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.
Packing a greater reserve means that the very next time you work out, you've upped your ability to exercise harder and/or longer.
But this news doesn't mean you should down as much coffee as possible -- your good intentions may backfire. In my work with athletes, I recommend five basic rules to best reap caffeine's rewards:
3. Be consistent with your intake. Research shows that when your caffeine intake is steady, your body adjusts, which counters dehydration, even though caffeine is a natural diuretic. In other words, don't reach for two cups one day and four the next.
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