Run it Forward: How Does Coffee Improve Sports Performance?

Hello,

This time I appeal to the sports enthusiasts among you, those who work out only occasionally, and particularly those who engage in fitness training on a regular basis. Every person who engages in physical activity aims to improve results and enable the body to begin the session filled with energy, from start to finish. In this post I will tell you about the interesting connection between drinking coffee before exercising to improving our sports performance.

One of the ingredients most identified with coffee is, of course, caffeine, which affects all body systems, especially the central nervous system. So what is it about caffeine that makes it a substance we should put into our body before working out?

Coffee drinking is recommended before which types of training?

Many studies indicate that caffeine is an ergogenic substance, namely a performance-enhancing substance, and therefore, it is often recommended that those engaged in a sporting activity sports should have a cup of Turkish (black) coffee before exercising.

These qualities of caffeine have been tested with athletes whose sports activities involve various effort levels and durations, and they showed that caffeine helps those engaged in athletic activity that requires prolonged effort.

Though caffeine has greater effect on sports that require sustained effort, a positive effect was found in both cases, with the level of improvement varying, of course, from one person to another and from one sports branch to another.

The link between caffeine and improved fitness and stamina

For those of you wondering what’s making caffeine so that effective with fitness and stamina – I should note that while the mechanism itself may not be completely clear, most studies suggest three possible reasons:

First and foremost, caffeine enhances alertness and therefore increases mental ability and the desire to sustain the effort over time. This phenomenon is explained, in part, from by fact that caffeine is known as a material that prevents contact between Adnosin – a substance that makes us feel relaxed and calm – and its unique receptor (point of “contact”). It also increases dopamine activity, a substance responsible for increasing awareness.

The second reason for which caffeine improves prolonged sports stamina, is that caffeine increases utilization of energy sources from triglycerides (organic fat compound comprised of fatty acids and glycerol) and reduces utilization of energy from glucagon .

Moreover, because caffeine increases the level of calcium in skeletal muscle, it enhances their mechanical ability, namely affects the contraction and stretching of the muscles.

We have a training session. When and how much coffee should we drink?

Having understood how caffeine works and why you should drink coffee before a workout, let’s talk about dosages and times.

You are invited to write down the following figures – Studies show that the recommended caffeine consumption before exercise is 150 to 300 mg.

Since caffeine concentration in the blood after coffee drinking reaches its peak after about 60 minutes, consuming up to two cups of Turkish coffee, one hour before a physical activity enhances performance and increases ability and stamina over time.

So what are you waiting for? Indulge in a cup of coffee and then exercise.