How you can achieve better sports performance with coffee

COFFEE AS PART OF FITNESS

In addition to increasing workload and warding off fatigue, theeffects of caffeine for better sports performancehave been well known for many years . Fitness centres sell caffeinated energy drinks to their customers as well as pure caffeine tablets, which serve as nutritional supplements for athletes to maximise their physical activity.

For many fitness centers, the inclusion of a coffee shop operationisalready a classic addition to their services. In fact, many of their customers like to indulge in coffee before or after their sporting activities. Coffee is a natural source of caffeine that supports athletes on a mental and physical level.

CAFFEINATED FOR BETTER SPORTS PERFORMANCE

Due to the popularity of coffee or caffeine among athletes, several researches have been conducted to reveal the exact effect of caffeine on physical performance. Acontrolled study of 8 elite and 10 recreational athletes confirmed that caffeine increased anaerobic activity in both of these study groups. However, elite athletes also experienced an increase in subjective vitality and mood.

Progress was not only made in increasing anaerobic performance. Also, improvements in average power, peak power, and time to peak power were observed in both elite and recreational athletes. This improvement was achieved when a dose of 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight was administered.

CAFFEINE DOSAGE IN SPORTS TRAINING

It is known from other studies, as reported in an article in the journal Sports Medicine, that moderate to high doses of caffeine, i.e., 5 to 13 mg per kilogram of body weight, consumed approximately 1 hour before exercise increases endurance performance, while caffeine is thought to be ergogenic (performance enhancing) in certain short-term and high-intensity workouts. Likewise in team sports.

Ingestion of caffeine at doses up to/including 3 mg per kilogram of body weight likewise has the effect of enhancing the performance of the trained individual. So even low doses of caffeine are beneficial for athletes. They are particularly effective during prolonged and late exercise, when they add alertness and improve mood. They can improve cognitive processes and do so during or after strenuous exercise. Therefore , theperformance-enhancing effect of low-dose caffeine is thought to be linkedto changes in the CNS (central nervous system). 2)

WHAT CAFFEINE DOES TO OUR NERVOUS SYSTEM

Theeffect of caffeine on the CNS relative to athletic performance is based on the fundamental ability of caffeine to latch onto adenosine receptors. These receptors normally pick up adenosine, a substance produced naturally in the body as a byproduct or residual of energy expenditure - the use of the energy molecule ATP.

By blocking adenosine receptors, caffeineactsas a potent CNS stimulant that upregulates the synthesis of catecholamines (excitatory transmitters in the sympathetic nervous system) with the activity of neurotransmitters such as dopamine. Thus, caffeine promotes an increase in blood dopamine levels. It makes us feel both better mood and dopamine plays a role in programming and planning movements.

SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC SYSTEMS

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems work in opposition to each other. While the parasympathetic is calming so the sympathetic takes care of activity. In stress, for example, the body's automatic responses such as the production of cortisol and adrenaline are triggered, leading to an increase in heart activity. This is a consequence of the function of the sympathetic nervous system.

Decreased parasympathetic and increased sympathetic activity changes a person's mood. The ingestion of caffeine thus alters the sub-active perception of vitality when faced with activities needing our physical activity such as just sports training. This caffeine motivation could be a small increase in pre-exercise tension that could lead to better performance.

EFFECTIVE CALCIUM RELEASE

Outside of the CNS, caffeine has an effect at the muscle tissue level. Here, caffeine increases the frequency of calcium channel opening, which promotes calcium release to enhance muscle contraction. For this reason,caffeine is a useful aid in exercises with high glycotic demands, such as resistance, endurance, combat or team sports.

HOW CAFFEINE TAKES CARE OF ENERGY STORES IN THE MUSCLES

Inaddition to caffeine, the diterpene cafestol and caffeic acidare also found in coffee . In their article, researchers Pickering and Grgic report that these substances appear to increase muscle glycogen regeneration. The main reservoir of glycogen, which is the source of energy for muscle work. Compared to other forms of caffeine intake, which include the aforementioned energy drinks and tablets or caffeine gum, drinking coffee before exercise has even more benefits for athletes.

In relation to muscle glycogen, caffeine is not only of regenerative importance. Since caffeine promotes lipolysis (fat metabolism), it saves the aforementioned muscle glycogen stores. This effect of caffeine consumed before exercise has an effect especially during short-term physical activity as it is limited to the first 15 minutes of exercise.