You've been using coffee for years to revive in the morning, but recent studies suggest it can also breathe life back into your workout.
By Mark Ramos, Owner of The Coffee Bump
If you need a little more pep in your step before your daily workout, there is absolutely nothing wrong with downing a cup of Joe, according to recent studies.
We are all familiar with the fact that coffee is a wonderful way to start your day, but it may have even more health benefits when it comes to exercise. A health professor at the University of Illinois found through first-hand experience that caffeine offered him an edge as a competitive cyclist. Prof. Robert Motl discovered that the caffeine in coffee provided the ability for himself and his fellow cyclists to train even harder when competing.
Through extensive research, he began to find that caffeine had the ability to block adenosine in the body, which can directly reduce pain and soreness related to a hard workout. Through a number of related studies, the conclusion was found that caffeine in coffee can help to increase intensity in exercise and reduce post workout muscle soreness.
These findings are related to drinking a moderate amount of coffee prior to a workout, which equals around 2 cups. In a related study published in The Journal of Pain in February 2007, this amount of coffee consumed before a workout reduced muscle soreness by 48%.
Researchers are proposing the idea that caffeine in coffee has the ability to block the chemicals in the body that cause soreness after a workout and to reduce pain overall. These findings potentially offer the idea that coffee can help you to workout harder and longer because you will be less sore as a result.
When you take into account that caffeine can also help boost a workout in general, this provides the opportunity to train even harder through the use of coffee. Coffee does have the ability to increase endurance and alertness, and it also will block chemicals in the body that cause soreness due to inflammation. These studies have shown that coffee is a better alternative to relieving post workout muscle soreness than many other over-the-counter drugs, including Aleve.
When you couple that with the fact that coffee is full of healthy antioxidants that have the potential to neutralize free radical damage in the body, you have a winning combination!
Most recently, coffee has been celebrated for its high antioxidant content, which more than triples that of green tea. Many people have switched to drinking green tea over the past years because of its popular health benefits, but as it turns out, coffee provides many more antioxidants on a regular basis.
The long list of health benefits provided by coffee is growing bigger and bigger, and just to name a few, coffee is suspected to have the potential to prevent Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, colon cancer, and cirrhosis of the liver.
Overall, these studies provide hope for even an average exerciser because anyone can use coffee prior to a workout to boost physical capabilities and fitness potential. If you are struggling to find motivation before you workout on a daily basis, then you may want to try a cup of coffee or two to whip you into shape, so to speak. Furthermore, if you are hoping to train for a strenuous event or physical aspiration, then coffee is the jumpstart that you have been looking for to make sure that you achieve your goals.
The bottom line is that caffeine in coffee will block receptors in the body that cause inflammation and pain, dramatically reducing post workout muscle soreness. Again, this is something only applicable with coffee in moderation, so drink a cup of Joe or two prior to working out to see maximum fitness benefits!
Mark Ramos is a coffee fanatic that has spent the entirety of his career cultivating and studying all of the best uses and brewing styles for optimal coffee and espresso flavor. His specialty site for all coffee needs, supplies, and Bunn Filters can be found at The Coffee Bump at www.thecoffeebump.com.
