Last night I was having dinner at Focaccia in the West Village with family and friends. My friend, Roberto, who is a very handsome fashion designer with a near perfect physique mentioned that he recently gave up coffee. Everyone at the table gasped. Roberto’s trainer had instructed him to give up coffee in order to maintain the toning results from his workouts. I wondered, does coffee really inhibit muscle tone or is it all the things we pair with our coffee and the quantity we drink throughout the day that makes us less fit. Check out what I found out on coffee and exercise below.
- Coffee improves physical performance: many studies have been conducted on athletes across a variety of sports and exercises.
- Coffee makes exercising easier: caffeine blocks adenosine, a biochemical involved in energy transfer, which is believed to reduce muscle pain during exercise.
- Coffee boosts exercise stamina: a cup of coffee allows you to continue exercising a third longer, resulting in more fat-burning.
Also, there are a handful of studies claiming that a combination of coffee and exercise may prevent skin cancer. WOW! This is great news for people who get fit outdoors.
The only negative information I found on coffee and exercise is that drinking too much coffee can have a diuretic effect, contributing to dehydration. Dehydration is never good for exercising. So if you’re a coffee drinker, I recommend to stock up on bottled water and drink 8 glasses a day. And Roberto, if you’re out there reading this. Don’t sacrifice your beloved cup of coffee—especially right before a training session. Coffee just might be the positive reinforcement your abs are looking for (even though you look great already).
Read this and this for additional info on coffee + exercise. Just remember, moderation is always the way to go.