It is important to stay fueled for a session of some intense reps in the gym. One of the best ways to do this could be to drink some black coffee before workout. Not only is it widely available and flavourful, drinking black coffee workout is one of the cheapest options for a pre workout beverage, making it the perfect option for you to increase your performance output in the gym. However, as it is with every supplement, drinking black coffee before workout has both its ups and downs.
Let us understand more about how black coffee before workout and the kind of effect that it has on your body.
Benefits Of Drinking Black Coffee Before Workout
Coffee is actually quite nutritious to consume when drunk in moderation. It contains a rich reserve of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and compounds such as caffeine. Drinking some black coffee before workout can help you get that additional jolt of energy required to reach your peak performance in the gym.
Given below are some of the benefits of drinking black coffee before workout:
- Reduces Inflammation: Coffee before workout is a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin c which have a major role to play in improving the inflammatory response of the body. Not only does this help enhance your workout by reducing the inflammation of muscles, it is also useful for preventing potential infections by limiting the entry of pathogens and elimination of free radicals.
- Improves Workout Time: Drinking coffee before workout gives an additional jolt of caffeine to your body which helps you engage in physical activity for extended periods of time while also gradually increasing the amount of energy exerted in each output. This helps in getting rid of side effects such as fatigue and increases the endurance levels of athletes.
- Improves Mental Focus: It is just as important to stay mentally healthy as it is to be physically fit. Consuming coffee before workout has been shown to improve mental focus and concentration since caffeine is said to be one of the most effective natural stimulants that works towards improving cognitive function.
- Reduces Muscle Soreness: Drinking some coffee pre workout can greatly help in improving the quality of your workout. Caffeine present in the coffee is useful for reducing the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, which can be beneficial in reducing the soreness of muscles and reducing the overall stress exerted on your body due to prolonged physical activity.
- Increases Fat Burn: Drinking coffee pre workout has been shown to be greatly beneficial in improving the fat burning abilities of the body. This is due to the increased levels of metabolic activity, which in turn leads to an increased level of oxidation. This gives you an increased fat burning capacity, especially when you are in the gym. In addition to this, drinking coffee pre workout can also be beneficial in boosting the number of calories you burn throughout the day and reducing your appetite.
When To Consume Coffee Pre Workout
One of the best ways to utilise the consumption of coffee pre workout is to drink it about 45 minutes to an hour before you engage in physical activity. This is useful for letting the caffeine present in the coffee to be fully absorbed and released into your blood, maximising its effects on your body. It is recommended that you can consume about 1-2.5 mg of caffeine per pound of body weight in order to stay within the safe levels while still availing the benefits of black coffee pre workout. It is rather easy to meet the caffeine recommendations for the day since you can get about 100 mg of caffeine by drinking a single cup of black coffee pre workout.
Cons Of Consuming Black Coffee Before Workout
Although drinking black coffee pre workout can offer you a wide range of health benefits and improve your workout quality, there are also certain downsides to it. Most of the blood in our body is redirected to the muscles which are being engaged in physical activity when you are in the gym. Drinking caffeine before workout amplifies this effect, which can result in a slowed down digestive activity. This in turn can lead to complications such as bloatedness, nausea, fatigue, and other digestive issues. This is one of the reasons as to why it is recommended that you do not consume caffeine before workout without a gap of an hour at least. You can also try experimenting with different forms of caffeine before workout such as espresso shots, which can give you about 130 mg of caffeine in just 60 ml.
In certain cases, people are especially sensitive to drinking coffee before gym as it may lead to an increased stimulant activity resulting in conditions such as an increased heart rate, anxiousness, jitteriness, and even an upset stomach. There have also been cases wherein the consumption of coffee before gym also led to difficulties in sleeping, even causing disorders such as insomnia. In case you still need to consume coffee before gym, you can try limiting your intake to about two cups of coffee per day to avoid some of the side effects.
The recommended amount of coffee that adults can safely consume in a day is limited to about four cups, since it can give you up to 400 mg of caffeine in those servings. While some individuals may develop some resistance to drinking this much coffee after workout, others may experience a lot of unwanted side effects. Given below are some of the common side effects of consuming too much coffee after workout:
- irritability
- sleep disruption or insomnia
- anxiety
- nervousness
- stomach discomfort
- tremors
- increased heart rate
- rapid pulse
Conclusion
Drinking some black coffee before workout is one of the most safest and cost effective ways for you to achieve your fitness goals. It can be beneficial in boosting your strength, endurance, and quality of the workout itself. However, you need to work towards boosting your endurance and not relying on supplements such as coffee since your body can build up a resistance over time and result in more side effects than benefits for your health. Make sure to consult with a medical health practitioner in case you may be experiencing any of the side effects mentioned in this article.
