Coffee and Exercise

I was gong to have a talk about the effects of coffee on my body as sometimes I'll have a cup or two when I'm tired and need perking up, or I might have a cup before doing some exercise to give me an extra boost if my energy is lacking.

What I Thought I Knew

I thought I knew coffee: it can certainly disrupt my sleep, it can artificially elevate my heart rate, and I have found that it can make running unpleasant as it relaxes the smooth muscle in my oesophagus and starts repeating on me! The same type of muscle can be found at the other end of the food pipe … which explains why some people need a poo after drinking coffee. Yuk! I also knew that coffee could interfere with iron absorption, making it a problem drink for some athletes, especially female athletes.  These things are still true.

Benefits of Coffee

It turns out that coffee can be hugely beneficial (although I have to wonder about who pays for the research!).

It seems that the effects of coffee on the brain, nervous system and endocrine systems are well researched and quite profound!
• Type 2 diabetes - several studies have found that unsweetened coffee reduces the chances of developing type 2 diabetes
• Reduced chance of developing dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease
• Reduction in certain kinds of cancers (eg liver, kidney, colorectal and prostate)
• Reduction in heart arrhythmia and strokes

It's quite possible that if you develop headaches (like I do) or other side affects when drinking coffee that its the bean and how its prepared rather than the caffeine. Try coffee from a different part of the world, or that has been roasted for longer or less time. Lighter roasts tend to have more caffeine in than darker roasts (that surprised me); it's the roasting that tends to make the coffee taste stronger rather than the caffeine - research also indicates that darker roasts tend to have higher levels of chemicals that protect your nervous system than lighter roasts (neuroprotective).

Coffee as a metabolic booster

If you're trying to lose weight, drinking black, unsweetened coffee may help - all over the place I am reading the phrase "coffee can boost metabolism by up to 20%" … although I am struggling to actually find the research that backs it up! There is a good article on live strong.com that does have fairly decent references; the evidence here is that drinking coffee helps metabolise fatty acids.

When to drink coffee

There do appear to be a few rules for drinking coffee for health benefits:
• Drink it black and unsweetened - you'll wipe out any benefits if you put milk, cream, sugar or sweeteners in it
• Drink organic as coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed products
• Don't drink it too regularly - your body will adapt to it and you won't get the metabolic uplift
• Avoid drinking to late in the day and after exercise - drink before exercise for best benefits

Enjoy your next cup!