It’s really important to get pumped before you head out to your gym and start burning up those menacing calories away.
But did you know that one of the most surprising pre-workout health drinks isn’t something that you can get from a supplement store? We’re talking about coffee here.
Now we know what you’re thinking and your first thought may have been close to an “eh?” or a “huh?” Or maybe you were thinking something on the lines of “Are you stupid? Coffee has sugar and cream in it,” and you’re right.
But we’re specifically talking about raw coffee and how it not only grants you a boost of energy but also a slew of other potential health benefits as well – especially when it comes to enhancing your workout experience.
So let’s get a deeper insight as to how a glass of brew delicious espresso can take your gym performances to the next level.
1. It Boosts Metabolism
First of all, coffee consists of caffeine, which is an important stimulant that enhances our metabolic rate. The metabolic rate is the amount of energy that our body uses or burns throughout the day.
A study that included four different trails found that the group consuming coffee showed a significant increase in their metabolic rate during coffee ingestion and continued to be so three hours later.
Those who drank coffee also showed a boost in fat oxidation (burning). What this means is that coffee is very effective at burning but during workouts as well as several hours after exercise.
Research indicates that taking no more than one or two cups of coffee before a workout produces the best effect.
2. It Is Very Effective For Pre-Workouts
All it takes is one trip to the pantry or the local coffee store to get an all-natural, stimulating and effective drink that you need to prep you for your training.
One of the most fascinating studies on coffee shows that it enhances one’s athletic performance among other health benefits.
No longer will there be a need to dash to a supplement store just to get expensive packaged powders or pills to burn fat when all you need is to fire up your coffee pot and the rest is history.
According to research, high levels of caffeine in a single cup of coffee is shown to significantly increase our ability to burn up fat during the workout.
Evidently, we also consume fewer calories as the caffeine and the compounds in coffee suppress our appetite.
3. Increases Our Concentration During Workouts
Coffee keeps us awake and alert during the day as it wards away the sleepiness we experience upon getting out of bed.
The reason for this is because coffee is a natural stimulant that stimulates the central nervous system and improves the brain’s function.
Other research reveals that caffeine has a positive impact on certain areas of the brain that are responsible for concentration and memory.
When our thinking is sharpened, it helps our workout become more effective and productive.
An article on the Harvard Health Publications says that coffee as well as caffeine provides increased energy and also potentially improves mental performance.
The article also suggested that coffee can reduce the ascension of age-related mental decline.
Other research shows the kind of positive effects that caffeine has on the prefrontal lobe of the brain. This is the area that handles planning, attention span, and concentration.
And the results from the research shows that caffeine boosts the activity of the prefrontal lobe and improves brain function in this area. Although this may be the case, the effects vary with each individual.
4. It Enhances Athletic Performance
And the good news keeps on coming. It turns out that drinking coffee also enhances a person’s athletic performance.
In an article published in the International Society of Sports Nutrition, it is written that caffeine effectively increases numerous types of performance when consumed in low-to-moderate doses.
Another article that published in Sports Medicine reveals that caffeine allows an athlete to train longer and with a greater power output. In addition, caffeine also improves endurance levels and increases one’s resistance to fatigue.
5. It Lowers Muscle Pain
Caffeine and coffee go hand-in-hand in reducing muscle pain from exercise. A University of Illinois-published research revealed that participants who drank caffeinated coffee experienced less muscle soreness during and after their workouts.
Other research shows that drinking coffee cancels out post-workout muscle soreness by 50 percent. This is a great improvement for adults who are concerned with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
An article published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning revealed that caffeine lowered post-workout muscle soreness significantly compared to placebo.
The coffee-drinking participants were able to complete repetitions on their final set before their upper body weight training.
This means that consuming coffee prior to intense training improves muscle performance and shrinks the time required for muscles to recover.