Coffee is one of those drinks that the cyclist will surely have during a workout. The Sunday tour is not such without the routine stage seasoned with a good coffee with friends.
But will it do well or could it cause problems?
It depends on the measure and the time, that is how much we consume and when we consume it.
First of all, we must know that caffeine is not included among the substances prohibited by the Wada (World Anti Doping Agency).
Caffeine before sports?
As everyone knows by now, caffeine, even those who do not practice sports, is a stimulating substance for both the central nervous system and the muscles. Taking caffeine before sports can significantly increase heart rate, an important element to consider for those used to monitoring their heart rate through the heart rate monitor. The benefit of caffeine consists in reducing the sense of fatigue bringing our body to a better level of performance.
Caffeine during sports
Those who take caffeine during physical activity must pay attention to hydration. In fact, coffee has a diuretic effect which, if we were, worsens our lack of hydration. So pay attention to how many coffees you take during your ride, paying further attention to any supplements (gels, bars) that may contain caffeine.
In fact, adding the supplements that we take during a long tour and a couple of coffees taken at the bar with friends could lead to the risk of dehydration especially on summer days.
Taking a moderate amount of caffeine during physical activity can be of considerable help in the assimilation of sugars by the intestine, reaching an improvement of 50%.
Caffeine after physical activity.
Caffeine can be used to make the most of restoring muscle glycogen levels.
As mentioned above, it has a diuretic effect so no to caffeine if you are dehydrated and no to caffeine if the workout was done in the evening as being exciting it could compromise the evening rest.
Summing up:
Is it useful to drink coffee with friends during a Sunday outing? Yes, as long as we don’t overdo it and pay attention to our hydration especially during the very hot summer days.
