Coffee to Enhance Your Workout

Sure, I have seen that woman wondering into the gym with a double-shot latte in her hand, and then busting out a phenomenal power workout. Up until recently, I would have thought this woman was defeating the purpose of her workout by downing a grande of sugar, milk, and caffeine. I then, discovered she was actually doing her mind and body good by drinking coffee before her workout. Caffeinated coffee, removes the tired feeling and boosts our body’s ability for physical and mental activity.

Caffeine helps the mind and body stay alert to push through a workout by stimulating the central nervous system. Blood pressure increases, and therefore, the heart pumps more oxygen allowing the body to push harder to run that extra mile. Caffeine also increases the feel-good neurotransmitters, like dopamine, that effect pain receptors and mood making the last few reps seem less grinding.

In addition, drinking caffeine before a workout can keep those annoying food cravings at bay. Researchers have found, caffeine raises calorie burning by 72 fewer calories per day. Here are a few things to consider next time you hit the gym with your cup of joe :

Drinking your coffee an hour before your work out would be ideal since caffeine reaches its maximum effect between 30 and 75 minutes after consumption. You will find, however, if you already drink an ample amount of coffee everyday you will need to drink more in order to reap the benefits. It’s not recommended to over-caffeinate just to increase your workout ability.

Don’t forget the H₂O. Coffee does count as liquid, but eight ounces won’t be enough to keep you hydrated through your entire workout. Remember hydrate before, during, and after. Also, try not to drink too much coffee as it can have a laxative effect. And, that is certainly not an optimal situation to be in.

Think about adding milk if you typically take your coffee black. After a night of sleep, the added protein and carbohydrates will help raise your blood sugar fueling you physically and mentally. As long as you don’t add a great amount of sugar, drinking coffee before your workout will be more beneficial to you than energy drinks and sugary sodas.

How much coffee is enough to boost your performance? Based on you body weight and fitness goals, you probably only need 250 to 300mg of caffeine to improve your workout performance. Eight ounces of regular-strength brewed coffee has 95 to 200mg of caffeine. In addition, try not to overdo the caffeine or you may find yourself suffering from headaches, insomnia, irritability, or an upset stomach.

If you workout at night, you may have to forget the caffeine if you are someone who is unable to sleep because of drinking caffeine too close to bedtime. Caffeine stays in your system for about six hours. So, if coffee tends to affect your sleep, you may want to consider a drink with diminished amounts of caffeine such as: cold brew coffee, dark roast coffee, or black tea.

RiseCoffeeSupply.com has the workout brew for you! From light to dark roast coffee of every origin as well as, a magnificent collection of teas. Take a look today. We are sure you will find a brew to boost your workout performance!

We would like to hear your thoughts and experiences. Please leave a comment.   

Decaffeinated Coffee: Is it Okay to Drink?

There is some skepticism whether decaffeinated coffee is safe or not. This question, quite possibly, came from when coffee was first decaffeinated. In 1906, Ludwig Roselius, a German coffee merchant, patented the first decaffeination process. However, the “Roselius Process” is no longer used today because it used the organic chemical compound benzene, a known carcinogen, as a solvent to extract the caffeine from the coffee beans.

Today, coffee can be decaffeinated by four different methods. These methods are: indirect-solvent process, direct-solvent process, Swiss water process, and carbon dioxide process. All of these methods are considered to be a low health risk, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Indirect-Solvent decaffeination is a process in which the coffee beans are soaked in hot water for several hours to remove the caffeine. Now, the water consisting of caffeine is heated and treated with either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate. After ten hours, the now caffeine-free water is combined with the beans once again to bring back the flavors and oils to the beans.

Swiss water process is another indirect decaffeination process, however no chemical solvents are used. Instead, the water from the coffee beans is pushed through a charcoal filter which traps the caffeine molecules, but allows the flavors and oils to pass. The initial, now flavorless coffee beans, are then thrown out. And, the caffeine-free, flavorful water is used to decaffeinate a new batch of coffee beans. As a result, the caffeine can only be removed from the new batch of beans since the water is already over-full of flavors and oils that cannot break down and very little flavor is lost.

Organic coffee processors almost entirely use the Swiss water method for decaffeination.

In the Direct-Solvent decaffeination process, coffee beans are steamed to let the caffeine out. Then, the beans are rinsed over and over with either methylene chloride or ethyl acetate to dissolve the caffeine. The beans are steamed once again to remove remaining solvent.

Carbon dioxide decaffeination process places water-soaked coffee beans into a stainless steel vessel. Liquid CO₂ is forced into the beans under very high pressure. The caffeine evaporates once the beans return to room temperature. This process leaves the beans 97% caffeine-free.

In summary, the solvents used to decaffeinate coffee beans (methyl chloride and ethyl acetate) evaporate at 104°F. So, if you take into account that coffee beans are roasted for 15 minutes or more at a minimum temperature of 400°F. And, appropriate brewing at is 200°F. Therefore, it does not make sense that your cup of joe would contain any of the solvent.

RiseCoffeeSupply.com offers a tremendous selection of decaffeinated coffee that are guaranteed full of flavor and freshness. Some great ones to try: Gourmet House Blend, Espresso Verdi, Organic Decaf ‘Swiss Water’ Peru, and Calypso Cream Flavored Coffee.

We would love to hear you thoughts on decaf coffee and look forward to your responses.