Can the Humble Cup of Coffee Be the Key to a Great Workout?

Conventional wisdom says to drink complex nutrient concoctions and protein shakes before starting your workout. However, as is the case more often than not, conventional wisdom is more than a little narrow minded.

If you’re just starting to work out and are a little intimidated by the amount of supplements you’re “meant” to take, don’t worry, because the answer to achieving great fitness might be as simple as drinking a cup of coffee.

Coffee… Really?

According to a report by CNN the caffeine in a cup of coffee can seriously help in your workout. If you struggle to figure out why people who work out enjoy it so much, a cup of coffee before a workout might be the answer.

The trick here is to time when you drink the coffee. Caffeine takes effect pretty fast in the body, usually within 15 to 45 mins of when you drink it.

Bearing that in mind, if you can time it correctly, the optimum time to drink a cup of coffee would be around 30 minutes before you begin your workout.

Shredding Calories

Not only can it enhance your workout, but it can also assist the dietary aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Pair this with your workout and you’ll become far more efficient at shredding off excess calories than you normally would.

If you work out in the morning, pair your coffee with a healthy breakfast and a cup of water to keep yourself hydrated (water along with coffee is a simple but important step to working out).

Caffeine has the additional benefit of cutting down on cravings that you may have, so if your mid-morning snack serves as your Achilles Heel, then a cup of coffee should snap you out of it.

This isn’t to say that coffee is the be all, and end all of nutritional drinks, but if you’re struggling through your workouts and you’ve tried other fitness supplements, give the humble cup of joe a shot one morning to see how it works out for you. Worst case scenario, you’ve stamped out some cravings.

Best case scenario, your workout becomes a lot smoother and you may have discovered the most delicious shortcut to your burgeoning fitness lifestyle.

Photo by:  Natalie Collins