effect or boost of drinking coffee before workout can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour to take effect. It is considered a great advantage not to have to wait long for it to be processed by the body.
How much coffee before workout should I take?
I don’t want to get too technical about the amounts of coffee you should drink, but a conventional espresso has between 40-60mg of caffeine, which for me is enough to trigger its effects.
I am not a big fan of recommending more than one cup of coffee since an excess dose can cause anxiety; although it will depend on how each one feels and their tolerance to caffeine.
On what brand and type of coffee are recommended, for convenience and price, I always use capsules, and you can always trust Nespresso.
I don’t like coffee but I want the benefits of coffee before workout. What I do?
There are different sources of caffeine that don’t require you to like coffee.
- Green Tea
- Caffeine pills
- Energy drinks
- Dark chocolate
- Pre-training
Of these options, the ones I can recommend the most are green tea and caffeine pills. Green tea contains three times less caffeine than coffee, but its taste and properties give it a different appeal.
Caffeine pills are affordable and they do the job, but you have to be careful with the mg of caffeine in each pill, and that will depend on where you buy them.
If you are not used to its effect and you take a 300mg one, you will not sleep in three days. Find out well before taking anything.
Energy drinks contain caffeine but are unhealthy due to the number of sweeteners and sugars they contain. If you like the taste go ahead, but it is not a healthy option both in the long and short term.
Dark chocolate contains a fairly small amount of caffeine but for it to have the same effect as coffee you would have to eat a lot, and due to its sugar content it is not recommended either.
If you eat dark chocolate, it is for its flavor and to take advantage of the fact that it is rich in antioxidants.
Does Coffee Makes You Gain Weight?
An article outlined the following as ways coffee makes you gain weight:
- When it is high in syrups and sweet ingredients
- keto and paleo coffee is packed with coconut oil, butter, and lack carbohydrates. They are higher in fat and calories, which could lead to weight gain if you’re not taking those calories into account.
- A high calorie, sugary, and fattening coffee drink can take the place of a nutritious meal without contributing needed nutrients, and it can cause sugar to spike too, which might increase cravings later on. And if it’s minimal, the lack of calories could lead to overeating later, as well. (ref)
- You stock up on bottled coffees
- loading your coffee up on artificial sweeteners
- You always add whipped cream to your coffee
So can coffee make you gain weight or not? The short answer is No—as long as you consume your coffee in a healthy manner and balance.
At the same time, I want you to be aware that too much caffeine—and for some people, it doesn’t take much—can raise blood sugar and insulin levels, which can result in weight gain. (ref)
Finally,
The last option is pre-workouts, which are supplements that mix different stimulants in one shot, including caffeine. As I am a coffee user, I have never needed them, but there are options on the market that may be interesting for you.
Until next time, I hope I have convinced you to drink coffee before a workout. As you can see, you can get a lot out of its consumption.