Have Some Coffee to Rock Your Workout – The Monday Mile

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Coffee Can Rock Your Workout!

Coffee Can Rock Your Workout!

Many of us grew up with some specific ideas about soda, coffee and caffeine in general: mainly that caffeine is a diuretic; it will therefore flush fluids from your system (make you urinate) and dehydrate you. Therefore, any of those types of drinks are bad choices for athletes at any point around a workout. But like so many other things we learned growing up, there is much about that ‘common knowledge’ that is incorrect and misleading. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why perhaps your next workout drink should have caffeine!

Before I start, a few caveats. First off, I know people who are very sensitive to any amount of caffeine and simply cannot tolerate it. Caffeine is a chemical like any other, and therefore different people respond differently. Always use caution when trying out anything new while doing strenuous activities and definitely check with your doctor if you have any strange feelings.

  • You CAN hydrate with Coffee/Soda: yes caffeine has a diuretic effect … if you drink enough! Basically, you would need to drink more than 5 cups of coffee or 10 cans of soda (or 5 of the 24-oz Diet Mountain Dews I enjoy) in order to get the true diuretic impact. By then, the basic fluid content in your system will have you headed to the restroom more often! But just drinking a coffee soda or caffeine-enhanced energy drink can have the same basic hydration effects as water … and more!
  • Caffeine can Improve your performance if done right: there are plenty of studies showing that consuming a soda or coffee about an hour before a race or event can boost performance. It is important that this is done in moderation, as too much caffeine can cause dizziness and even mess with your heart rhythms!
  • Caffeine also boosts brain activity: Coffee isn’t just about staying awake, but can also possibly help your brain think faster and make quicker decisions according to some studies. This can definitely help when you are competing in an event when fast decision-making is key.
  • Caffeine can help speed recovery as well!: It is well-known that within 30 minutes of a workout you, should rebuild your glycogen stores by consuming carbs in a healthy form like a sweet potato, chocolate milk, or whatever. However, in the past year a few studies have shown that having caffeinated drinks while getting your recovery carbs actually help rebuild your glycogen stores more efficiently.
  • Coffee might have unique benefits: recently commercials for 5-hour energy have used the ‘caffeine is caffeine’ argument to try to convince people it is safe (and almost healthy). I have no idea about the specifics of that particular beverage, but by now everyone should realize that not all compounds that SEEM the same actually are. Naturally occurring products are different from chem-lab concoctions. Even with natural products, there is evidence that coffee provides some unique benefits in terms of brain function enhancement, including possibly fighting Alzheimer’s.

As always, be very careful messing with what you eat or drink, and always carefully monitor your overall nutritional plan when exercising. For example, for a long time people thought caffeine caused bone density loss, but what was happening was people were decreasing their calcium intake as they increased caffeinated beverage consumption! Strenuous exercise requires that you keep a close eye on your nutritional requirements and ensure that you are not sacrificing other elements by adding in caffeine.

Have you ever tried tried to add caffeine to your exercise routine? How does it work for you?

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!

6 Comments on "Have Some Coffee to Rock Your Workout – The Monday Mile"

  1. Some good things here Michael! Some doctors actually should read up on stuff like this.

    My morning coffee is essential even when I don’t workout. Some of this may be a psychosomatic thing where I think I can’t do it with out it of that I am sure but I sure do enjoy coffee of all forms.

    That said, I do try to limit my caffeine intake especially after I get home for the day. I may have a Diet Dr. Pepper or something with my dinner but that’s about it.

    Also, one thing I need to research is the relaxing affect that you can get sometimes with different forms of caffeine. For some reason, relaxing with a nice cup of coffee after a hectic morning calms me down as strange as that might seem. It doesn’t make me tired, but just the feeling you get as you drink a nice cup is strangely relaxing every once in a while. Also, drinking caffeinated tea seems to give me a different kind of feeling. It still picks me up but not as intense as other forms. That has to be the things we don’t know about the makeup of tea and coffee.

    Oh and I detest those 5 hour energy things….much better to go natural…or at least a less artificial form…although if I’m desperate for a pick me up I’ll get one…but I have to be really bad! 🙂

    • Caffeine is addictive and has been classified as psychologically addictive. So natural there is a comfort element attached to it.

      • I can testify to the addictiveness; I have never had as severe headaches as I had when I broke my caffeine dependence last summer. It was excruciating, and it lasted for about a week. =/

        • I guess it depends on how MUCH you drink? Not sure. I’m not one who gets headaches when I don’t get my fix…..I might get a tiny bit crankier than usual but just tiny bit. Depends on the day and the amount of sleep I had! 🙂

          I did, once, shake it completely but then I fell off the wagon hard during an outage that was simply insane.

          In any event, I find I enjoy it but I can go days without it with no ill effect that i can notice other then missing the taste. Especially when I am on a relaxing vacation and getting plenty of sleep.

          Judie you, on the other hand, would have coffee and I don’t remember a moment back when I first started here that you didn’t have a DIet Coke and chocolate covered espresso beans. In fact, the amazon post from earlier….on my second or third purchase on Amazon was a container of beans for you! 🙂 Sorry I fed the addiction… 🙂

  2. Coffee is the one thing I cannot have before a run. I can have a full meal and be uncomfortable but fine, but coffee…nope.

    after, though, I love a good iced coffee. Sarah often makes me a coffee before I run and sticks it in the fridge, so by the time I get home it is nice and cool and delicious.

    I have a really hard time drinking soda anymore-a nurse recently gave us a lecture on the evils of aspartame and it scared me away from soda for a good long time.

    • This time of year I pretty much ONLY do iced coffee thanks to my Ronco Coffee Time system! It’s way less acidic than a hot cup of coffee from my Keurig. I still like it hot though so I won’t give up my Keurig or my French Press (although I REALLY need a good grinder!).

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