The more effective exercise boost: coffee or pre-workout shake?
- Unfiltered
- Feb 18, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 10, 2019
By Zeinab Makki
It is the age-old question that fitness enthusiasts and everyday gym-goers have been pondering for years: coffee vs pre-workout? Which is the healthier option more likely to give you that much-needed energy boost before you hit the treadmill? The answer, however, is not so black or cream.
Researchers at Texas A&M University conducted a study analysing the impact of caffeine in pre-workout energy drinks on exercise performance. Their findings showed that ready to drink pre-workouts were more effective for “resistance-exercise performance” (weight training) and “recovery following pre-exhaustive exercise” (workouts isolating a targeted muscle group). The study also found “no evidence that the drink affected cycling performance in non-trained cyclists” – an aerobic activity.
As this study displayed the effect of caffeine (a stimulant found in both coffee and certain pre-workout drinks), the question lingers as to whether normal coffee or an energy drink is the right choice.
Pure Gym personal trainer, Chiara D’arcangelo, says the impact varies between individuals. Whilst a pre-workout supplement may have double the effect on your energy in comparison to a cup of coffee, it is normally the option chosen by athletes or “over-trained” individuals maximizing their “burn out”.
“A beginner at the gym or someone who isn’t at a high fitness level should drink coffee if they really need that energy boost,” D’arcangelo says, “however, we must also consider that some people are sensitive to caffeine and may want to choose a non-caffeinated pre-workout drink.”
Despite the abundance of options, she insists that if you are feeling tired it is important to listen to your body and rest as no amount of coffee or energy supplements can give your body the recovery it needs.
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