Caffeine or Not?

Can it really aid performance?

Research has shown several benefits regarding caffeine and exercise performance. Caffeine is a common substance; people are using it as an ergogenic aid to enhance performance, increase the fat burning potential and improve energy levels. It now appears in many products including energy drinks, beverages, sports gels, and pre-workout supplements.

Caffeine Facts: Despite the rise in energy drinks, 70% of the caffeine that people is consuming every year is in the form of coffee; 9 out of 10 high school students say that they have trouble sleeping because of the amount of coffee that they drink. 90% of people in the world consume at least one meal or beverage with caffeine in it daily. www.austrailianbeverages.org

Some of the benefits include:

1. Can enhance endurance or resistance to fatigue

• Stimulates the CNS cause a noticeable effect on alertness making you feel more awake and less tired

2. May enhance fat utilization and support fat loss

• In the short term, caffeine can increase metabolism rate and boost fat burning
• Research also suggests that long term it may blunt appetite which would support fat loss by reducing calorie intake

3. Black coffee is increasing metabolism, which makes you burn more calories throughout the day

• Taken on a daily basis, thermogenic dietary supplementation may increase overall energy expenditure, potentially leading to reductions in fat mass over time.
• Caffeine supplementation has previously been shown to enhance lipolysis and fat oxidation.

4. Caffeine is a stimulant will make you feel more alert and react faster.

However, there is limited research to support that it helps strength training or muscle growth. Though by sparing muscle glycogen and favoring fat as an energy source as well as increasing time to muscle fatigue, caffeine may indirectly support muscle growth. Therefore if your goal is getting lean and lose some fat mass, a cup of black coffee (extra shot of espresso if your me) before your workout may give you a little boost.

Why not check out www.impulsefitnesshq.com for more information.