COFFEE, CAFFEINE & BODYBUILDING

Generation Iron Bodybuilding Coffee Caffine

Does drinking coffee effect muscle gains? 

It’s probably one of the more common questions the average Joe and advanced bodybuilder has on their mind. Is coffee going to benefit or kill your gains?  You don’t want to get in the gym and work tirelessly only to see positive results rendered moot because you need to have your cup of joe in the morning. But really, is having a coffee before a workout all that bad?
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Fat Loss

In the early stages of continued consumption, coffee can help with fat loss. Not only could you have added endurance, but burnt fat as well. The caffeine released from coffee kicks off a process called lipolysis, which is the release of free fatty acids from body fat. What’s that mean? Well, the free fatty acids travel the bloodstream and ultimately can be used as a fuel source without eating into your stored carbs and proteins. This, plus a hard workout leads to free fatty acid oxidation which ultimately means fat burning. But be careful not to ingest too much caffeine or you’ll negate the process.

Caffeine

Well for one, the caffeine in coffee can be pretty damn beneficial to you when you get into the gym. In numerous tests, caffeine has been shown to have a positive effect on endurance. Those tests were conducted on cyclists, but you get the point. The notion of drinking coffee as apart of your pre-workout routine could end up reaping benefits. You’ll still have the energy to push through your workout even when you feel like you’re going to collapse. The problem is getting dependent on it. The thing about coffee is that it may not provide enough of the caffeine you need. You may have to pick up some caffeine pills to get the boost you desire.

Adrenaline

It’s the number one hormone every athlete looks to for high performance. Adrenaline can give you that extra boost in the gym, have you pushing through sets with ease. Well caffeine is a great source for an adrenaline boost. If your work ethic seems to be lagging, having some caffeine can definitely be the boost you need.

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Jonathan Salmon
Managing editor of Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. He has been writing about bodybuilding, combat sports, and strength sports for over 8 years. Check out his YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Sound Cloud for in-depth MMA analysis.