Preworkout supplements ? How about you give a shot to just the coffee for preworkout once ?
It is said that “a healthy mind resides in a healthy body.” It is becoming harder to maintain or even attain that healthy lifestyle in today’s hectic and fast lifestyle. Today everyone is busy in their own world, and the notion of “body is our temple” has taken a backseat.
We are not mindful of what we put into our bodies. Alas, the pandemic caused by the Wuhan Virus worked as an eye opener for the world. Slowly yet steadily, people are starting to realize how important it is to be healthy.
Post covid personal trainers and nutritionists became inundated with numerous clients, and people have started to eat healthily and take time out for their workout sessions despite their busy schedules.
Fitness is an 80:20 game, 80% diet & 20% physical activity. Hence the saying “abs are made in the kitchen.”
Today’s fitness industry is booming, with all new fitness equipment and supplements ranging from proteins, mass gainers, pre-workouts, post-workouts, and so on.
We assemble here today to discuss which is better, the PRE WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT or a simple cup of BLACK COFFEE as a pre-workout drink. Lets’s get started:
What is a pre-workout?
Pre-workout is the generic term used for the supplements used by bodybuilders, athletes, and even average gymgoers to increase their energy and endurance during workout sessions. Today’s market is full of different pre-workouts.
What does pre-workout consist of?
The main ingredients in any pre-workout are:
Caffeine
Caffeine gives a jolt of energy and improves focus so that you can go through any workout seamlessly.
There have been many pieces of research that have shown that caffeine can help increase the metabolic rate and increase fat burning for a short time.
L-citrulline
It stimulates the production of nitric oxide in our bodies.
This, in turn, increases the blood flow, resulting in more oxygen being delivered to the muscles. It ultimately helps with the increase in the skeletal muscle.
As per the experience of many people, it’s claimed that they observed a significant pump after using L-citrulline. However, one should only supplement with this if they already do everything right and want the last 1% edge.
Also, this has no side effects as long as you are not on some medication for your heart or other vital organs.
Creatine
Creatine is another supplement used in pre-workouts. It helps muscles produce and circulate adenosine phosphate (ATP), which allows muscle mass, muscle strength, and endurance during exercise.
Beta-Alanine
It helps keep muscle fatigue at bay by producing carnosine which in turn helps reduce lactic acid build-up in muscle. So that you can work out longer and stronger. However, a beta-alanine supplement is unnecessary as our body already produces enough of it. It’s just for the people who do heavy sets with high repetitions.
Electrolytes:
Electrolytes are the composition of sodium, potassium, and chloride. They help with fatigue and help in faster circulation of blood and oxygen, which in turn helps with any exertion. It helps in pre-hydrating your body before your gym session or any workout, for that matter.
So those were the main ingredients for pre-workouts. Although all of these things are produced naturally in our body or found in the day-to-day food we eat, they are still not enough for heavy lifting or extended workout sessions, and that’s why pre-workouts become very important here. Still, like other supplements, they are also synthesized in labs.
Although no significant side effects are noticed with these supplements, still it’s not for everyone. After taking these supplements, many people complained about jittery feelings, nausea, vomiting, headaches, constipation, and even water retention.
This is where the coffee comes into the picture. It’s natural and has no artificial flavouring. One should always try to choose natural and organic options rather than synthesized supplements.
There is hardly anyone in this world who doesn’t like coffee. Although coffee has a bad reputation for being an unhealthy, diuretic, or dehydrating agent, tons of research has shown and proven that coffee is taken as a pre-workout, it helps in burning more fat even after 3 hours of exercising, and the best part is because of all the caffeine in coffee, it works as a hunger suppressor. It helps you to be more focused and way less sleepy.
So today, we are going to talk about a few of the best coffees for pre-workout. Still, before discussing that, let’s talk about all the ways you can take coffee as a pre-workout.
5 Ways to Consume Coffees for Your Pre-workout
ESPRESSO:
Espresso is not a different kind of coffee. It uses pressurized water with finely grounded beans of coffee, which is highly concentrated and can be taken as a shot. It is one of the methods of brewing coffee.
Espresso contains almost 63mg of caffeine per ounce or shot. If you are taking espresso as a pre-workout, you should take it 45-60 minutes before working out so that it can get absorbed in your bloodstream for peak performance.
BULLETPROOF COFFEE:
Bulletproof is another excellent way to have your coffee as a pre-workout. For this, you need to brew bulletproof coffee, add MCT oil and ghee or grass-fed butter, and finally blend the whole thing using a blender till it becomes frothy, and then drink it.
Research has shown it’s very beneficial as pre-workout and helps in weight loss, don’t forget your butter as the extra fat helps in metabolizing the caffeine slowly, and it also helps in breaking down the fat faster
BLACK COFFEE:
Black Coffee is the simplest way to have coffee. Here you must boil a pot of water with some cinnamon sticks in it cinnamon is optional). Once it’s boiled, add some coffee powder to it, and your coffee is ready. Sip it hot or cold, as per your preference.
COLD BREW:
For making this cold brew take some cold water and add the desired amount of coffee to it, and then leave it overnight. The next day strain the coffee using your filter and drink it directly or if you want it even colder, then put some ice, and your cold brew is good to go.
CLASSIC SOUTH INDIAN FILTER COFFEE:
This is the Indian version of french press coffee. To make this coffee, you should have a specific utensil, then fill the upper portion of the utensil with 2-3 spoons of coffee and hot boiled water, wait for 10-15 minutes, and voila!! You can add milk or some honey if you cannot handle the bitterness. Your filter coffee is ready.
So those are a few of the ways you can brew your pre-workout coffee. Now let’s talk about a few of the coffee brands which you can use for pre-workouts:
Best Coffee For Pre-Workout
1. SLAY X PREMIUM ROBUSTA GROUND COFFEE POWDER:
Slay x claims it is the most robust coffee in India, with 2250 mg caffeine per 100 grams of coffee. This is made of pure robusta coffee beans, entirely natural without additives.
You can get this coffee in different consistency fine to coarse grinds, for brewing in different ways.
2. RAGE COFFEE OG BLEND:
This one is another strong coffee in India, which is 100% made of Arabica beans, and it contains 180 mg of caffeine per 15-gram serving.
It is also infused with plant vitamins. One drawback with coffee is that it is not instant coffee, so for brewing it, you need equipment like a french press, coffee machine, Aeropress, filter press, etc.
3. COLUMBIAN BREW COFFEE, HIGH CAFFEINE ESPRESSO:
The Columbian brew is one of the finest and best coffees in the world for preworkouts. It contains 400mg of caffeine per sachet and is powerful. It will give you the required kick for your workout session. There are no additives like sugar or creamer.
4. NESCAFE CLASSIC DARK ROAST:
Nescafe is the household name in India. This is the most drank coffee in India. The dark roast from Nescafe is the more potent version of the usual coffee by the same brand. This is an instant coffee, add hot water and enjoy your coffee.
5. TGL Co. GOODLIFE INSTANT COFFEE:
This coffee is a blend of arabica and robusta coffee beans. Its aroma has a hint of clay and burnt wood with some minerals, it tastes thick and tannic, and many people use it as a pre-workout as it is pretty strong and makes them more energetic.
6. TEDDY ROOSEVELT HIGH CAFFEINE INSTANT COFFEE:
This is another strong coffee on our list, containing 400mg of caffeine per sachet. If you see it on the box, it is mentioned that it is best for pre-workout. There are no sugar and preservatives added to the coffee. To maintain its natural taste, it is branded as one of the luxury coffees out there, so if you are looking for a jolt of energy, go ahead and sip this fine coffee.
7. MOUNTAIN BREW PURE ROBUSTA COFFEE:
This is the new guy on the coffee block. It is made from robusta coffee beans from the Wayanad region of India. Fully hand pucked and medium roasted, few people claim it is one of the best instant robusta coffee out there. It is grown in shades in optimal natural conditions to maintain the best natural taste.
8. BEAN SONG PREMIUM BLACK COFFEE :
This is another coffee made in India. It is a medium roast coffee with a perfect taste of coffee with a hint of berry and lemon. It is not an instant coffee. Whole coffee is nitrogen packed to retain its freshness for a long time. The best way to brew this is in machine drip or the pour-over.
9. KETOFY BULLET COFFEE:
This is a one-of-a-kind coffee produced by ketofy brand. This is not regular coffee.
It is bullet coffee as it is, mixed with healthy fats, which helps in increasing metabolism, fat burning, and better performance during high-intensity workout sessions.
It has no added sugar or preservatives, and bullet coffee helps in losing weight and suppresses your hunger.
Many researchers have proven that bulletproof coffee is one of the best pre-workouts, as it provides the required energy, focus, and strength for your workouts.
10. NEULIFE KETO FUEL COFFEE:
This is another bulletproof coffee, which is made of medium roasted Arabica beans and is mixed with MCT oil (cold pressed coconut oil, as opposed to instant coffees, it contains only 1% of carbs and is loaded with few healthy fats, for better absorption of caffeine, more energy, and focus, increased metabolism, and the best part is that you can get equivalent of three espresso shots in single serves.
11. DAVIDOFF CAFE ESPRESSO 57
It is one of the best instant coffees in the Indian market. It has an intense taste and aroma, with 57mg of caffeine per serve.
It is best when it is taken black, it is medium roasted and also available in many other flavors, but this variant contains the most caffeine, as caffeine is what we are looking for here.
So these were the best coffees which we can use as pre-workouts,
Tips For Coffee As a Pre-Workout
- 400mg is the maximum recommended dose of coffee for a day, so try not to exceed that limit.
- Not everyone can handle coffee. You might be allergic to caffeine, or many people cant take coffee as it is too bitter. Please listen to your body.
- Caffeine in exceeded amounts can cause anxiety and a jittery feeling.
- Try to take your coffee black and without sugar for pre-workouts
- Always drink it 30-40 mins before your workout session so that caffeine can get absorbed into your bloodstream.
So this is all about the best coffee for preworkout in our view based on detailed research & personal use. Please let us know if this article helped you in your dilemma. Any suggestions from our valued readers are welcome and appreciated.
