Learning to Love Coffee

Vanie Ghamta
Sep 1, 2018 · 3 min read

“If curling your coffee cup from coaster to mouth isn’t producing the gains or improved tone you were hoping for, it may be time to incorporate coffee into your workout routine in a different way”

Coffee is warm, energizing and we all love a good cup of joy. The positive impact on your health is nothing short of amazing.

One of the primary functions of coffee is that it increases alertness. It is great to improve performance while being physically active and allows you to exercise vigorously with less pain and fatigue.

Coffee burns calories faster.

Did you hear? I hear something.

Coffee helps you burn more calories? Yep, you got it too.

When a cup is drunk before exercise, it can cause fat cells to be used as opposed to the opposite fuel source glycogen. So, if muscles are using fat for fuel instead, you can say goodbye to that layer over your belly and reveal those abs.

Coffee contains moderate caffeine, a natural stimulant that many of us credit as the fuel that keeps us going from sunup to sundown.

Caffeine not only wakes up your mind, but it also gives an energy jolt to your muscles that can help you burn more fat.

It doesn’t mean you can go and overeat because you are drinking coffee, but if you do have a cheat meal once a week and drink your coffee throughout the week, it’s not going to have so much as an adverse effect on your results due to a high metabolism and fat burning mechanism.

Time for Coffee

As far as timing goes, exercise experts recommend drinking a cup of coffee about an hour before you hit the gym to see if the buzz amps up your activity levels.

This allows you to enjoy the stimulating benefits of your coffee-fuelled workout right as your caffeine levels peak.

Before you drink up, remember to keep a bottle of water next to your liter of java. Though coffee is 99% water, it shouldn’t replace H2O in your pre-workout ritual.

Remember to stay hydrated before, during and after your workout for optimal results.

For the early morning hustlers who hit the gym instead of the snooze button, consider adding a splash of milk to your pre-workout coffee. A quick hit of protein and carbs boost your blood sugar, giving you just the right jolt to make exercise the best part of your day.

If you’re a late-night gym rat, remember that caffeine can keep you going for four or more hours. Combined with exercise-induced endorphins, you may find yourself with eyes wide open at 1 a.m., regretting every one of those cappuccino crunches.

If you’re looking for a more low-key option, try tea or a small amount of cold-brewed coffee as your pre-workout supplement– both contain caffeine, but at lower levels than brewed coffee.

What kind of coffee?

Different kinds of coffee contain varying levels of caffeine.

Dark roasted coffee tends to contain less caffeine, and light roasted coffee has more.

So try yourself on a dark roasted coffee, to begin with, and see how you get on if you feel you can go for more, move onto light roasted and if you’re still sleeping soundly at night, take a step up to the light roasted coffee for a supercharged workout!

And, that’s All about it.

A regular mountain girl who loves writing:) ;)

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