The stimulating effect of caffeine, so desirable in situations where it is necessary to add energy, has put coffee on the list of doping substances prohibited for athletes. How does coffee affect the body of a person practicing sports and is it worth trying a cup of "little black dress" before training?

According to the latest research, thecoffeeproperties, apart from having a positive effect on intellectual work, are also used in the case of physical activity. Increasing blood flow to the muscles and heart is especially important during endurance exercise. How doescaffeineaffect our body's performance?

Coffee before training: drink or not to drink?

In the case of people practicing sports regularly, the key issue in the proper functioning of the body's energy management is the rapid rebuilding of glycogen resources between workouts. Caffeine has a double function in this situation. By causing an increase in the concentration of free fatty acids, it helps to conserve muscle glycogen. Taken immediately before starting activity, it increases the level of glucose from which it is synthesized.

How much time before training to drink coffee?

- Caffeine delivered in the form of coffee is absorbed extremely quickly. In the case of long-term activity, noticeable effects will be obtained by drinking coffee approx. 15-20 minutes before training. With less effort, this time is extended to 45 minutes - explains Joanna Sobyra, Segafredo Zanetti expert. - However, we should remember that when taking a dose of caffeine, you should ensure regular and proper hydration of the body to reduce the effects of the diuretic effect of the drink - she adds.

The effect of caffeine on the body

Taking a dose of about 5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight causes vasodilation and increases the concentration of adrenaline in the blood. This is especially important for activities that require high endurance and resistance, such as a marathon or bike race.

It is assumed that on average coffee contains from 1 to 2.8 percent caffeine.

Caffeine, by affecting the nervous system, also increases the body's efficiency and motivation to continue effort. As a result, it improves reflexes and sharpens concentration. When you decide to include coffee indiet, while exercising, we should take into account general he alth. For the organisms of people struggling with hypertension, the combination of caffeine and intense exercise can be too much of a burden.

Which coffee should I choose?

Which coffee will most effectively increase the effectiveness of training? The amount of caffeine in a cup depends on many factors, mainly the type of coffee, but it can also be differentiated according to the method and climate of cultivation, hydration. Moreover, the coffee available on the market is often a blend of many species. The process of roasting coffee beans is also different, as it deprives it of some caffeine.

Moreover, the longer coffee is in contact with hot water, the more caffeine it will contain. One of the strongest will be the one prepared in the overflow expert, when the brew slowly seeps into the jug, or the coffee prepared in the Turkish style. Espresso brewed in 20-30 seconds will contain much less caffeine. - Surprising? And yet. We drink the espresso quickly, so the absorption time is counted almost from the moment of consuming the coffee, and the effect is felt relatively quickly. We enjoy a cup or a mug of coffee for much longer and the time of saturating the body with a stimulant is longer - explains Dr. Anna Stolecka-Warzecha from the Department of Physiology of the Department of Physiological and Medical Sciences of the University of Physical Education in Katowice, expert Merida Polska.

Green coffee, as unroasted coffee, contains the most caffeine and light roast coffee is stronger compared to the same coffee beans, roasted at 225-250 degrees Celsius.

Caffeine content in various products

Product

Caffeine content, mg per cup

Instant coffee

60

Espresso

45-100

Espresso / filtered coffee

60-120

Ground coffee

80-90

Decaffeinated coffee

3

Tea

40

Green tea

40

Energy drinks (can)

100

Coke can

40

Bitter chocolate (50 mg)

40

Milk chocolate (50 mg)

12

Gelenergy (sachet)

25 [currently you can find gels with higher caffeine content]

Source: Anita Bean, "Nutrition in Sport, A Complete Guide", 2nd Edition, Profit & Co., 2004

Worth knowing

Coffee with butter and coconut oil - perfect before training

If you train to lose weight, try the so-calledbulletproof coffee , enriched with butter and coconut oil. The author of this unusual idea to add fat to coffee is Dave Asprey, the author of the blog about effective weight loss. During his visit to Tibet, he noticed that local monks were drinking tea with yak milk butter. He adapted this recipe to the Western diet and invented bulletproof coffee.

The drink works great in a low-carbohydrate diet and is supposed to promote weight loss. Thanks to the addition of fat, it allows you to stay full for longer and not to eat, it adds energy.

If you drink coffee with butter and coconut oil on an empty stomach before training, remember to eat a meal with carbohydrates and protein after exercise, so that your body can regenerate.

Recipe for bulletproof coffee

  • a glass of good-quality coffee (by no means soluble, preferably pure Arabica)
  • tablespoon of organic grass-fed butter
  • 15 g unrefined coconut oil

All ingredients must be blended in a blender (mixing with a spoon is not enough, the ingredients must combine well).

Caffeine will help reduce the effects of sourdough

The syndrome of delayed muscle pain, popularly known as "soreness" is one of the biggest problems that beginner sports enthusiasts have to face. It is the unpleasant pain, explained by the formation of microtraumas in the fiber structure, that is the main reason why we give up training after just a few days.

As researchers from the American University of Georgia prove, caffeine also helps to remedy this type of problem. The perceptible muscle soreness in people who were given caffeine tablets before intense exercise was 46 percent lower than in the control group. The effect is explained by blocking adenosine, which is responsible for activating pain receptors in response to microdamages. To achieve such a result, just take the dose of caffeine contained in two cups of espresso.

This will be useful to you

Coffee as a slimming supplement

Little black dress is also one of the most popular natural ingredients supporting weight loss. - People starting springfighting kilograms, in addition to regular physical activity, it is recommended to drink espresso. Coffee supports digestion and reduces the desire to reach for sweet snacks - explains Joanna Sobyra. - The caloric value of a classic espresso is low - approx. 2 kcal per 100 ml, and the caffeine contained in it supports the thermogenesis process. It is thanks to these properties of coffee that Italians who drink it after meals are slim and full of energy - she adds.

However, we should be careful not to overstate the caloric content of the drink by adding fatty milk or sweet additives, such as flavored syrups, whipped cream or chocolate.

Coffee and regeneration after exercise

In order for the training to bring the desired results, we must not forget about regeneration. - Post-exercise restitution is the time when the body rebuilds all fatigue changes caused during exercise, regeneration of structural proteins, rebuilding energy substrates, hydration, changes in the acid-base balance. If coffee is consumed immediately after a given training unit, due to its stimulating effect, glycogen re-synthesis and metabolites of exercise metabolites may be drained away faster, explains Dr. Stolecka-Warzecha.

How quickly the restoration of glycogen will take place and the benefits of drinking coffee after training will depend on the specific person, but it is worth remembering not to consume too much coffee and not to achieve the opposite effect, because then, instead of allowing the body to rest, we will subject it to further stimulating stimuli.

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