How Caffeine Can Boost Your Workout
There are many health benefits to exercise, and everyone wants to get the most out of their workouts. The best situation is one in which you can boost the effectiveness of your workouts so you can get the most out of them with the least amount of time and effort.
A lot of workout advice is about how to recover after exercise, but what you do before you go to the gym can often make a big difference in how well your workout goes. And that's where a little caffeine can help.
Natural caffeine is the secret to getting the most out of your workout if you take it about 45 minutes before you start. Here are 6 ways that caffeine can help you get more out of your workout...
1. Boosts Power and Energy
One of the main things you'll notice right away if you drink caffeine before you work out is that it will help you do better. One study, which was published in Sports Medicine, found that caffeine is a powerful ergogenic aid. This means that caffeine makes you work out better.
In particular, the study said that caffeine can help athletes train harder and for longer without getting tired. Another study showed that cyclists who drank caffeine had better performance.
2. Stimulates Fat Loss
If you work out to get lean and slim, research shows that caffeine can help you reach your goals faster by making you burn more fat. Caffeine can help you burn more calories when you take it before you work out.
One study published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that athletes who took caffeine before working out burned about 15% more calories after a workout than those who didn't take caffeine.
Caffeine before a workout can also get your body to use fat cells as an energy source. It does this by making your nervous system release a chemical called norepinephrine. In turn, the rise in norepinephrine makes fat cells break down.
3. Improves Circulation
Researchers think that caffeine can also make your blood flow better. One group of Japanese scientists found that drinking a cup of coffee with caffeine made capillary circulation 30% better.
So how does this help you work out? When your blood flows better, more oxygen and other important nutrients get to your tissues. Because of this, your muscles will be able to work better during a workout.
If you want to reach for that cup of joe before your workout why not try an Organic Coffee which has the caffeine without all the harsh chemicals that most companies use to process coffee.
A few Organic Coffees you may like to check out on Amazon.
4. More Fuel for Your Next Workout
The fuel for your muscles is a substance called glycogen. When you work out, the more you push yourself, the more glycogen you use. The problem is that your body can only store so much glycogen.
When all of your glycogen is used up, your muscles get tired and weak. Researchers have found that combining caffeine with carbohydrates can help your muscles get more glycogen after a workout.
This means that the next time you work out, your muscles will have a lot more energy. So, you can work out for several days in a row without having to stop because your muscles are tired.
5. Boosts Motivation
Sometimes the hardest part is getting yourself to the gym or out for a walk. Even more so when you're tired or not in a good mood. Here, caffeine really shines.
Caffeine can give you more energy and make you more alert, giving you the push you need to get moving.
Had a bad day at work? Tired of the way you work out now? Before your workout, adding natural caffeine sources like green tea or coffee can make all the difference.
There is also evidence that adaptogenic herbs, like rhodiola rosea, can make you feel more motivated.
6. May Prevent Muscle Loss
As you age, you lose muscle mass much easier. It's just the way things work in nature. The good news is, caffeine in addition to exercise can help preserve your muscle tissues from degrading.
When you drink caffeine, it makes your brain release BDNF, which stands for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. BDNF is shown to play a role in muscle repair, among many other things. Which means caffeine may help prevent muscle loss.
This idea is also supported by what can be seen. One study in Korea, for instance, found that people who regularly drank coffee lost a lot less muscle mass (a condition called sarcopenia).
But Don’t Reach for Energy Drinks
Not every source of caffeine is the same. Energy drinks might give you a temporary boost of energy, but they are terrible for your health in other ways.
Energy drinks and sodas are not only full of sugar and other harmful ingredients, but they are also pumped full of fake caffeine made in Chinese factories, which may hurt your performance in the long run.
So, what are some good ways to get caffeine? Green tea is at the top of the list because it has both natural caffeine and healthy catechins, such as EGCG, which helps burn fat.
Regular coffee also works. Depending on the brew and brand, each cup has between 70 and 180mg of natural caffeine. Both regular tea and coffee are heavily sprayed with poisonous pesticides, so make sure to choose organic blends.
Another good choice is a natural supplement with caffeine from plants, like green tea or green coffee extract. Green coffee is better than black coffee because it contains chlorogenic acid, which has antioxidant properties and helps keep the metabolism healthy.
Taken in moderation, especially 45 minutes before a workout, natural caffeine can be a valuable tool in achieving optimal athletic performance. Just make sure to monitor your caffeine intake from all sources. Most guidelines recommend sticking to under 200mg of caffeine a day, and not exceeding 400mg daily to avoid any negative health effects.
Products with Natural Caffeine
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