Coffee

It may not be love at first sip for coffee lovers out there, but like your first sip of red wine, your love for coffee and more unusual flavours adapt over time.

Taste aside our morning cup of joe packs more than a little punch to keep us focused while we work from home on our laptops our smash out a new exercise program.

What are the benefits of coffee?

Coffee has noticeable benefits, not just in terms of overall health, but also your exercise and performance. Some of the studied benefits are:

Accelerating Fat Loss

Caffeine has the ability to improve our insulin sensitivity which means you’re less likely to store fuel in fat cells and more likely to store glucose in muscles. This means it can be utilised while exercising.

Increased training drive and performance

Caffeine intake pre workout can decrease your perceived exertion, which means you can push yourself harder and for longer with both resistance exercise and cardiovascular training.

Should I limit my caffeine intake?

The timing of your coffee is quite important in order to maximize the benefits. Firstly, coffee has its best effects when taken earlier in the day, by stimulating our normal cortisol rhythm which keeps us using fat as fuel for longer. Inversely, not having your coffee later in the day means your sleeping patterns won’t be thrown off and your recovery, with good restful sleep, will be improved.

Also, as a side note, try not mix coffee with high carbohydrate meals (like a croissant!), no matter the source. Caffeine can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb glucose from carbohydrates, which is a precursor to diabetes. It’s best to have your coffee with a higher protein breakfast or on an empty stomach.