We are all looking for ways to reach our personal fitness goals faster, whether they are to lose fat, build muscle, get lean or hit a PR. We follow all the right workout plans, do the right amount of high intensity training and eat healthy. But perhaps caffeine can be that little thing you are missing.
This is slightly controversial because many will argue that consuming caffeine before a workout isn’t safe. So before I go on about how much I love caffeine pre-workout I’ll cover the negative arguments:
– It can have a diuretic effect, which can lead to cramping if you aren’t well hydrated
– It can increase heart rate (so if you already have a high heart rate or are not well conditioned this is probably a bad idea for you)
– It can make you nauseous, have difficulty breathing, cause anxiety, and make you jittery. So if you are very sensitive to caffeine, pre-workout is probably not a good time to consume it, if ever
– If you take it too late in the day it may keep you from getting deep sleep at night which decreases recovery
Now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about why some folks like myself, love it:
– It stimulates the nervous system so it will increase mental focus, energy production and accuracy
– It reduces reaction time to physical and visual stimuli so if you are going for a run and you see a big crack last second, you could react quickly to jump over it
– It increases heart and respiratory rates which can help you increase intensity (speed and power)
– It increases endurance
– It is also a natural mood booster so if you get cranky at work, perhaps an afternoon green tea could help improve your mood so going to spin after work may seem more appealing
– It is a natural substance
There’s many sources of caffeine, natural or not:
– coffee (my favorite since it’s naturally occurring)
– chocolate
– green tea (other teas as well, but green tea has the highest content)
– pills
– soda, pre-workouts, energy drinks
– all of the things caffeine may be added to like pain relievers, jerky, ice cream, etc.
Ultimately, caffeine can help with your personal fitness and fatloss goals because:
– It can help you get to the gym to do your workout plans on a day you may not want to
– It can help you increase intensity so you can lift heavier to build muscle
– It can help you increase in and finish your workout plans when you may normally be tired
So whether you want to take it is a personal choice. How you want to get it and how much you want to take depends on your preference as well, though over 200mg is not recommended for anyone.
I love having a coffee before my workout. So I do have a couple of shakes that you can make here to get your pre-workout protein, carbs AND caffeine!! Here you go…
Chocolate Banana Mocha Protein Shake
Your Coach,
Kyra
P.S. Do you like caffeine pre-workout? If so, how do you prefer to get it?
Leave a comment below!