Coffee and Exercise: Benefits of Imbibing Before You Workout

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Previous Galaxie Coffee blog posts have highlighted the health benefits of coffee. This post aims to take things one step further by discussing coffee and exercise. If you have ever found yourself questioning whether or not you should drink a cup of joe before heading to the gym, we have good news: it is probably a good idea.

It’s easy to be concerned about drinking coffee before exercise if you find that your daily dose of caffeine upsets your stomach, causes palpitations, or makes you feel shaky. But rest assured that the same caffeine characteristics known to cause such issues can actually boost your workout.

Below are some of the benefits of drinking coffee just prior to working out. Bear in mind that caffeine can stay in your system for up to six hours after you consume it. Drinking coffee before a workout might be influenced by the actual time of day you exercise.

1. Better Physical Performance

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects everything from your heart to your central nervous system. That is why you feel that sudden burst of energy with your morning cup of coffee. As the caffeine stimulates your nervous system, you’ll have more energy to push through the most difficult part of your workout.

There is also reason to believe that caffeine may suppress the feelings of exertion we all experience during physical activity. In other words, you will perform better because you will not feel like you are working so hard. This could lead to more productive workouts over the long term.

2. More Efficient Calorie Burning

There is some scientific evidence supporting the idea that caffeine makes for more efficient calorie burning. Applied during and after exercise, the science suggests that drinking coffee before your workout will help your body burn more calories. Coffee could very well make it easier for you to employ moderate exercise as a means of weight management.

The one caveat to this benefit is that you do not rely exclusively on exercise and high volumes of caffeine to manage your weight. Effective weight management requires that you also change your diet. By combining moderate exercise and good eating habits over the long term, you will be more successful controlling your weight.

3. You Might Enjoy Exercising

Finally, caffeine encourages the production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. One of them is dopamine, a chemical your body releases when you are experiencing feelings of pleasure. The research suggests that drinking coffee prior to a workout might actually make exercise more enjoyable. That’s right, you might actually enjoy getting hot, sweaty, and worn down.

Now that you know that caffeine could actually be good for your workouts, there is no longer a need to worry about drinking a cup of coffee on your way to the gym. And while we’re at it, you can enjoy the same benefits at work as well. We can make it happen by delivering high-quality coffee products and other beverages direct to your office.