Don’t you make it through the day without a nice cup of coffee? A large part of the Dutch drink coffee, because it is tasty and gives more energy. This makes it also popular among athletes. Instead of a pre-workout booster, they take a cup of coffee before they start training. But is this a good idea? Can you use coffee as a Pre Workout? In this blog, I look at caffeine’s effect on your sports performance and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of coffee over pre-workouts. So you know if you can have a cup of black coffee tomorrow before you pop in the gym!
Effect of caffeine on sports performance
A strong dose of caffeine provides more energy. But how can caffeine improve performance? First, this increases the transport of intercellular calcium. Also, caffeine increases fat burning, and finally, caffeine reduces fatigue.
Caffeine is very similar to the neurotransmitter adenosine. Adenosine binds to its own receptor to trigger further processes. Caffeine does not stimulate the adenosine receptor but blocks it for adenosine. In the brain, adenosine causes delayed brain activity. This effect is now being negated, with the result that you experience less fatigue.
Coffee and performance
- Promotes mental alertness.
- Reduces fatigue during difficult and exhausting activities such as fitness.
- Caffeine promotes thermogenesis and thus increases calorie burning.
- Increased absorption of glycogen (fuel for muscles), allowing your muscles to provide greater power output.
- Increased glycogen storage in the muscles after strenuous training. More than just taking carbohydrates. Allowing muscles to perform better and recover [2].
Coffee or a pre-workout booster?
As you can read above, the caffeine from coffee contributes to improved alertness, more energy and better functioning of the muscles—no wonder the staple of a pre-workout booster is often caffeine.
Do you go to the gym but don’t have much energy? Then many athletes reach for their potty pre-workout. But you can also make a pot of strong coffee to give yourself a little more energy and focus quickly. Playing sports right out of work, and do you have a good coffee machine on the store? Put a nice espresso for yourself and feel the energy flowing through your body.
Coffee has several positive influences on your training. Still, it’s not a complete replacement for a pre-workout booster. Pre-workouts contain more than just caffeine. Often they contain various amino acids, creatine and extra vitamins and minerals. As a result, a good pre-workout not only provides more energy. They reduce the acidification of your muscles, increase your explosive strength and improve blood flow.
How much caffeine in coffee?
There are, of course, many different coffees and different strengths. For example, there is often about 70 mg of caffeine per 100 ml (a cup of 125 ml contains 85 mg of caffeine). Espresso even contains 130 mg of caffeine per 100 ml. That’s why the cups with espresso are a lot smaller. You get a shot of caffeine.
Benefits coffee as a pre-workout
Pre-workout boosters often contain a high dosage of caffeine. This is not pleasant for everyone, and therefore drinking coffee is a good alternative. Besides, a cup of coffee is, of course, cheaper than a pre-workout supplement. Besides, a cup of coffee contains only… Coffee! No unnecessary additions that you’ll find in some pre-workouts.
- Cheaper than a pre-workout booster
- Less high dose of caffeine
- Available everywhere, such as in the office or at someone else’s home
When to opt for a pre-workout booster?
Do you drink coffee regularly during the day? Then chances are you won’t notice much of an energy boost after a cup of coffee. Your body builds caffeine tolerance. The boosting effect of caffeine decreases, and in this case, it makes little sense to drink coffee before your workout.
Even if you have more requirements for a pre-workout drink than just an increase in energy, coffee is not enough. Then opt for a good pre-workout booster that contains more ingredients. This makes you feel stronger, more energetic, more focused and fitter during exercise.
- If you’re not sensitive to caffeine.
- You want more than just an energy boost.
- You secretly don’t like coffee at all.
Does coffee work as a pre-workout?
Do you want to get some extra energy to exercise quickly? Then you can use coffee as a pre-workout. Take a cup of coffee without milk and sugar and drink it about 30 to 45 minutes before your workout. After this time period, the caffeine concentration in your body is the highest. You will then notice most of the energy boost.
Do you rarely drink coffee? Then a normal filter coffee is probably effective enough. Do you drink several cups of coffee a day? Then you probably need one or two solid espressos to really pep yourself up.
