It must be black
Espresso, caffè latte or cappuccino: coffee is the favourite hot drink of the Swiss. Especially before sporting activities, many people favour coffee as it is said to naturally boost performance. Is that really true?
On average, a person in Switzerland drinks three cups a day. Coffee gets its effect from caffeine. The active ingredient stimulates the nervous system: it stimulates the production of noradrenaline in the brain and thus has a performance-enhancing and energising effect. This is an advantage after a short night or a performance slump after lunch. Coffee reaches its maximum effect around 30 minutes after drinking it.
Effects of coffee on the body ...
Do you often have to go to the toilet after a cup of coffee? Drinking coffee stimulates kidney activity in the short term. Because the kidneys' filter function increases, they produce more urine. The intestinal peristalsis, or more simply your bowel movements, are also stimulated by the caffeine, acids, tannins and bitter substances in coffee. The drink can therefore be a helpful remedy for a sluggish bowel, especially on an empty stomach.
Coffee increases blood pressure in the short term. This is unfavourable for people with high blood pressure, as caffeine makes the heart beat faster and dilates the blood vessels. So you may get heart palpitations if you drink large quantities of coffee.
... which benefits you during sport
Caffeine has a vasodilating effect on the bronchial system of the lungs. This means that the muscles of the bronchi relax and breathing becomes easier
The high antioxidant content has a positive effect on the immune system. Body temperature rises briefly after drinking coffee because caffeine stimulates thermogenesis, i.e. the production of heat through metabolism. Your body therefore burns more calories.
Last but not least, caffeine is also said to have a pain-relieving effect. It is used in some medications as a supportive analgesic for headaches, for example.
A black coffee is therefore a favourite among sports enthusiasts as a natural booster. A study published in the Journals of Human Kinetics determined the effect of coffee consumption before endurance training. Significant improvements in athletic endurance performance were found in five out of nine studies.
In addition, caffeine is said to reduce perceived exertion and make breathing easier. So you can drink black coffee before exercise to improve your performance. That's what I do anyway. However, it has not yet been clearly proven
that caffeine has a positive effect on muscle strength.
Get yourself an espresso and do some reading. Here you can find more reading material. And everything about the topic of coffee at Galaxus can be found here
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Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
