Taking a pre-workout drink has become such a natural thing to those who bother their arses to go to the gym, apparently. But have you ever wondered how natural the concoction you're pouring down your neck really is?
When you're working out, your body is looking to release catecholamines. This is the name for a collective of hormones such as dopamine; norepinephrine; and epinephrine. This group of hormones are released by your adrenal glands when you are emotionally stressed or physically active. Many supplements and pre-workout formulas claim to create this catecholamine response, but what is it you are really consuming? Something about as natural and organic as smoking meth in most instances.
Meth Smoker
Instead of taking these additive chemicals, try this instead; have a cup of magical black bean juice before your workout. Although this may not seem the most obvious choice for a pre-workout drink, but coffee is a stimulant. Yes, most pre-workout supplements primary ingredient is caffeine but the caffeine in the coffee is natural. Caffeine has been shown to increase muscle strength and output during exercise while reducing fatigue. The stimulant has an impact on your central nervous system, heart and also your blood pressure. This helps your mind focus and pushes your body to work harder proving useful during a gym session. Thus in turn getting those feel good neuron-transmitters going.
The coffee is absorbed quickly by your stomach after you drink it, taking anywhere from 15 - 45 minutes with full effects of the coffee kicking in around an hour after. There are many benefits athletes have found from drinking coffee instead. Main one is that you can get your caffeine from your daily cup of coffee instead of a sugary, additive filled drink. You also have to drink a lot less coffee to get better results.
The British Journal of sports medicine published a study which states that athletes push harder and put out more power after consuming coffee. Another positive found by the University of Illinois is decreased muscle pain after a workout. Increased fat loss during exercise is another huge positive. The caffeine releases adrenalin, which stimulates your fatty tissue to break down and release fat into your blood.
Adrenalin
All good stuff. But because our Robusta is naturally high in antioxidants, contains more than double the caffeine content of regular coffee and uses absolutely no plastic packaging, you're actually giving your body and the environment some extra love too.