You might have heard that coffee can be a great way to help promote fat loss?
Well, whilst coffee can have some beneficial results when it comes to boosting your energy levels before a workout, chances are that most of us are probably drinking too much of it…
We’ve all been there, the phrase “Don’t speak to me before my morning coffee” comes to mind. For some of us, we have become so dependant on coffee that it is actually having some adverse affects on our bodies.
All of us react to caffeine differently, you might be someone who can’t have more than one coffee a day without bouncing off the walls or having an upset stomach. On the other hand, you might be a late night coffee drinker who is still able to get a solid nights sleep. It all depends on how your body metabolises caffeine and how tolerant you are to it.
When it comes to fat loss, a similar thing occurs. Coffee stimulates your cortisol receptors (your stress hormone), which is responsible for breaking down muscle tissue and causing you to store more fat if it is not kept under control. That’s why we recommend avoiding coffee or caffeine heavy drinks after a work out as you want to keep your stress levels down during this time.
But even that isn’t the whole story… If you do find that caffeine is interrupting your sleep, you are also affecting another hormone known as ‘growth hormone’. This particular hormone is responsible for helping you build muscle tone and burn fat and only released at two times, when you train and when you sleep.
Growth hormone is one of the most powerful hormones and is why the quality of your sleep is very important. If you find that you are drinking a lot of coffee in the evenings, it might be wise to try cutting it down a little and see how you feel.
So is all coffee is bad for you? NO!
Coffee is not bad for you at all and as mentioned at the beginning, can actually help you maximise your results! At The DVCC, this is why we offer our clients complimentary espressos before their training session. Evidence has shown that coffee can actually increase your metabolic rate which results in burning more calories, and it can help the body to burn fat rather than glucose for energy during exercise.
So in short, you do not need to cut coffee out altogether, but if you do find that you are struggling to sleep, perhaps try making a conscious effort to cut back on the caffeine for a week and see if you experience any difference to your fat loss!
