The TRUTH About Caffeine!

If you are an avid lover of coffee, then you know where the obsession over this dark brewed beverage comes from. It’s been called the nectar of the God’s and the first credible reference to coffee trees appearing was in the 15^th century. So this age old golden brew has been seducing our taste buds for centuries but also has been providing more than just a delicious drink. The health benefits of caffeine are wide and it’s role in fitness is just starting to get notice.

The name for the delicious chemical called caffeine is actually called 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine. Caffeine provides Vitamin B to help produce energy, Vitamin B5 to help the body use fats and proteins, and Manganese which helps control blood sugar. In addition to all that, it contains Magnesium which help keep blood pressure even, Potassium which is essential to your heart and kidneys and Niacin that can help cholesterol levels. For those who have several cups of coffee a day these numbers can really add up, but the daily recommended limit of coffee is about 4.7 cups of drip coffee which equals about 400mg of caffeine. Anything over that limit could interfere with sleep patterns or give the drinker a jittery feeling.

Coffee also provides a boost to the brain by temporarily increasing focus and concentration. This can lead to increased learning. But, aside for what it gives out body and our mind, it can help with fitness for those who work out. There are many risks associated with taking pre workout and fat burners, if you want to know what they are, just read their warning levels. Those who are looking for a more natural way to have a burst of energy can drink a shot of espresso or just have a coffee for a natural boost. Caffeine can increase stamina during a work out and can increase adrenaline which can lead to a better work out.

Besides an energy boost, caffeine in studies has show to increase fat burning in the body. Along with increased fat burning, it can break down fat as well. Plus, the effects of caffeine can last up to 6 hours after ingestion which means these fat burning benefits last a while. After a hard work out caffeine has been shown to decrease post work out pain by up to 48% in athletes. 

Caffeine is naturally occurring in the coffee bean, and can be extracted by pressure cooking the beans and leaves with CO2 to produce it in the powder form. This has lead to caffeine being added to a multitude of products including fat burners and pre-workouts. But these products also contain a multitude of other, sometimes unhealthy, ingredients. Instead of risking ingesting questionable ingredients for the sake of energy, you can turn to the tried and true energy from natural coffee. Of course organic and fair trade coffee is always the healthiest choice, but any coffee will give you the caffeine boost and benefits.

Next time you drink your cup of joe just imagine all the good things it’s doing for your body. And when thinking about energy for work outs always look for a more natural solution like straight black coffee to get you through. When given the chance always choose organic brands, like Grind Coffee, because regular non organic coffees are one of the heaviest sprayed crops. Non organic coffee can be sprayed with up to 250 lbs of pesticides before it’s harvested. So when you can, buy organic or drink organic coffee. Delicious and beneficial, this drink makes it to the top of our fitness drink list.