Coffee VS Pre Workout: Does the 05-minute walk to the gym sounds tiring? Are you battling to get out of that cozy bed and show up at the gym? Does the 07-hour sleep feel enough to you?
No?
We’ve got you covered!
Before a workout, most of us reach out for a cup of strong black coffee, supplements or some energy drinks. Today we’ll be evaluating how effective these 3 substitutes are.
Welcome to epic battle among coffee vs pre-workout vs energy drinks and be the judge!
Coffee
Caffeine is a metabolism booster that helps in fat cells to be used as a source of energy. It is one of the handiest and popular way to increase energy.
Caffeine-rich coffee seems to work by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Its main effect on the body is to increase the level of alertness.
It also helps the muscles burn more fat by preserving glycogen, a stored version of glucose used for energy and giving muscles more time before they tire. Having coffee before working out is said to burn 15% more calories!
Another study found that drinking coffee before workout brings more adrenaline rush to draw extra energy cells and increase the endurance level which in turn increases the training capacity.
Whether you are hard-core gym enthusiast who likes sweating in the gym for hours or you workout just enough to remain fit, a caffeine shot before hitting the gym can bring some tremendous results.
Pros of Coffee
* Boosts physical performance
* Helps you lose weight
* Helps you burn fat
* Improves focus and concentration levels
* Keeps you alert
* Reduces the risk of strokes and cancer
* Lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes
* Fight anxiety and depression
Cons Of Coffee
* Can cause insomnia
* Can be addictive
* Unfiltered coffee can increase cholesterol levels
Few Tips on Consumption of Coffee
* If you want to reap medical benefits the coffee that you consume before your workout regime, you should pick a dark coffee bean which is also known to contain cancer prevention agents. But if you need the actual caffeine boost, you should drink a coffee which has a higher amount of caffeine
* Consume the coffee around an hour prior to hitting the gym. This gives coffee the time it needs to act
* Say no to sugar! Sugar gives no added value to the coffee
* Start with a small amount if you have not yet experimented with caffeine. 1-2 cups of coffee should give you the pump you need to perform more effectively in the gym
* Caffeine is recommended for morning workouts as drinking it at night can adversely affect your sleeping cycle, turning you into an insomniac since its effect can last from 3-6 hours
* Invest in a good quality coffee brand
Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular these days and are commonly used as exercise and performance enhancers. Let’s see what energy drinks exactly are!
Let’s get the second contender of coffee vs pre-workouts vs energy drinks up and running.
Energy drink is a type of drink that contains sugar and stimulant compounds which is usually caffeine which is known for providing mental and physical stimulation.
Energy drinks can affect cognitive performance by increasing the attention and reaction speed. This enhancement is mostly due to the presence of caffeine in energy drinks.
Pros of Energy Drinks
* Energy drinks are known to improve the state, mood and the endurance power
* Popular energy drinks improve upper body endurance and strength
* Caffeine-rich energy drinks improve time trial performance and overall high exertion endurance activity
* They can help with cardiovascular and nervous system function, making you more agile
Cons of Energy Drinks
* They contain excessive sugar, preservatives, co-stimulants, and other ingredients
* They cause a sudden increase in your blood sugar levels and give an energy boost but it also leads to a sudden fall in blood sugar levels once the effect fades which makes you feel lethargic again
* They can cause lack of sleep and make you insomniac due to a high level of caffeine
* Energy drinks can make some people anxious and jittery as they can overstimulate the brain cells
* Excessive consumption of energy drinks can cause heart rhythm irregularities, high blood pressure, diabetes and can be sometimes life-threatening
Coffee VS Energy Drinks
When we talk about coffee, the caffeine is as natural as it can be and there are no ingredients which have questionable impacts whereas Energy drinks, on the other hand, contain several ingredients and a lot of ingredients that have a questionable impact on the body.
So in the fight of coffee vs energy drinks, our vote goes to Coffee!
Supplements
Time to get the third contender of coffee vs pre-workouts vs energy drinks in the rink! Just like coffee and energy drinks, pre-workout supplements contain high amounts of caffeine to help you get out of bed and hit the gym almost instantly.
The key difference is that pre-workout supplements are especially focused on their purpose and are specifically designed to be taken right before working out. Therefore, making them an upgraded version of coffee and energy drinks.
Supplements usually contain:
* Caffeine dosages
* Ingredients like Creatine to enhance strength
* Ingredients like I-citrulline malate that helps in enhancing the circulation
* Ingredients like beta-alanine that promote endurance
These are some specific ingredients that aim at boosting some specific functions which cannot be found in coffee or energy drinks. This is what makes supplements a leading choice of gym enthusiasts but not all pre-workout supplements are great.
An average cup of coffee contains 94mg to 100mg caffeine whereas a single scoop of supplements can contain 200mg of caffeine. A lot of these products recommend taking 2 scoops which makes it a total of 400mg which is a very high dosage of caffeine to intake in one go.
Pros of Supplements
* Improves energy
* Improves motivation
* Improves focus
* Improves alertness
* Blocks muscle pain during workouts
* Preserves glycogen which doesn’t let the person feel tired
Cons of Supplements
* Overstimulation
* Dehydration
* Increased blood pressure
* Can lead to addiction
* Can cause insomnia
* Can cause a sudden energy crash
Quality Supplement
* 150-250mg caffeine
* 6,000mg I-citrulline malate
* 3,200-4,000mg beta-alanine
In our opinion, pre-workout supplements can be a good tool to boost your energy levels but it shouldn’t be exploited as a tool that can be counted on or relied upon on daily basis.
We’ve compared the best energy sources to help you hit the gym. You are the best judge for yourself, so pick one of these drinks up and hit the gym!
Leave a Reply