Caffeine Use in High Intensity Training
If you do Crossfit or high intensity interval training, this article is specifically for you. There’s been a lot of research in the past with caffeine use particularly with marathon runners and tri-athletes. This new research I recently discovered is specifically aimed at the Crossfitters and high intensity trainers among us.
The study consisted of 9 healthy and fit cyclists that had them exercise to the point of exhaustion. They did a double wide study where the next phase of the study consisted of them receiving a placebo and undertaking the exercise again. Finally they were given a caffeine based pill and asked to repeat the exercise one more time.
The two times they were given the placebo or the caffeine they were not told what it was.
The amount of caffeine they were given equated to approximately three 5oz cups of coffee for a 70kg male. The exact dosage worked out at around 5mg per kilo. Both the placebo and the caffeine were given to the study group one hour before they were told to exercise.
The results showed that they had a greater tolerance to high intensity loads with an additional 30% added to their time before they were exhausted when caffeine was in their system compared to not.
So for all you Crossfit and high intensity interval training people out there, if you have the time before you head to the gym, drink a large cup of coffee an hour before you begin your workouts and see if you too benefit from this study. It might help you get a higher workout during your intense exercise.
This research should also be used to create your own strategy to improving your exercise routines and to benefit from the extra output you will hopefully be able to produce. If you know you’re going to the gym at 2, then try and drink a decent amount of coffee around 1. See what happens.
If you are in pain, if you are injured, if you want to prevent injuries, come and see us at Back and Body NY. We can help relieve your pain or help you remain pain free. Call us now to make an appointment, and come in for a cup of coffee!
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We seem to hear different things from the medical community every few years about either the positive or negative effect that coffee has on our health. So what is the most current information? Is coffee good or bad for your health? The answer, in short, is that it’s a little of both.
Too much coffee can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure, anxiety and upset stomach, in addition to its ability to become addictive. And don’t forget that added cream and sugar contribute to weight gain. For example, a 24-ounce Starbucks venti double chocolate chip frappucino contains a mind-boggling 520 calories!
Despite these drawbacks, moderate coffee consumption can actually have a protective effect, helping to reduce your risk of many problems, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, liver cancer, gallstones and Type 2 diabetes, to name a few. It can also lower the risk of stroke in women.
Current research has indicated that there is no increased risk of heart disease or cancer from moderate coffee drinking. The studies done earlier that reached that conclusion were flawed in that they did not take into consideration other lifestyle habits that went along with increased coffee drinking, such as smoking and lack of exercise, two major causes of these diseases. In fact, coffee has been shown to protect against many kinds of cancer.
A recent study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that there was a 25 percent reduction in cases of endometrial cancer in women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day. Scientists believe this may be due to the fact that coffee has the ability to lower concentrations of free estradiol and insulin, in addition to the cancer-fighting effect of coffee’s antioxidant phenols.
Even a few cups of coffee every day can cut men’s risk of developing prostate cancer by 30 percent, with those consuming six cups of coffee a day reducing their risk of a dangerous form of the cancer by a whopping 60 percent.
Coffee also reduces your risk of developing basal cell carcinoma by up to 20 percent, according to scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who drink coffee (four cups per day) have a 20 percent lower risk of depression than those who drink no coffee at all.
It is recommended that you get no more than 500-600 mg of caffeine intake per day, the equivalent of about 6 to 8 cups of brewed coffee. Obviously, the amount of caffeine in a cup of espresso will be more than that in the equivalent amount drip coffee.
The key point to keep in mind is to consume coffee in moderate amounts, especially if you are pregnant. But all in all, the benefits of coffee consumption far outweigh the risks for most people, so grab a caf
