It has never been more crucial to make an effort to improve our overall wellbeing. With the threat of a virus looming over our heads, it's vital that we take the necessary measures to ensure that our bodies are in tip-top shape. As mentioned by Paula Motta, it's vital that we get off our couches, get moving, and take action to enhance both the mind and body. That may mean going above and beyond what's recommended and looking elsewhere to boost our health.
If your goal is to ramp up your workouts, what you can do is look for ways to optimize your athletic performance. As it turns out, you don't have to stray far, as it can be as simple as consuming caffeine. Who would have thought that a cup of joe could be the potential elixir to making yourself stronger?
How caffeine works
The world's most widely consumed psychoactive drug, caffeine is a substance that is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in blood levels peaking after 90 to 100 minutes. Healthline notes that caffeine levels remain high for about three to four hours, and then begin dropping after. But unlike other substances and supplements, caffeine has a massive effect on the cells throughout the body, including the brain. For instance, it influences the nervous system and improves focus and energy, as well as facilitates epinephrine production to activate your fight or flight response. What's more, it's also known to increase the body's ability to burn fat and enhance endurance performance.
Caffeine and its link with endurance
Coaches of elite athletes have long encouraged them to take a shot of caffeine before embarking on training sessions and competitions to improve their performance. Time points out that this is because caffeine consumption helps athletes exercise more vigorously with less pain and fatigue. But for us ordinary folk, there is also enough research to suggest that caffeine can be a reliable training aid.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, even regular coffee drinkers may find that consuming a cup prior to working out can already result in a drastic difference in performance ability. Caffeine empowers you to train longer and with higher power output, and it can even spike your endurance levels. What's more, since coffee stimulates the body to burn fat stores instead of sugar, it results in longer workouts and prolonged use of working muscles.
Studies have also revealed that coffee allows you to burn 15% more calories for three hours post-exercise, and when you drink it in the morning, you can also keep better track of your calorie intake throughout the day. People who drank coffee also reportedly ate 72 calories fewer than others who didn't.
How to make coffee work for you
There's no denying it, coffee really does wonders for your body. But if you want to take it up a notch and make your daily cup of joe healthier, you can look for other caffeine sources other than name brands. Pretty Me's review of Lean 'N Green Coffee articulates how the product's combination of arabica coffee and green tea makes it ideal for an energy boost, which is great for your workout. The addition of ingredients like psyllium fiber husk also gives it the capacity to remove toxins, improve metabolism, and even lower the risk of chronic diseases. You also have the option to brew organic beans or infuse cinnamon and chocolate. Insider notes that the use of certified organic coffee ensures that you're not consuming harmful chemicals, while adding cinnamon and chocolate — preferably dark or unsweetened — to your caffeinated beverage can reduce inflammation in the body and balance cholesterol.
There's plenty that caffeine can do for the body, and with all these benefits, you'd be remiss to not take advantage. In these trying times, when we need all the help we can get to stay healthy, your daily cup of coffee may be just what you need.
Article specially prepared for fitfactoryclubs.com
Prepared by: JBolton