Drink coffee before a workout? Pros and cons!
Can pre-workout coffee improve your performance?
Find out!
Are you one of the 10 million in Germany, paying monthly for a gym membership and end up not going because you don’t have the energy? Pre-workout coffee can be your optimal helper to boost your energy while improving your performance during workouts. We’ll tell you how to properly use pre-workout coffee to get the most out of you and make your gym membership really pay off.
Of course, before we look at the training effect, let's look at what effect coffee has on your longevity !
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, and its effect on the body and impact on longevity is always being researched. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology shows that you have a longer life expectancy if you are a coffee drinker. This study found that if you drink coffee moderately, you have a lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease and stroke.
In the study, the researchers found that moderate coffee consumption, which is a maximum of 2 – 3 cups a day, was associated with a 25% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and a 20% reduced risk of stroke. The reason is that coffee has strong antioxidant properties and thus reduces inflammation in the body.
Coffee alone is not enough, of course, besides which exercise plays a central role when it comes to a younger body and a longer life. A positive effect of regular exercise is not only that it gets your body in shape and thus rejuvenates your appearance, but it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and other age-related diseases.
Sports, and especially weight training, promote mitophagy, which is essential for cell renewal and the fight against zombie cells (senescent cells) that make us age rapidly. Start today to align your sport according to this and get inspired by our 10 strength exercises, which we have compiled for you in our article about the optimal training for Longevity.
The benefits of coffee before a workout
Now we know that coffee promotes longevity and proper exercise is the best anti-aging remedy. To get the most out of both, let’s see what the positive effect is when we combine the two.
1. increase energy and endurance
Coffee contains caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and increases your energy and endurance during exercise. It temporarily blocks the action of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that causes fatigue and drowsiness. The reason why we love our coffee in the morning so much.
If you tend to exercise in the afternoon or evening, a small espresso can get you out of your slump, making you more motivated to workout.
2. improvement of fat metabolism
Not only can caffeine give you a little energy boost, it also boosts your metabolism, which means your body uses more fat as an energy source. This is especially useful if you want to burn fat and build muscle mass.
Some studies show that caffeine increases the release of fatty acids from fat cells and increases fat burning during exercise.
But always remember: more (coffee) does not always equal better.
3. increased the concentration
Coffee increases your mental alertness not only during work, but also during training. This will help you be more focused during your workout and improve the mind-body connection, allowing you to train more effectively and improve your performance by executing your exercises better, thereby also reducing the risk of injury.
The side effects of coffee before exercise
Everything good always has a second side and also with coffee you should always keep an eye on the quantity, because we know that the dose makes the poison.
Here are a few signs that your coffee consumption is a little too much and is turning negative.
1. nervousness and restlessness
You know this for sure. The feeling of having drunk too much coffee.
Too much coffee leads to nervousness, trembling and restlessness. This in turn has a negative impact on your concentration and coordination during exercise, increasing the risk of injury.
An espresso or coffee before exercise is perfectly sufficient.
2. gastrointestinal problems
Too much caffeine increases your stomach acid production, which can cause gastrointestinal distress. Abdominal pain, heartburn or diarrhea are often the result here and make that your workout is not exactly pleasant.
Therefore, it is best to avoid drinking too much coffee before training and especially not on an empty stomach to avoid such problems.
3. sleep disorders
If you drink coffee too late in the day, it can cause sleep problems. As we learned, it blocks adenosine, which makes you tired and ensures a healthy sleep.
Accordingly, too much caffeine affects your sleep quality and leads to insomnia, which negatively affects your post-workout recovery and leaves you feeling tired and wimpy the next day. In addition, too little sleep also makes you age faster in the long run, your body can’t regenerate and mitophagy is affected. Your body thus accumulates more toxins and senescent cells.
Which coffee is the best for your sport?
To get the most out of you and your sport, you should pay attention to the type of coffee, because choosing the right one before exercise has a significant impact on your performance. A coffee with moderate acidity and balanced caffeine content is ideal. On sites like Roastmarket you can find more information about the different types of coffee and choose your preference. Our favorites for sports are:
- Arabica coffee: Arabica beans are known for their mild taste and low acidity. However, they contain less caffeine than Robusta beans. This type of coffee is optimal for you if you are sensitive to caffeine.
- Robusta coffee: Robusta beans have a higher caffeine content and can therefore give you a stronger energy boost. If you’re looking for a more intense caffeine kick, Robusta coffee is a good option.
- Liberica and Excelsa coffee: These varieties are less common, but offer different flavor profiles and acidity levels. Liberica is more earthy and woody, while Excelsa has a more fruity flavor.
What can you take from here
Having a cup of coffee or a small espresso before your workout will give you an energy boost that will help you get to the gym. It boosts your concentration and stamina, which in turn helps you perform better. The extra energy boost also helps burn fat by using it as an energy source.
However, be careful not to drink too much coffee before working out or going to bed, or it will have a negative effect on your performance and age your body faster. Therefore, it is important to dose the amount and listen to your own body to achieve the optimal performance level.
