(Health.com) — Half of Americans start their day with coffee, and according to recent study, working out after downing a cup of java may offer a weight-loss advantage.
The Spanish study, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, found that trained athletes who took in caffeine pre-exercise burned about 15% more calories for three hours post-exercise, compared to those who ingested a placebo.
The dose that triggered the effect was 4.5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. For 150-pound woman, that's roughly 300 mg of caffeine, the amount in about 12 ounces of brewed coffee, a quantity you may already be sipping each morning.
If you've always thought of coffee as a vice -- one you're simply not willing to give up -- you'll be happy to know that it's actually a secret superfood. And if you exercise, caffeine can offer even more functional benefits for your workouts.
Here are five more reasons to enjoy it as part of an active lifestyle, along with five "rules" for getting your fix healthfully.
3. Better memory
A study published this year from Johns Hopkins University found that caffeine enhances memory up to 24 hours after it's consumed. Researchers gave people who did not regularly consume caffeine either a placebo, or 200 mg of caffeine five minutes after studying a series of images. The next day, both groups were asked to remember the images, and the caffeinated group scored significantly better.
This brain boost may be a real boon during workouts, especially when they entail needing to recall specific exercises or routines.
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