Scientists says that caffeine can actually improve your sport performances. Amazing, isn’t it? Read on to know more about it!
Since our founder’s time, we at Caffè Aiello have always been great sport supporters, we are in fact partners with some sport associations and support their teams. We had the chance to discuss about this recent scientific facts – that coffee can help in sports – and some great conversation have sparked.
Caffeine is found in the vast majority of energy drinks today. This because it boosts the adrenaline production and act as stimulant for cardiovascular activities. If you want to know more about that, take a look at our article about the benefits of drinking coffee in summertime!
It’s not just one study to state that coffee improves athletic performance. More and more scientific studies and scientists are confirming this finding and supporting it. Caffeine is in fact great to be taken both before and after sport.
Coffee and caffeine before sport activity
The Journal of International Society of Sport Nutrition states that:
- Coffee and its ergogenic effect help the endurance of the athletes, both in sprinting activities or stamina-based ones
- If you “pair” coffee with some exogenous carbohydrates you will help your muscles to regenerate themselves after the performance
- Coffee deepens your concentration level and sustain high alert level while practicing sports
The European Food Safety Authority states that:
- Caffeine is efficient in fat burning, especially when paired with aerobic exercise
- Coffee boosts your metabolism, your blood pressure and heart rate making you feel more energized
- Coffee enhance your concentration and stamina
- It helps with soreness and fatigue, both before and after the performance
Coffee and caffeine after sport activity
The Journal of Applied Physiology affirms that:
- Caffeine can preserve the ATP, that can be considered our muscles’ “food”
- If you have coffee and caffeine with carbohydrates, in 4 hours it will generate a 66% increase in glycogen compared to the sole consumption of carbs (with no caffeine)
- Thanks to caffeine’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, muscles retain their nourishment
- The diaphragm’s movements are enhanced by caffeine, making it easier for the oxygen to be taken in
- After sport, the consumption of coffee helps gaining one’s energies back
Nutritional Biologist Sasha Sorrento states that:
- Caffeine and coffee can be particularly useful for endurance activities such as running or cycling
- Caffeine engages your attention and some receptors that make you feel fatigue and pain less, increasing your concentration level
- Caffeine also has an action on the neurons involved in the muscles’ contraction and make muscle recovery faster and more effective
- Caffeine helps in reducing recovery times
