PROVEN BY SCIENTIFIC STUDIES!
THE PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING EFFECT OF COFFEE WAS RESEARCHED BACK IN THE 1970S. AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY NOW CONFIRMS THE RESULTS: JUST ONE CUP OF COFFEE BEFORE TRAINING BOOSTS FAT BURNING AND PROVIDES 30 PERCENT MORE ENERGY.
In the study, cyclists were given coffee or cola to drink during their training. The comparison group only drank water. The result is impressive: the coffee drinkers lasted up to 30 percent longer. And apparently a cup of coffee before training is enough for that.
CAFFEINE INCREASES FAT BURNING
CAFFEINE SWITCHES ON FAT BURNING , according to the explanation from scientists at the Australian Institute of Sport. This means that carbohydrate reserves in the muscles are preserved for longer and performance is increased.
Sports scientists also suspect that caffeine stimulates the mobilization of intracellular calcium in muscle cells. This could increase endurance performance and muscle contraction because calcium improves neuromuscular signaling.
COFFEE MAKES SPRINTERS RUN FASTER
In another study, Australian scientists demonstrated that sprinters also benefit from the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine.
To do this, the researchers required ten amateur athletes to perform a great sprint performance after a week's rest. The test subjects had to take part in the ergometer test twice and completed 18 four-second sprints, each with two minutes of active recovery at low resistance.
On one of the test days, participants were given caffeine or a placebo drink before exercise. The result: caffeine can also increase sprinting ability. The strength achieved after taking caffeine was 7 percent higher than after taking the placebo. The optimal intake is 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight (according to Wikipedia, 1 cup of coffee (150 ml) contains around 40 - 120 mg of caffeine). The fact that caffeine increases concentration and alertness and reduces tiredness also contributes to the performance-enhancing effect.
COFFEE: NO FEAR OF DEHYDRATION
Nevertheless, many athletes avoid caffeinated drinks before competitions and training because they fear a diuretic or even dehydrating effect. Coffee does not have the dehydrating effect that is generally assumed or feared.
Studies have shown that drinking several cups of coffee per day has neither a negative impact on performance nor any negative effect on the body's water balance.
CAFFEINE IS LEGAL DOPING
By the way, although the performance-enhancing properties of caffeine for endurance sports such as swimming, cycling, or triathlon are clearly proven, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) removed caffeine from the list of banned substances in 2004.