Making sure your body is properly fuelled can be a real grind. But if you really want to give your workout the beans you need to park the pre-workout and get better acquainted with your barista.
Energy drink sales have rocketed over 150% in the last ten years and unlike the people who drink them, this shows no signs of crashing. Due to a strange quirk in the marketing these mostly find their way into the shaky hands of pre-teens, but there is another market altogether with a similar penchant for a pick-me-up.
Unfortunately for the companies that peddle canned energy, they don’t really fit into the insta-friendly aesthetic many gym-goers are after. That’s where pre-workout steps in – the tubs and pills filled with the undecipherable mix of taurine, creatine and caffeine that come draped in the warning stickers that make them all the more desirable.
They claim to stimulate a ‘buzz’ before your workout, adding to the resolve of body-builders in the final few reps or prompting the ‘pump’ of visibly larger extremities. Unfortunately there is little reliable evidence to advocate the use of these supposed workout maximisers other than anecdotal ‘broscience’.
But as is often the case, the answer to actually getting that pre-workout feeling has been right under our noses – especially at breakfast. Coffee has long been the go-to source of resolve for professional cyclists – so much so that their governing body tried to ban it as a performance enhancing substance. And if you want to get your calorie-burn percolating then a coffee before an endurance session will help give you legs. Research in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition found that consuming the amount of caffeine in a regular Americano before exercise would help you burn 15% more calories during and after exercise.
The sinewy frames of anyone who completes the Tour de France turn to coffee for more than the calorie burn however – they haven’t that many to spare. It is the performance enhancing boost that you get when caffeine enters your system, spiking energy levels and injecting a little motivation to get you off the line and keep you going when other elements of your body’s energy systems start to dry up.
Whilst cardio-bunnies will definitely get a perk-me-up it’s those in the weights section that will perhaps grind out the biggest reward. A study in the Journal of Strength Conditioning and resistance found that men who consumed two espressos prior to hitting the gym floor lifted significantly more, and completed more reps, in each of the major lifts: bench press, rows, deadlifts and squats.
As well as the holy grail of racking up more weights, coffee might make your workouts more enjoyable, too. The University of Illinois found that the perceived DOMs, or the aching in your muscles after a heavy session, was lessened if you downed a macchiato beforehand. And for the same gain you’ll feel like you are putting in far less effort. All the more reason to take a coffee break.
So step down from the pre-workout bandwagon and alter your routine to include something a little more grown-up. Here are our favourite ways to get a caffeine boost before hitting the gym floor.
Espresso – About a minimal as it gets. Zero calories and 75mg of caffeine is sure to perk up your sets.
Cortado – One shot of espresso but with the protein and calories of a little milk. Careful though, anything more than a 1:2 ratio and the excess liquid will sit on your stomach.
Cold Brew – This late comer to the caffeine party should soon be welcome guest. Look for brands such as Point Blank or brew your own. For the pinnacle of gym preparation, replace 200ml of your protein shake with cold brew.
Cortado – One shot of espresso but with the protein and calories of a little milk. Careful though, anything more than a 1:2 ratio and the excess liquid will sit on your stomach.
Cold Brew – This late comer to the caffeine party should soon be welcome guest. Look for brands such as Point Blank or brew your own. For the pinnacle of gym preparation, replace 200ml of your protein shake with cold brew.