According to research, coffee can jumpstart your day and your workout.
Albert Matheny, M.S., R.D., a certified strength and conditioning specialist at SoHo Strength Lab and Promix Nutrition, told SELF that the caffeine in coffee stimulates your central nervous system, which is good for athletic performance during aerobic sports like running and cycling. He explained that coffee can enhance sprint, cycling, and running capacity, making for faster performance times.
The caffeine in coffee also has ergogenic benefits. It increases stamina and delays the onset of muscle fatigue which improves your overall endurance.
According to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Science, people who drank coffee before running 1,500 meters on a treadmill finished the exercise 4.2 seconds faster than those who didn't have any. This further supports the theory that the liquid caffeine can give your workout an added boost.
Pre-workout coffee might also make your workout feel less strenuous—and therefore more enjoyable. Research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that participants exercising on a stationary bike said the ride was much easier when caffeinated.
So how much should you drink? Matheny says a regular 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee—which contains around 95 to 200 milligrams of caffeine—about an hour before a workout will do the trick. He recommends sticking to less than 200 milligrams to avoid getting jittery. “Anything above that is too much—you’ve lost the performance benefits of the coffee and you’ve overstimulated yourself,” he told SELF.
Science has spoken–schedule your workout right after your morning cup of Joe for an effortless improvement.
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