Myth-Busting Your Morning Brew
Alright, gather round, health enthusiasts and coffee skeptics alike! It's high time we spill the beans on the age-old debate: Is caffeine the bad boy of the beverage world or just misunderstood?
You've heard the rumors – caffeine, the alleged instigator of headaches, the mastermind behind sleepless nights, and the accomplice in your daily nausea escapades. But let's be real, can we actually pin all our woes on a humble cup of joe?
It's time to dissect this hotter-than-a-latte topic. Buckle up, buttercup, because we're diving deep into the caffeinated conundrum to bring you the unfiltered truth – one sip at a time! 🍵💥
WHAT'S YOU'LL FIND BELOW
- What is caffeine anyway?
- How does it affect your body?
- How much caffeine do you need?
- Caffeine vs coffee: what's the difference?
- Does caffeine actually improve exercise performance?
WHAT IS CAFFEINE ANYWAY?
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in over 60 plant species, such as coffee beans, tea leaves, Kola nut & Guarana seed (both of which can be found in our natural energy drink, Higher Energy).
When consumed, caffeine quickly circulates through your body and is absorbed into the brain. It gives us that energy buzz, and is a must for many people in the morning and throughout the day.
Research has found that, after consuming 330mg of caffeine 60 minutes prior to exercise, elite cyclists increased their resistance to exhaustion by 21 minutes (Costill et al 1978).
And the benefits don’t stop there! Improvements have also been seen in shorter bouts of intense exercise efforts.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR BODY?
There is extensive research on the effects of caffeine, and many theories suggest that it helps our physical performance. In fact, scientists have found that it has many benefits to our health and physical performance during prolonged exercise.
According to the most common theories, caffeine can improve your performance through fat oxidation and through performance in early exercise. Other theories suggest that caffeine acts in the nervous system, affecting perception levels.
But these theories still don’t fully explain how caffeine affects exercise performance.
HOW MUCH CAFFEINE DO YOU NEED?
It depends. Most athletes seem to benefit 5mg per kg of body weight (mg/kg). But the fact is that even 2-3mg/kg have shown to increase performance.
For a person weighing 70kg, this would be as little as 140-350mg of caffeine (or 1-3 cups of 250ml fresh filter coffee). Even though individual responses to caffeine can vary, we’re quite confident that you can benefit from a tasty caffeine punch.
EXALT "Higher Energy" has 100mg of caffeine from our natural energy and immunity blend (made from natural coffee extract, guarana seed extract (22% caffeine) and kola nut extract (20% caffeine).
CAFFEINE VS COFFEE: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
Is there a difference at all between coffee and caffeine? In short, yes. But a 2013 study (Hodgson et al) found that coffee is not at all inferior to pure caffeine when it comes to improving endurance performance.
This is actually amazing news for all of us who love one (or many) cup(s) of coffee. But if you want to be 100% sure how exactly much buzz you’re going to get from your coffee, it might be worth sticking with the same coffee brand for consistency.
EXALT ‘Higher Energy’ lovers, we’re talking to you!
WHAT ABOUT CAFFEINE DEHYDRATION?
Well…it’s not true. In fact, a cup of coffee can actually count towards your daily fluid intake. A 2014 study proved that there was no evidence of dehydration, as long as your daily coffee intake is moderate (Killer at al 2014). In short, the effects of coffee consumption (800 ml of coffee containing 4mg/kg caffeine) versus water were compared on 50 males.
Turns out that the blood and urinary markers used to measure hydration levels didn’t show any signs of dehydration, meaning that caffeine can help you keep hydrated and not the other way around as many people might think!
DOES CAFFEINE ACTUALLY IMPROVE EXERCISE PERFORMANCE?
In essence, caffeine is more than just an energy booster; it's a versatile tool for enhancing both physical performance and overall health.
With EXALT's range of delicious, health-focused drinks like Higher Energy, Morning Glory, and Firestarter, you can enjoy caffeine's benefits in moderation, perfectly tailored to your lifestyle.
REFERENCES
1. Costill DL, Dalsky GP, Fink WJ. Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and exercise performance.Sci Sports. 1978 Fall;10(3):155-8.
2. Hodgson AB, Randell RK, Jeukendrup AE The metabolic and performance effects of caffeine compared to coffee during endurance exercise. PLoS One. 2013;8(4).
3. Killer SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a free-living population PLoS One. 2014 Jan 9;9(1).
At EXALT, we specialise in providing delicious nutritional drinks and protein powder. Whether you’re looking to boost your gym session with pre-workout energy or kickstart your healthy day with a breakfast smoothie.
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