Caffeine

Can caffeine be put to use? I mean, I have a forty minute walk in my daily routine (and a couple of short walks...like 10 minutes or so) by virtue of my location, but I've been trying to incorporate other types of exercise into my week. I don't have access to the gym yet, so I've decided to do half an hour's jog a couple of days a week.

But sometimes I just feel 'meh' and make excuses. Is it possible that a mug of coffee might help me feel more energetic so I go do that run?

I guess I should be asking biologists, but since caffeine makes you feel somewhat hyper, would it not marginally increase your burn rate? Not by magic, but I was thinking that it might make one, say, inclined to take the stairs instead of the lift for example. 

Does coffee have any significant calorific value? Seems to be about 5kcal for a mug (I have it black - nothing else to ruin it, don't worry!), but in the shops, it never has any nutritional info. 

 

Sorry for the ramble! Just decided I'd take a break from my mathematics...yeah, there's coffee beside me because I have a sheet of problems due in for tomorrow morning.

As with anything, I think moderation is key.

Caffeine stimulates your adrenal gland. Too much artificial stimulus will build a reliance upon caffeine, and your adrenaline won't be as effective when you need it most. I think coffee has roughly 5cal / cup.

However, if you are otherwise healthy, I see no issue with drinking a cup of coffee to get some energy. Most energy drinks contain some mixture of B12 and caffeine.

As a side note; before all the sports energy drinks became popular, some fighters would drink a cup of coffee right before a match.

drinking coffee before working out will help your body burn more fat during the workout and increase your stamina...

I've never been much of a caffeine person myself. Hardly ever drink pop at all, not a fan of coffee, rarely drink things like tea, not the energy drink type. And last week I made myself a mug of coffee in the morning (I don't use sugar, just two teaspoons of powdered french vanilla creamer = 25 cals) and it made a world of difference for me. I go to college and I walk to school from my apartment. Spend an average of an hour hiking around campus and make a point to go to the rec for 30 minutes every school day. Usually I am dragging in the morning. Walking sleepily to class. Not wanting to even get on the machines when I make it to the rec. But with the coffee (even such a small amount) I felt great. I've been having one cup every morning since last friday and I feel awake and alert all day (whereas normally I would rather take a nap after classes) and I have started doing 45 minutes at the rec (with energy to spare!) I'd say give it a shot and gauge how your body reacts to it.

I'm thinking of weaning back the amount/strength of my coffee (it isn't very strong now) to make sure I don't develop a habit of NEEDING the coffee to geet going. It does make me feel better though =)

Sure, caffeine can help you crank it up a notch if drink it. Coffee is low-cal too, you're right with the 5kcal per cup.

However, caffeine is also a diuretic - it can dehydrate you. Make sure you keep well hydrated if you drink coffee, especially before and after exercise.