Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world not only due to its incredible taste, but also due to the numerous benefits it brings.
Unfortunately, one of the active ingredients of coffee, Caffeine, might not be suitable for everyone. If you’re health conscious or attend the gym regularly, you may be asking:
Can I drink coffee before my workout?
In this article, we dive in depth on the benefits of having coffee while still keeping an active, healthy lifestyle.
We will also discuss the ideal time to drink coffee before your workout as well as the reasons for having coffee as a pre-workout drink (as opposed to other drinks).
When To Drink Coffee Before Workout?
If you’re going to use coffee as a workout supplement, timing is key. Coffee might give you a slight energy boost within a few seconds from your first sip, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fully reached its effect yet.
Coffee’s energy boost is due to it dispersing caffeine into your bloodstream which takes roughly 5 to 6 hours. The stimulating effect associated with coffee will happen during this period of time.
So when should you drink coffee before workout? Ideally, 45 minutes to 1 hour before you hit the gym. Studies show that during this period is when the stimulating effects from the caffeine reaches its peak.
Right after that, your body starts burning the caffeine, lessening the energy boost. Of course, the type of coffee you drink can dramatically impact the duration of this.
Espressos and black coffee have some of the highest caffeine milligram per ounce (mg/oz) concentration, so the energy boost comes and lasts longer.
Weaker coffee drinks such as lattes have less caffeine concentration, so the boost doesn’t last as long. We recommend you to test a few drinking times as well as different coffees to find the right balance for you.
How Long Before Workout Should I Drink Coffee?
The ideal time to take coffee according to numerous experts is 45 to 90 minutes before undertaking your physical activities.
This is to allow sufficient time for the caffeine to disperse in your body and take advantage of the energy boost to occur.
Of course, this also depends on the type of caffeine intake you’re consuming. Some coffee drinks, such as espresso, have more caffeine content than others. Products which contain a higher percentage of caffeine, such as caffeine gum, are absorbed faster by the body.
In these cases, you can shorten the time taken before starting your workout significantly.
Be careful though! Consuming higher doses of caffeine can be risky and unpleasant. An overdose of caffeine can have a lot of side effects such as insomnia, nervousness, and restlessness – which defeats the entire purpose of using it as a workout booster!
In these cases, we recommend experimenting to find out if caffeine will actually improve your workout performance. Just don’t go over the recommended 400mg daily caffeine dosage to prevent any complications.
The Advantages of Consuming Coffee Pre-Workout
Here at Coffeescanner, we are avid coffee lovers who regularly use coffee as a pre-workout supplement. We much prefer consuming something natural (that we enjoy), rather than scooping some powder and mixing it with water.
Regardless, we wanted to take an impartial approach to this subject so we researched on how coffee affects workout.
Like anything, coffee has its advantages and disadvantages as a pre-workout booster, it all depends on the individual since caffeine affects us all differently.
So here’s why we think you should use coffee as a pre-workout drink:
Improved Focus
Caffeine gives a boost to your whole body, in particular, to your brain. Not only it gives you a great energy boost, but also incredible focus. When working out, focus is key, especially during longer, high-intensity workouts.
Improved Performance
If you perform high-intensity sports or activities which require a great deal of performance, coffee will give you the added buzz needed to perform well.
Many athletes across different sports have added coffee into their diet for this reason. Just make sure to drink black (ideally organic) coffee for the best results.
Fat-Loss
Caffeine is an excellent fat burner as during its half-life, your body uses fat cells as energy, rather than glycogen. It’s well known that caffeine is a metabolism booster as well, allowing your body to burn more calories.
P.S. Don’t drink coffee as a means for weight loss or appetite suppression! The combination of a healthy diet combined with the benefits of coffee, helps your body burn fat faster.
Final Thoughts
When thinking about your fitness, it’s natural to try and find the best products possible to help your body perform at its best during your workout.
Rather than store-bought pre-workout powder, coffee is an excellent choice. These powders are full of chemicals, sweeteners, and other substances. It all feels unnatural and we always think if you’re making a substantial effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle, might as well stick to natural ingredients!
Coffee is a perfect, natural source of energy that improves performance and helps you give that boost for your pre-workout or workout!
Like we mentioned above, aim for high-caffeine and organic coffees- black and espresso would be our choice, to get all the benefits this amazing drink offers!
