Want to improve your athletic performance? A coffee, please! Yes, caffeine has many benefits for runners. And don't let some myths ruin your times. 

We know that there are runners who tend to eliminate all types of stimulants from their diet. However, science clearly indicates that the intake of a low to moderate dose of caffeine (no more than 5 mg) before or during exercise provides great benefits to your trainingCaffeine when training? Yes! In fact, caffeine is a resource that is increasingly used by high-performance athletes. 

More endurance and concentration with less fatigue if you consume caffeine when training 

Caffeine can help runners and other athletes improve endurance, reduce fatigue and increase concentration. It can also help improve performance. Partial studies have been done on the subject, although a review of the latest scientific evidence on the subject was recently published.  

He study “Caffeine and cognitive functions in sport: a systematic review and meta-analysis” It was conducted by four universities and published in early 2021 by Nutrients. In this article the results of up to 13 research papers previous studies on the health benefits of caffeine. Specifically, what were the effects of a caffeine supplement between 5 and 60 minutes before testing performance during physical activity. 

The study, which is headed by J. Lorenzo Calvo, lets us know that caffeine is a great ally for those who practice running. So if this is your sport and you like coffee, keep reading below about its benefits: 

• Improves the athlete's energy levels

  Caffeine acts on the muscles by stimulating them toincrease strength and endurance.In addition, it helps reduce fatigue during training, allowing you to train for longer and achieve better performance. 
  

• Lift your mood during workouts
  

  Pbecause, by increasing the production of adrenaline, increase speed of movements, reflexes and strength. It also helps to resist pain and fatigue during a sporting activity.

• Enhances cognitive functions, such as attention

  This is because caffeine increases the levels of brain energy and speeds up the thinking process. This helps the athlete to be more alert, focused and aware of what is happening around them. 

To all these advantages we must add one more and that is that caffeine could contribute to improving:

• simple reaction time (the ability to detect and respond to a single stimulus)

• choice reaction time (when two stimuli are presented and we respond differently to each of them)

• even memory.  

Did you know the effects of caffeine when training?

There are many ways to consume caffeine today, so if you run you can incorporate caffeine into your diet in the form of a drink, of course, but also in capsules, energy bars, chewing gum. Which one do you like best?

And, in any case, remember that all your performance will improve with nutrition appropriate to your personal characteristics and your level of training, for which you can count on the proposals of Oorenji Runners.

Fountain: Lorenzo Calvo, J.; Fei, X.; Domínguez, R.; Pareja-Galeano, H. Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients 2021, 13, 868.  

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