What Does Caffeine Do For A Workout?

Drinking coffee before a workout can make the difference between an average exercise session and a fat-burning, endurance-based, motivated workout. Caffeine can improve your workout by making your exercise program longer and more effective. When you take in caffeine before you exercise, it changes the way you metabolize and use your available fuel sources. Caffeine also can increase power output from your muscles and reduce the pain you feel from physical activity.

Fuel

Caffeine can enhance your performance and the duration of your workout by influencing the fuel your body uses to produce energy. When you take caffeine before your workout, it acts immediately to increase the mobilization of fat from your fat beds and into your bloodstream. By having access to an increased amount of fatty acids from which to derive energy, your body can spare the glucose reserves inside of the muscles. This is important because depleting your muscle glycogen can be a limiting factor in both intensity and duration.

Power

Taking in caffeine before a workout increases the amount of power your muscles can produce. Caffeine works by boosting the amount of calcium your muscles release with each contraction. Calcium is an essential part of the muscle contraction, facilitating the action of the myofilaments inside your muscles that produce a contraction. With more calcium available, your muscles can produce a more forceful contraction. This means caffeine also can help with explosive power type exercises.

Pain

A 2009 study reported in the "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" indicates that caffeine may blunt the feeling of pain during exercise, allowing you to work harder and longer. During this study, 25 participants, some regular caffeine users and others not, participated in two high-intensity workouts, the first after being given 5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight and the second time after receiving a placebo. During each workout, pain, heart rate and work output were monitored. All of the participants reported a lower amount of perceived pain after receiving the caffeine pill.

Use

To maximize the benefits of caffeine, consume it three to four hours prior to your workout. For best results, good old-fashioned brewed coffee works better than a caffeine pill, according to Dr. Michael Colgan, author of "Optimum Sports Nutrition." Choose arabica coffees over robusta. Arabica coffees are easier on your digestive system, which will keep your mind on your workout. The effects of your caffeine intake will last for hours after you consume it.