Diet and nutrition are important elements for people who love fitness. Fitness lovers and lifters do take a lot of different nutrition supplements to improve their performance in the gym. Supplements/ items that lifters usually consume are:
- Creatine for power boost and muscles,
- Protein for muscle recovery, power, and growth and
- Caffeine for the boost in attention and power.
Caffeine has shown positive effects for many fitness lovers. However, the positive results vary from person to person. If you have decided to consume caffeine, you will likely see a positive impact on your fitness journey. So let’s have a look at what caffeine is and how exactly it helps
Work Performance
Caffeine is very well-known and one of the highly consumed ingredient in the world. If you are a coffee or soft drink lover you already know it. A lot of people consume caffeine in the form of coffee as a part of their morning routine to improve their work performance.
History Of Caffeine
Caffeine can be derived from various items like kola nuts, cacao plants, tea leaves, guarana berries and coffee beans. Caffeine has been in use for a long time, tracing back to 2700 B.C. caffeine stimulates the nervous system and brain which enhances the level of attentiveness/ alertness. This ability of caffeine helps wear off your sleep and tiredness.
Optimal Usage
You might wonder how much caffeine is optimal for good performance. Well, the “optimal” has a very wide range when it comes to caffeine. Some studies show that for a healthy person the range can be somewhere from 3-9mg, for every Kg of body weight. Usually, consumption of the caffeine can result in two effects:
- Either it boosts your performance or
- It will weaken your performance
Influencing Factors
The factors that can influence how different ranges of caffeine will affect your body are individual body genetics, history, environment, and bodily adaptations. Coming back to optimal consumption, studies show that if you are used to consuming caffeine then starting with a lower intake like 2-3mg per Kg is a good idea. Starting with a lower intake will help you understand your requirement and also help the body to slowly adapt. And if you are a habitual caffeine consumer then a slightly higher intake like 3-6mg per kg is good to go.
When to take Caffeine
Usually, caffeine intake is recommended 40-60 minutes prior to your workout. This time frame is recommended as it takes 15 min for caffeine to show in your body system and it will reach its peak level in about 60 min. However, remember that this time frame might vary from person to person. Studies show that caffeine stays for about 10 hours in a healthy individual’s body system. So avoid consuming caffeine within 10 hours of having it, as that might have a negative impact on your sleep.
Caffeine and Workout Performance
Let’s look into what role caffeine play in workout performance. Caffeine helps with:
- Increases durability and endurance performance
- Boost attentiveness and focus
- Decrease the risk of fatigue
Conclusion
Caffeine definitely helps workout performance. But one thing to keep in mind is that we all are different and unique, so the effects of caffeine on each one might vary. We strongly recommend consulting a nutritionist to assist with your caffeine need. However, if caffeine does not work well for you, you can rely on nutritional supplements. Stay Fit, Stay Healthy.
