The Performance Benefits of Caffeine

 

Did you know that more than 90% of the U.S. population consumes caffeine on a regular basis? It is one of the most widely consumed stimulants on the planet, but it is also found naturally in many foods, including coffee, tea, and chocolate.

Caffeine is best known for its ability to boost energy levels and improve alertness, but it can also be used to boost your performance in the gym.

Before I dive into the performance benefits of caffeine, let us look at how this stimulant affects the body.

How Caffeine Affects the Body

Caffeine is quickly absorbed by the body, peaking after 90-100 minutes of consumption. Even after reaching its peak, caffeine levels will remain high for up to four hours before starting to drop.

Caffeine is unique in that it can affect all cells in the body, including the brain and even your muscle cells. It can help you feel more awake and alert while giving you the energy you need to get through your workouts.

When it comes to exercise performance, caffeine can help in many ways:

•          Improve muscle contraction
•         Reduce the perception of pain
•          Provide an energy boost to increase endurance

The Performance Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeine can provide many performance benefits that may help you achieve the results you want from your workouts. Of course, it is important to make sure that you are consuming caffeine responsibly and no more than the daily recommended amount. Consuming too much caffeine can cancel out these benefits.

Helps You Stay Focused and Energized

Caffeine affects the brain and central nervous system, which helps boost energy levels and focus while combating fatigue.

Athletes turn to caffeine for its energizing and endurance-enhancing properties. One study found that taking 9.8mg/lb of caffeine was enough for athletes to improve their endurance. Caffeine helped them cover up to two more miles compared to a placebo group.

Another study involving cyclists found that caffeine improved workload by 7.4% compared to just 5.2% in a group consuming carb.

Because coffee is naturally rich in caffeine, researchers wanted to see how coffee helped with endurance. Researchers found that regular coffee drinkers were about four seconds faster than those drinking decaf coffee.

Helps the Body Burn Fat

If your goal is to lose fat and build muscle, caffeine may help. It can improve the body’s ability to burn fat through lipolysis. Not surprisingly, caffeine is one of the main ingredients in weight loss products.

Research has shown that consuming caffeine before exercise can increase the release of fat stores by up to 30%. Other research also supports this result, showing that caffeine can help release stored fat both before and after exercise. There is evidence that this stimulant can help with fat burning during exercise as well.

Caffeine’s ability to help release fat stores means that your body will burn fat for fuel instead of glycogen. Sparing glycogen, which is stored in the muscles and liver, can help you go harder, faster, and longer in the gym before feeling fatigued.

Along with helping you burn more fat, caffeine may also suppress your appetite, which means that you will naturally consume less calories. Appetite suppressants can help you lose weight more quickly.

May Improve Strength Training

Although more research is needed, there is some evidence that caffeine may help improve strength training.

One review of 27 studies found that caffeine improved leg muscle power by 7%. Other research found that caffeine may boost muscular endurance, helping you perform more repetitions when performing strength training exercises.

May Increase Thermogenesis

Caffeine may help increase heat production as well as epinephrine levels. Increasing thermogenesis helps you burn more calories during your workouts.

One study found that a single dose of 100 mg of caffeine boosted the rested metabolic rate of participants by 3-4%.

Increasing thermogenesis may not improve your performance directly, but it can help you lose weight faster. This can indirectly boost your performance.

Helps with Recovery

Recovery plays an important role in exercise performance, and caffeine may help. Research suggests that taking a caffeine-enhanced carbohydrate drink four hours after exercise can increase muscle glycogen by up to 66%.

Increasing glycogen stores can speed up recovery, so you can get back to the gym quicker and without discomfort.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Caffeine can help improve performance, but what about side effects? Although natural and generally considered safe (if you take the recommended amount), caffeine can cause some side effects in people.

According to the FDA, healthy adults can consume up to 400mg of caffeine each day without any serious side effects.

Consuming an excessive amount of caffeine, however, can cause:

•          Jitters
•          Dizziness
•          Headaches
•          High blood pressure
•          Rapid heartbeat
•         Anxiety
•          Irritability
•          Sleep disruption
•          Dehydration
•          Heartburn (caffeine can increase stomach acid)
•          Muscle tremors
•          Upset stomach
•          Diarrhea
•          Nausea
•          Dependency
•      Caffeine may interact with some medications, including:
•         Antidepressants
•          Antibiotics
•         Antipsychotics
•          Bronchodilators
•          Carbamazepine
•         Diuretics

Most people have no issues consuming caffeine. They may feel a little jittery, but it is generally well-tolerated.

Top Sources of Caffeine

Caffeine is naturally found in many foods and drinks, including:

•  Coffee
•  Tea
•  Cacao beans
•  Yerba mate leaf
•   Guarana seeds

Energy drinks and supplements are also available that can give you that extra boost you need. However, keep in mind that energy drinks can have varying levels of caffeine. Some have very high amounts, which can cause adverse side effects. They also contain lots of sugar and other ingredients that may be detrimental to your health.

Coffee and tea both contain ample amounts of caffeine and offer other benefits, like antioxidants that help fight damaging free radicals.

The Bottom Line

I love drinking coffee every morning, sometimes two cups before I get going.  Caffeine can help improve your exercise performance. Chances are, you are probably already consuming caffeine every day, whether it is a cup (or two) of coffee or tea. If you are, consuming caffeine a few hours before your workout, it can help you enjoy the performance-boosting effects of this stimulant.

If you do not consume caffeine and you are thinking about adding it to your exercise regimen, start slow. Consuming too much too quickly can cause adverse side effects.  Try it and comment below. 

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