Can Caffeine Help You Workout?

This is a guest post by Davis Miller. Learn more about how you can guest post for Daily Shot Of Coffee.

Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, chocolate, and in some medicines. Caffeine affects people differently; some people feel an energizing affect, while others feel jittery and nervous.

If you are one of the people that feel energized by the consumption of caffeine, then it may be beneficial for you during your workouts as it will provide you with more energy to motivate you and to help you exercise longer. Keep in mind that caffeine is diuretic (it can make you urinate more) so be sure to drink plenty of water before and after your workout to prevent dehydration.

Caffeine Side Effects

Another effect of caffeine is that it may cause your bowels to move, so be sure to “eliminate” that problem before prolonged workout sessions to avoid any “unfortunate mishaps.” The dose of caffeine that will best assist with your workout is from 200-300 mg.

This is a rather high dose and so if you suffer from nervous conditions it may cause you to have difficulty in concentrating or become irritable. Persons with high blood pressure or other health problems should consult with their physicians before using caffeine supplements.

Caffeine may also cause nausea or indigestion so persons with related problems should use caffeine with caution. If you choose to use caffeine supplements it is recommended to start with smaller doses of 50-100 mg and work your way up until you find what dose works best for you. One rule of thumb to determine a dose is to take 2-4 mg per kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of body weight.

Combat Fatigue with a cup of Joe

Caffeine works to improve your stamina by elevating your heart rate and blood pressure, which then helps to carry more oxygen rich blood to your working muscles thereby helping to prevent muscle fatigue. (This is why persons with heart conditions or high blood pressure should first consult their physicians before use)

It is also thought that caffeine helps reduce fatigue by reducing the amount of glycogen consumed by muscle, and by increasing adrenaline in your system thereby increasing the amount of glucose and oxygen carried to the muscles.

Coffee for weight loss?

Another effect of caffeine use during exercise is that it burns fat for energy instead of glycogen, a good thing for those trying to lose weight. Caffeine also helps during exercise by blocking some pain inducing endorphins, and by slowing the buildup of lactic acid that usually occurs when the muscles burn available stores of glycogen. Calcium and potassium ions relationships are affected by the ratio of calcium and potassium ions in the muscle cells, which may cause contraction of muscle cells more easily and to be more power efficient.

Consistent use of caffeine will reduce these affects, as, similar any other drug use, the body will build a tolerance, So it is advisable to limit daily consumption to a minimum so that when you workout you may use the caffeine supplement to its fullest affect. If you choose to drink coffee for the caffeine rather than taking supplements, the recommended amount to drink for the average person would be two or three 8 oz cups about an hour before your workout in order to gain the optimal affects.

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The post is authored by Davis Miller. Davis loves to burn fat by regular workouts and exercises. Apart from that he is a fitness trainer and professional blogger. Visit his site to know more about kofiemachine kiezen and Koffieautomaten.

Photo by Greatist.

Category: Coffee Information