Coffee is often called a “Wonder Bean”, it has the potential to boost your immune system, metabolism and can help fight stress too.
Let us check what all coffee can do when it comes to workout and health.
SO, we shall start with simple questions
Can you boost your workouts with caffeine?
Does caffeine create any health issues or rather help in improving health?
One simple question I am often asked : “Is coffee bad for you?” and all the time my answer has been “No. It is not.” However, I feel this answer is insufficient and that is why we need to check at all the benefits, effects and also check if there are any issues in drinking coffee.
Does Caffeine Improve Immune System Function?
Answer is definitely yes, but you need to read further to discover how is it possible.
Coffee contains Polyphenol antioxidants and their action affects the way cells that line the inner walls of blood vessels function. Coffee drinking is associated with reduced risk of some cancers, heart disease, diabetes and some neurological disorders.
Coffee contains Ethylamine which primes the response of specific T-cells, which aid the body’s defense against infection also helps reduce inflammatory biomarkers and coffee drinking is linked to longevity.
The study, published by the National cancer Institute in USA, showed that coffee drinking provided a moderate protection factor against cutaneous melanoma (skin cancer).
Coffee’s cancer-fighting properties are already validated by various studies carried out in various institutes.
Does Caffeine Help in Boosting Workout?
Drinking coffee is customary amongst many athletes. There are several studies conducted on this and scientists have found that athletic performance of coffee drinkers showed that caffeine enhances aerobic endurance, muscle strength and endurance, performance and exercise speed and has a moderate to none effect on anaerobic performance.
How Does Caffeine Improves Metabolic Rate?
Researchers found that drinking caffeine increases the activity of brown adipose tissue, the more popularly known as “brown fat” cells. Brown fat has a higher thermogenic effect which means that they burn a lot more fat to increase the body’s temperature. When we drink caffeine the activity of these cells goes up and the body burns more calories when compared to a non-drinker.
A University in England found during their studies that this effect may wear off as the body becomes used to the levels of caffeine consumed, thus it is important to note that coffee intake must be taken in controlled manner and is not a reliable weight control strategy.
Coffee Helps Fight Depression
A study conducted in Harvard University on over 50,000 women suffering from some form of depression showed that those who drank the most coffee had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed.
In another review of 3 studies covering over two hundred thousand people whose lifestyle choices were under review, it emerged that people who drank four or more cups of coffee per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide.
Negative Effects of Drinking Coffee?
Over-consumption can cause issues. 1,000mg of caffeine (approximately five cups of espresso coffee) have been shown to cause conception problems, increased symptoms of heartburn, stomach problems and sometimes irritation on skin.
Conclusion
Coffee help us to train harder and longer and it’s effects become evident within 10-15 minutes of drinking it. Due to It’s psycho-active effects, it affects both the brain and the body. Reaction time and metabolism speed up and so does the burning up of subcutaneous fat. Excessive coffee drinking may have some side-effects, overall though the benefits outweigh anything we know that is negative. Provided you don’t overdo it your health and athletic performance will most likely benefit from it. Finally timing your coffee drinking so that it doesn’t coincide with your meals or it doesn’t take place too close to meal time.