After years of decrying coffee as a foul tasting elixir, some cold weather mornings found me drinking it to try and stay warm. Also, because I had cut back on my consumption of caffeinated soft drinks, the jolt of caffeine sets me buzzing pretty darn good.
My first mixture of coffee with exercise came before the Snowman Shuffle 4 miler, and while the evidence is anecdotal, I do think my performance was enhanced over this distance. This morning I grabbed a cup of instant coffee on my way out the door to the gym, and again, it's anecdotal, but my hill workout on the treadmill went rather well.
So tonight I've done a little research and have found pros and cons of caffeine, with the cons tied to the mega doses consumed by many in the US these days, whether from all day drinking of coffee, massive cola consumption (I was one of those until recently), or the new energy drinks that are all the rave.
My initial research, which is still very thin, seems to indicate that consumption of the amount of caffeine in 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day may have some health benefits, and according to some websites has benefit for endurance athletes as well and for high intensity activities in a shorter time frame (i.e. sprinting).
I've got to do some more digging, but for now I think I'll enjoy a cup before heading to the gym for the next couple of days and see how I feel and how the workouts go. I've committed myself to making sure that I keep my consumption to the early morning cup and with the exception of the occasional ice tea, doing my best to avoid the caffeine for the balance of the day.
2 comments:
Coffee? I think I've heard of that...
The research I'd run across indicated that caffeine over and above what your system is used to does have an effect in the short-term. But just drinking your normal cup before a workout doesn't do much because your body is already adjusted to that amount. But, your mileage may vary.
Today, I found an energy drink in my fridge and drank it before my run. I never drink those! The SoBe Adrenaline made a huge difference in my run! But...now I am tired and have a headache. I over-stressed my adrenal glands. Shouldn't have done it.
A little more research last night seems to indicate that as little as 2 cups of coffee, 1/2 to 1 hour before an endurance activity may provide improved stamina and performance. You do bring up a good point, in that the more caffeine you consume, the more you need to reach the same level of caffeine "high". Therefore, I'm going to limit what I consume to no more than 2 cups per day, and in fact, I didn't get to have any this morning.
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