Coffee gives us strength, stimulates and motivates us to act. This is why drinking it during workouts seems like a good idea. Is this really true? What is the best coffee and when should you drink it?
When, after a day spent at work, we are still in the afternoon training, we often lack energy. Even if we work in an office, sitting in front of a computer screen for eight hours can sap our energy and desire for further action. Coffee seems like a great solution here. When we return home tired, post-workout coffee sounds equally tempting. It's worth thinking about it a little, though.
The benefits of coffee after a workout
Drinking coffee after a workout at the gym can be beneficial because it leads to a number of positive effects in the body:
- gives vigor and strength, increases performance;
- neutralizes lactic acid released in muscles during physical activity (reducing pain in subsequent days);
- replenishes minerals lost through sweat;
- increases metabolic rate;
- lifts the mood.
Drinking a cup of coffee after a workout can help you cheer up and find the strength to carry out your daily activities. Drinking a tonic drink has other “bonuses”: it reduces soreness and stimulates metabolism in the body.
Coffee contains substances of organic and inorganic origin, which determine its effect on the body. The main components of the invigorating drink are:
- proteins;
- carbohydrates (simple sugars and insoluble dietary fiber);
- water;
- ash;
- phenolic compounds;
- organic acids;
- alkaloids (caffeine and trigonelline);
- tannins;
- vitamins (B1, B2, B3, PP);
- minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, phosphorus).
Coffee has its own special taste and aroma due to the content of tannins, essential oils and organic acids in the beans, but caffeine has a tonic effect. This alkaloid is a stimulant of the central nervous system and provokes the production of adrenaline, a stress hormone. Under its influence, physical, mental and mental activity is activated.
In large doses, caffeine has the opposite effect - it depresses the central nervous system, causing drowsiness, confusion, and inhibited reaction to the environment.
Video: is it possible to drink tea or coffee before training?
Is it possible to drink coffee before/after training.
Coffee is a fragrant and invigorating drink that can give strength and increase productivity. But will all of its characteristics work before or after training, when energy is especially needed? And won't it be harmful?
Harm and contraindications of coffee after exercise
The nervous system reacts to sports and fitness as stress. Increased physical activity in the gym provokes the production of adrenaline, which in turn:
- stimulates the heart;
- increases heart rate;
- increases blood pressure;
- increases blood flow to the muscles.
That is, physiological processes are launched in the body that help the body cope with increased demands in difficult or dangerous situations. The more actively the muscles work, the more powerful the adrenaline release. The level of this hormone in the blood increases especially sharply in athletes during strength training with heavy weights.
Drinking even one strong cup of coffee immediately after exercise will increase the secretion of adrenaline and can lead to adverse health effects:
- will increase the load on the cardiovascular system;
- will increase already high blood pressure after performing exercises at an intense pace (fraught with a hypertensive crisis);
- will interfere with the natural recovery of the body after active sports;
- will increase the secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, contributing to the development or exacerbation of gastritis;
- causes excessive irritability;
- will provoke loose stools and colic, as it stimulates the smooth muscles of the intestinal tract;
- With insufficient fluid intake and increased sweating during active training, dehydration may occur, since coffee has a diuretic effect.
Caffeine after strength training affects the production of insulin in the body, which negatively affects the transport of glycogen to the muscles. Coffee taken after intense physical activity interferes with the recovery of muscle tissue, slowing down its growth.
Drinking coffee after exercise can have unpredictable consequences and is strictly contraindicated if:
- hypertension of 2 degrees and higher;
- severe diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
- intracranial pressure;
- pregnancy and lactation;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- increased intraocular pressure (glaucoma).
Sometimes individual intolerance to coffee or an allergic reaction to the drink occurs.
Stimulants after active physical activity, especially in large doses, have an adverse effect on the body. Doctors do not recommend drinking coffee immediately after exercise, even for healthy people. With chronic diseases of the body, as well as after 50 years, this can be deadly.
Food poisoning and symptoms of intoxication
The following symptoms are observed with food poisoning:
- nausea or vomiting;
- dehydration – in severe advanced form;
- headache due to toxins circulating in the blood;
- possible tremor of the limbs;
- high temperature as a reaction to bacteria.
Poisoning often manifests itself as stool disorder - diarrhea. The most unpleasant and dangerous thing is a violation of the water-salt balance and dehydration. Is it possible to drink coffee if you are poisoned? It is extremely undesirable, because caffeine has diuretic properties and further enhances the removal of water from the body.
Video: 10 Signs of Caffeine Poisoning
Toxic substances cause constriction of blood vessels in the brain. Because of this, he does not receive enough oxygen and a headache appears. In case of poisoning, coffee constricts blood vessels even more, so the pain may intensify.
At high temperatures, the body needs a large amount of fluid, but the functioning of the gastric mucosa is impaired and does not absorb water well. Even a small dose of caffeine can cause deterioration in health, after which detoxification in a medical facility will be required.
How and how much coffee can you drink after training?
To prevent coffee after exercise from leading to undesirable effects, you need to consume it correctly.
Experts recommend drinking coffee only 45 minutes after training, and preferably an hour later. During this time, your heart rate and blood pressure will drop to normal. If you want to increase muscle mass after strength training, it is not advisable to drink coffee in the next 3-4 hours; if you are losing weight, it is not advisable to drink it within 2 hours.
To improve performance and reduce muscle pain after fitness, it is recommended to drink natural, freshly ground coffee.
The composition of the instant drink (powder or granules) contains too few substances beneficial to the body, but the amount of preservatives and artificial flavors, on the contrary, is off the charts. Consuming it will not give you energy and will not replenish minerals lost through sweat.
The optimal dose of caffeine after training is 100-120 mg, i.e. one mug of drink, volume 200 ml with 2 tsp. ground coffee.
You should know that frequent consumption of caffeine-containing drinks in large doses (more than 1000 ml daily) is harmful:
- leads to increased irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbance;
- increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke;
- forms caffeine addiction, akin to a drug addiction;
- increases the risk of developing osteoporosis, because interferes with calcium absorption.
To prevent harmful effects on the body and prevent addiction to caffeine, the invigorating drink should be drunk 1-2 cups a day no more than 2-3 times a week.
Coffee after fast food and fatty meals
Fast food is often washed down with coffee sold in the same establishments. Fatty foods are already unhealthy, and caffeine only increases its harmful effects. Scientists from Canada have conducted a number of research studies using healthy volunteers.
Some of the subjects simply ate fast food, while others drank 2 cups of coffee within 5 hours.
The results of the study showed that after consuming fatty foods, blood sugar increases sharply - by approximately 30%. But if you drink fast food with coffee, sugar increases by more than 60%, and actually becomes the same as in people with an increased risk of diabetes.
So, fatty foods and caffeine, consumed frequently, disrupt the functioning of the entire body, and in this case there is no need to drink coffee after meals. The bad effect lasts for several hours.
It is especially unsafe to drink coffee with a huge amount of milk or sweet coffee after fast food, as it further increases blood sugar. Instant coffee “3 in 1” from bags increases sugar the most.
Can I drink coffee before or during training?
Many pre-workout supplements, supplements, and fat burners often contain caffeine. Under the influence of adrenaline, produced after its use, muscle work is stimulated, activity increases, and fatigue is dulled. Therefore, a portion of a sports cocktail, like a mug of coffee before training, will help increase endurance and increase the intensity of physical activity.
It has been proven that two cups of strong natural coffee increases endurance during fitness activities by 20-25%, strength indicators by 9-12%.
Coffee taken before training increases its intensity, and, therefore, helps to increase the load on the muscles. This stimulates the growth of muscle tissue and accelerates the burning of fat deposits.
The drink brings benefits for the figure without harm to health only if it is taken 40-50 minutes before playing sports. If you drink it directly during training, caffeine will not lead to the desired effect, but will cause an excessive increase in heart rate and blood pressure (which is dangerous for the body).
Is it possible to have coffee before a workout?
If you drink a cup of coffee before exercising, this drink will invigorate you well. Thanks to the adrenaline released into the blood, coffee will give you strength. In addition, you will become less sensitive to pain and lethargy. This happens because adrenaline entering the bloodstream puts the body in a state of stress. The body receives a lot of energy that needs an outlet. Therefore, training will be an ideal option for energy expenditure. In addition, after a cup of coffee, the body uses its own fat reserves better. So it goes without saying that coffee before sports is even beneficial. By the way, it is worth adding that this drink itself is low in calories if you drink it without sugar, cream or milk.
This energy drink will give you strength not only during heavy strength training, but also, for example, during cardio training. Coffee will relieve lethargy and give you more strength and energy. But you shouldn’t overuse the drink, especially if you choose a busy pace of exercise. Overloading the heart can lead to a nervous breakdown or, even worse, to a fatal outcome.
The best dose before sports is 0.5-1.5 milligrams per kilogram of body. For information: Americano contains 80 milligrams of caffeine, espresso – 100. Just keep in mind that if you play sports expertly, then know that scientists classify caffeine as a catalyst, which means it is prohibited.
Coffee or caffeine tablets?
To improve performance and relieve muscle pain, instead of coffee after training in the gym, you can take 1-2 tablets of caffeine-sodium benzoate. Each contains 40 mg of caffeine. This drug is freely sold in pharmacies and, when used in recommended doses, replaces a cup of natural coffee.
Caffeine is also found in sports supplements and is available in the form of capsules or powder for the preparation of a drink:
- Caffeine Scitec Nutrition Performance Booster;
- Natrol High Coffeine;
- Guarana Liquid VP Laboratory, etc.
One capsule or serving of powder contains 100 to 200 mg of caffeine. These drugs cannot be combined with other sources of this substance (tea, coffee, Coca-Cola) due to the high risk of overdose.
Scientists have not come to a consensus in which form of caffeine is more effective in increasing vigor and performance: in the form of a coffee drink or in tablet form. In any form, it has a stimulating effect on the body, so what to take after training depends only on convenience and personal preference.
To drink or not to drink is an individual choice
To summarize, I would like to first note that most athletes prefer to drink coffee before sports training. Supporters of an active lifestyle explain this effect by the fact that caffeine gives vigor and helps during exercise. In their understanding, this is a kind of “warm-up” method before the upcoming workout. But even here you need to understand the difference between professional exercises and the performance of a set of mandatory exercises by an amateur athlete. Therefore, everyone must decide for themselves whether to drink coffee or replace the invigorating drink with something else. We must remember one thing: moderation must always be strictly observed in everything.
can you drink milk after training
Coffee after workout for weight loss
Drinking coffee in combination with cardio and strength training helps you lose excess weight faster. Research by scientists from the USA, Great Britain and Russia has proven that caffeine:
- accelerates metabolism in the body;
- promotes the breakdown of fats;
- reduces insulin resistance.
Weight loss largely depends on insulin sensitivity - the higher it is, the faster glucose is absorbed and the higher the metabolic rate. With low sensitivity to insulin, food entering the body tends to be deposited in fat depots.
For weight loss purposes, it is best to drink coffee 40 minutes before exercise, not after it. Fatty acids are oxidized faster in muscles during physical activity and the weight loss effect will be much greater.
Coffee with butter and coconut oil - ideal before a workout
If you're working out to lose weight, try bulletproof coffee fortified with butter or coconut oil. The author of this unusual idea of adding fat to coffee is Dave Asprey, author of a blog about effective weight loss. During his visit to Tibet, he noticed that the monks were drinking tea with yak butter. He adapted this recipe to the Western diet and invented bulletproof coffee.
The drink works well in low-carb diets and should promote weight loss. Thanks to the addition of fat, it allows you to stay full longer and avoid snacking, which adds energy.
If you drink coffee with butter and coconut oil on an empty stomach before training, be sure to eat a meal with carbohydrates and protein to allow your body to recover.
Fusion coffee recipe
- a glass of good quality coffee (in no case instant, preferably pure Arabic);
- a spoonful of natural butter from grass-fed cows;
- 15 g unrefined coconut oil.
What kind of coffee is better to drink?
Freshly ground coffee will undoubtedly bring the greatest benefit to the body and pleasure from drinking it. The less time passes from the moment of grinding coffee beans to drinking the drink, the higher its taste and beneficial properties.
From the point of view of taking coffee to get caffeine into the body, it doesn’t matter which type you choose: ground, beans, granulated or powder. Each of them contains caffeine, but the content of foreign components in instant coffee drinks is much higher. Unscrupulous manufacturers add starch, flour, milk powder, dyes and preservatives to ground coffee beans.
In order not to receive a portion of starch or harmful chemicals along with an invigorating drink after a workout, you should drink freshly ground coffee brewed in a coffee pot or coffee machine.
The most caffeine is found in Robusta coffee beans - 2-4 times more than in Arabica. But its content in the drink depends on the roasting and preparation method. Classic espresso contains between 50 and 90 mg of caffeine per 30 mg serving.
Coffee with milk, cream or sugar is not the best choice after an exercise aimed at losing excess weight. To lose weight, the drink should be drunk without additives.
Treat Coffee as a Weight Loss Supplement
Little black is also one of the most popular natural weight loss ingredients. — People who are starting a spring struggle with kilograms, along with regular physical activity, are recommended to drink espresso. Coffee supports digestion and reduces the desire for sugary snacks, explains Joanna Sobira. — The calorie content of classic espresso is low - about 2 kcal per 100 ml, and the caffeine it contains supports the process of thermogenesis. These properties of coffee are why Italians who drink it after meals are thin and full of energy, he adds.
However, we must be careful not to exaggerate the calorific value of the drink by adding milk or sweet additives such as flavored syrups, whipped cream or chocolate.
What can replace coffee?
Natural coffee can be replaced with a decaffeinated drink. The process of removing caffeine from beans does not affect the taste (the coffee aroma and taste remains), but decaf does not lead to the production of adrenaline, so it will not interfere with the body’s recovery after physical exertion in the gym. It preserves all vitamins, minerals and other healthy substances. It is great for consumption after fitness or bodybuilding exercises.
But if you need a similar replacement for natural coffee to achieve vigor after a high-intensity workout, you can drink a cup of black or green tea, but without sugar and milk.
In addition to sports supplements containing pure caffeine, it is found in many thermogenic fat burners (for example, Termonex from BSN, NO Shotgun from VPX, Jack 3d from USP Labs).
Is it possible to have coffee during this period?
In case of poisoning, coffee is contraindicated.
During intoxication, coffee should not be consumed. It is prohibited due to the diuretic properties of this drink. Fluid is removed, which is especially needed during this period of illness, which leads to a deterioration in the body’s condition.
Coffee also promotes the secretion of juice in the stomach, and during this period any extra stress on the stomach is undesirable. At this time, you should refuse any food, and give preference to tea from medicinal herbs and mineral water.
Coffee and caffeine put stress on the stomach, which is already not easy when poisoned
Coffee is a drink that increases human performance and invigorates the nervous system. And during the period of poisoning, a person needs to actively rest and sleep more.
Even if your body accepts coffee, it will only harm it.
And most likely it will cause even more nausea and vomiting.
In case of alcohol poisoning with serious consequences, coffee is also prohibited. And these include a nauseating effect leading to vomiting, cold sweat and increased heart rate. And during this period, a person also needs to sleep and rest more, and not excite the nervous system with drinks that increase tone.
Mild consequences of alcohol poisoning, during which you can drink coffee, include headaches, slight nausea and weakness. These are symptoms that make it easy for us to work and be physically active.
