Coffee. A daily habit of many people. Most people drink 2-4 cups of coffee during the day, but there are also people who drink this coffee before their sport as a pre-workout. This has to do with the caffeine in it? Do you want to know more about the relationship between coffee and sport? Then read the whole article!
What is coffee?
Coffee originates from the coffee plant, the seeds of this plant are dried and roasted. In the end you will end up with coffee beans. The coffee beans are ground to make coffee. After this you can leave the work to your coffee machine and enjoy your delicious cup of coffee.
Caffeine and coffee
As many already know, caffeine is the active ingredient in coffee. There is about 40 mg of caffeine in 100 grams of coffee. Of course, this depends on the type of coffee. Although coffee contains caffeine, it does contain cafestol. This substance raises LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. But don’t be alarmed by this, because there are also ways of making coffee that reduce the cafestol substance. The three healthiest ways to make coffee are with a filter device, percolator or coffee pod. Cafestol has such a low content in these ways that it can be consumed indefinitely, without this coffee having an effect on cholesterol.
Espresso and Turkish/Greek coffee or coffee made with Cafetiere have a much greater effect on cholesterol. Of the latter two, only one drink per day is recommended.
Why does caffeine boost your sports performance?
Well, we now know that there is caffeine in coffee, and that it is good for your sports performance. But why? Caffeine before exercise has a stimulating effect on your concentration and performance. The caffeine ensures that you get more energy and get tired less quickly. It also improves your memory, alertness and motivation. You have to be careful with caffeine that you do not become dependent on it.
Coffee (caffeine) and fitness
Caffeine is extremely popular in the fitness industry. You see a lot of supplements with caffeine in them. You have fat burners, pre-workout and individual caffeine supplements. A pre-workout easily contains 200 to 350 mg of caffeine. So this is about 4 to 8 cups of coffee. Because of this large amount of caffeine that the body receives, the effect of caffeine may be reduced.
Conclusion: Does caffeine have a positive effect on your sports performance?
We give the combination of caffeine and sport a go. Since the caffeine has a stimulating effect on your concentration and performance. In addition, it is not harmful to your body if you take it in small amounts, such as 1 to 2 cups of coffee.