Coffee before workout – Pros and cons

Published: October 4, 2020

Have you ever wanted to go to the gym – or do your regular workout – but find yourself in need of energy? The answer to this question is most likely yes. All of us struggle from time to time to achieve our daily goals. And therefore, most of us reach for the most common solutions to these problems – coffee. This magical drink can energize you and it might be that push you need to go out and meet your female fitness trainers – but should you do it? There is a lot of debate about drinking coffee before a workout – and today, we are here to answer some of the most common questions. In this article, we take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee before you start working out. Keep reading to find out more.

Drinking coffee before workout can improve your mood and performance

Doing that morning routine while still cranky from sleep can be a horrible feeling. There is a reason why so many people do not like anyone to approach them before they’ve had their cup of morning coffee. It has an almost magical ability to improve both mood and motivation of people. This is why so many choose to drink it before they start working out.

Caffeine serves as a stimulant and can help reduce your anxiety and boost your move within 30 to 60 minutes of ingestion. So, if you drink your cup and then head to the gym, by the time you arrive you will feel ready for the toughest workout routine imaginable. This way, you will be able to push through your workout if you drink your coffee up to an hour before starting.

Even more interesting might be the fact that the coffee can actually help you with this workout too, not just your attitude. As we mentioned, caffeine works as a stimulant. This means that it helps your brain send signals around your body – including to your muscles. The more signals your brain can send, the more strength you will have.

There have been researches done about this, and it showed that coffee can go a long way to helping with intense and prolonged exercise protocols the best. What this means is that the more you push, the more caffeine will push back, thus giving you the most punch. So, if you are aiming to beat your personal records on endurance-based exercises, then coffee before a workout might be what you are looking for.

Let’s look at the chemistry of coffee

Another thing of note would be that coffee is a great source of polyphenols. This is why many people consider it to be a health drink – if there is not too much sugar in it. In many countries in the world, people get their polyphenols from coffee. This is why it is one of the main dietary components in Japan, Poland, and France, to name a few places.

If you do not know what polyphenols are – they are a category of plant compounds with many benefits. Their main role is to help boost digestion and brain health. They can also protect you from type 2 diabetes as well as some types of cancer. Other than coffee, you can find them in red wine, dark chocolate, tea, and berries.

This way, coffee can help you fight many illnesses – if you use it right. It also has good antioxidant activity. Because of it, many scientists as well as male fitness trainers believe it can help prevent cardiovascular diseases too. This can make you feel less guilty about drinking coffee – but only in decent amounts.

There are bad sides to drinking coffee before a workout too

Of course, nothing in this world is perfect – and this applies to coffee too. If it was completely healthy, then it would be included on every healthy eating tips list – which it is not. So what makes coffee bad before your exercise – and can it even become dangerous?

First, when you drink coffee, you are ingesting raw caffeine. Doing so creates one of the most common side effects of drinking coffee – jitters. A lot of people do not mind these. However, there is a number of people who feel anxiety because of them, and they can cause a lot of discomforts. What’s more, you might not even be able to work out when having jitters. If you want to avoid them, then try to start small. See how much coffee is enough for you not to have jitters, and stick to this dosage.

Another side effect of not dosing your coffee correctly is headaches. These are a real thing caused by caffeine withdrawal. When you take too much of it, and then abruptly stop, your head can start hurting. Luckily, you can do a couple of things. First, regulate how much coffee you drink. Even drinking too much without stopping can cause headaches. Secondly, keep hydrated. Dehydration can help create headaches – and water will help cool these off. So, if you struggle with headaches, start by increasing how much water you take daily.

Watch out for your heartbeat too

One of the main reasons why people do not recommend drinking coffee before workout is that it can intensify a rapid heartbeat. As you know, working out will help get your heart pumping. Coffee does the very same thing. However, doing two things that boost your heartbeat is not only bad – but it can turn pretty horrible. Of course, this depends on your age and heart condition. Still, try to avoid it if you know that it can put you at risk. Talk to your doctor and personal trainers, and start with small coffee doses until you are sure you can handle more. Be careful and stay safe.