Recent studies have shown that some people benefit from having some caffeine before a workout, but how much caffeine should they take and in what form? Caffeine occurs naturally in a lot of forms that are quite popular. That cup of coffee, tea or cola soft drink contain caffeine, so does that bar of chocolate. Caffeine acts as a stimulant in the body, which is one reason people use coffee to help stay awake. It does have some drawbacks, including the potential to increase both blood pressure and heart rate.
There’s been a number of studies that show caffeine may provide a benefit for people who exercise.
While there’s no concrete agreement, many studies show that consuming caffeine before a workout may boost your endurance, which in turn may produce a longer and more productive workout session. The reason why that happens is debated. It may cause the body to use fat stores as fuel instead of sugar stored in the body or trick the brain into feeling less tired. If you need a cup of coffee in the morning as a jump start, you know it may also boost your enthusiasm to get going and get tough.
How much caffeine does it take to get those effects?
Studies show that for the average person, between 200 and 350 mg helped people boost their endurance. How much is that when you translate that to cups of coffee, hot chocolate, chocolate bars, cola or tea? The average cup of coffee contains between 90 and100 mg of caffeine. A milk chocolate bar has about the same amount as a cup of decaffeinated cup of coffee, while dark chocolate contains between 5 and 20 mg of caffeine per ounce and can be higher. A cup of hot chocolate has about 25 mg of caffeine, while a cola has between 30 and 50 mg of caffeine. Two cups of coffee before working out is approximately 200 mg, the amount shown to improve endurance.
Caffeine isn’t the answer for everyone.
Caffeine affects everyone differently. Some people can guzzle pots of coffee without noticing any difference, while others have a cut and feel jittery. In fact, studies show it can even affect the performance of those people in a negative way. Caffeine also acts like a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration due to frequent urination. It can have an adverse effect on your digestion, causing diarrhea and upset stomach.
- It can cause problems with the heart and nervous system, seizures, muscle tremors, insomnia and a rapid heartbeat.
- It’s hard to get too much caffeine from just drinking coffee for most people, but when you consider it’s in candy, medications—including pain relievers—and tea as well, it can add up.
- Avoid caffeine tablets or caffeine powder. Just 1/16 teaspoon of caffeine is the actual serving size. If you took just one teaspoon of caffeine powder in water, it would be like drinking 35 cans of Red Bull at once and have some grave side effects.
- Choosing tea or coffee for your pre workout caffeine can provide some health benefits. Coffee has some nutrients, like B vitamins and has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes. Tea, especially green tea, is loaded with antioxidants and can lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym