Coffee and Bodybuilding

The coffee plant is native to Africa, specifically Ethiopian in origin. But the drink coffee originated in Yemen, or so researchers believe.

As we all might know, coffee contains caffeine. It is a mood enhancer and something that increases the physical and mental energy of a person.

Studies show that the right amount of coffee is extremely beneficial to health. It contains antioxidants, is good for fat burning and has various other benefits as well.

Benefits of drinking coffee for bodybuilding

Studies show that coffee is full of bioactive compounds. They\’re rich in antioxidants as well.

Coffee intake can lower health concerns like diabetes, liver diseases and neurological disorders.

Here are some of the health benefits associated with coffee.

• Long life

Studies report that coffee drinkers have a longer lifespan compared to other people. A study of middle-aged people (aged between 51 and 70) has conclusive results. It shows that the risk of death was reduced. The study was over an extended period of 12 years.

Yet some researchers differ from this conclusion. They believe that excessive coffee intake leads to an increased chance of death.

Reference: 1

• Lowered risk of diseases.

Coffee is also known to reduce the risk of various lifestyle diseases. Coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 7 per cent, as per a study conducted. Coffee can lower the consequences of liver diseases to a great extent too. Some say that coffee can lower the chance of liver cirrhosis by as much as 85 percent.

Coffee is also known to lower the risk of liver cancer. If you drink 2 cups of coffee every day, it can lead to a 44 percent reduced risk of liver cancer!

References: 2, 3, 4

• Fast metabolism 

Caffeine boosts the body\’s metabolism by increasing the amount of fat getting burned. A study reported that coffee increased fat burning by 29% for lean women. Drinking coffee can help you lose weight and maintain that weight too.

References: 5, 6

• Fat burning effect

A lesser-known benefit of drinking coffee is the way it helps to burn fat. A recent study stipulates that people who drank caffeine before a gym session were able to burn almost twice the amount of fat compared to the people who didn’t drink coffee. It increases the rate of metabolism up to 13%, which is quite impressive!

Reference: 7

• Caffeine as a fat burning supplement

Caffeine is a well known fat burning and weight loss supplement. Caffeine can boost metabolism by up to 11%, certain studies claim. But the effects seem more pronounced in lean people than obese people. The advantage of caffeine is that you don\’t need to take it as a weight-loss supplement. Simply drinking coffee or tea regularly will do the trick.

Reference: 8

• Mental health

Coffee can also lower the problems of depression and resultant suicidal mentality. It is also known to improve brain activity. It can thus reduce the chances of Alzheimer\’s and Parkinson\’s disease. Moreover, caffeine can help people suffering from Parkinson’s to better control their body.

References: 9, 10, 11

Risks associated with coffee intake

So how to know whether we\’re taking too much caffeine? 

Well, there are symptoms of excess caffeine, some of which are as follows.

1. Restlessness

1. Anxiety

1. Irritability

1. Insomnia

1. Fast heartbeat

1. Tremors

This is because caffeine in excess amounts can become addictive. While you can die from excess caffeine, it would take a lot of coffee to do it, so don\’t worry. You\’re safe if you keep your coffee drinking to the absolute necessary amount.

Reference: 12

No caffeine during pregnancy

It is recommended that pregnant women refrain from caffeine intake during pregnancy. Increased coffee intake can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and premature delivery. The coffee affects the fetus in a different and much harmful way than the mother. This is because the baby doesn\’t have enough enzymes to properly metabolize coffee.

Coffee and blood pressure

Excess amount of coffee can affect the blood pressure. High blood pressure may eventually lead to cardiovascular diseases. This is incremented by the fact that a lot of people add sweeteners, cream and other calorie-rich substances to coffee. More calories mean a higher risk of obesity and associated health risks as well.

How much coffee should you drink?

The major component in coffee is, of course, caffeine. Caffeine is a common psychoactive substance used by people all over the world. The amount of caffeine in coffee may vary between 50 mg to over 400 mg per cup.

Basically, it depends on the type of coffee. For example, a simple cup of coffee made at home will contain up to 50 mg. Whereas as a grande from Starbucks will have 300 mg of caffeine. In general though, to get 100 mg of caffeine you need at least 240 ml of coffee.

Studies show that up to 400 mg of caffeine is safe and healthy for most adults. But since most of us can\’t get through the day without multiple cups of coffee, we have a higher intake of caffeine.

Reference: 13

But the thing to be kept in mind that everyone has a different tolerance level to coffee. Because one person seems more sensitive to coffee is not reason enough for others to avoid coffee.

In fact, research proves that a lot of genes are involved in how coffee affects different people. There are genes which can affect those enzymes that help to break down coffee in the liver. There are yet other genes which stimulate brain cells to determine how coffee stimulates the body.

Reference: 14

So when you hear how much coffee has helped your friend to stay awake and energetic, keep in mind that the effect varies from person to person. Some people have also known to drink coffee and sleep afterwards!

So what is the recommended intake level?

Experts opine that 4–5 cups of coffee per day is the best amount. Researchers from Australia say that drinking more than 6 cups of coffee a day can be detrimental to health. It can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Now that you have an idea of everything related to coffee intake, I recommend you to control your intake. Coffee is a guilty pleasure for many, but take care not to let it become a cause of your health issues. Stay healthy and stay energetic!