Coffee the Pre-Workout

While coffee is actually a very natural substance (granted you are not adding artificial sweeteners, sugar or processed creams and milks), it is one of those ‘gray’ areas as to whether or not athletes really do benefit from the cup of Joe before a morning workout.

Coffee has some awesome benefits, these include:

1. It will help burn fat. 

Black Coffee—when consumed before exercise—can cause fat cells to be used as an energy source as opposed to glycogen.  Also, the high amounts of caffeine in black coffee will increase your metabolism, which makes you burn more calories throughout the day.  Having coffee before exercise enhances that effect.  Also, caffeine and other compounds found in coffee act as an appetite suppressant, making you consume less overall.

2. Increases athletic performance.

Several studies have demonstrated a link between caffeine intake before exercise and increased athletic performance.  A report published in Sports Medicine refers to caffeine as a “powerful ergogenic aid,” and mentions that athletes can “train at a greater power output and/or train longer” after caffeine consumption.  Another study published in the British Journal of Sports Science found that subjects who consumed coffee before running 1500 meters on the treadmill completed their run 4.2 seconds  faster than the control group, on average.  To gain an extra edge in your training sessions, coffee might be just what you need.

3. It will improve focus and alertness.

In addition to increased energy to push through tough workouts, black coffee provides an increase in mental focus as well.  Improved focus and alertness will help keep workouts productive and effective.

4. It will help prevent disease.

An unexpected advantage of drinking coffee is that it helps protect your body from diseases.  Coffee contains high amounts of antioxidants, which protect against damage from free radicals. Coffee consumption has an inverse correlation with diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain forms of cancer.

5. It will help decrease muscle pain during workouts.

Researchers at the University of Illinois found that subjects who consumed coffee prior to exercise experienced less muscle pain during their workout than their non-caffeinated counterparts.  The takeaway?  You can complete more reps at a higher resistance during your weight training sessions, and run faster and longer during your cardio workouts.