Every morning at 5:10, I hit my snooze button.
Every morning at 5:19, I peel myself out of bed and before anything else, I drink my coffee, my salvation from yet another night where one or two or three more hours of sleep have been denied me.
Many people hava java before hitting the gym. Typically, it's consumed for the extra boost and, sometimes, for the belief that drinking coffee helps to metabolize fat more quickly - which, for the record, is not supported by very compelling evidence.
However, a recent study is showing another benefit of hitting your local coffee shop before you hit the weights. At the University of Illinois, kinesiology professor - and avid cyclist - Robert Motl has shown that when people consume substances with caffeine, they are able to push themselves harder because they don't feel as much pain. Basically, caffeine works on the adenosine neuromodulatory system in the brain and spinal cord, which is heavily involved in nocicepton and pain processing. Since caffeine works to block adenosine from taking effect, it helps to reduce pain.
Interestingly, test subjects' tolerance to caffeine did not matter: both caffeine-naive individuals and habitual users reported the same amount of pain reduction during exercise after caffeine consumption. Furthermore, tests have shown that caffeine reduces pain reliably and consistently, regardless of the intensity and group of subjects.
Great news for people who shy aware from the gym because of an aversion to pain; not so great for those of us who, ummmm...enjoy it?
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