Researchers discovered that trigonelline, an alkaloid in coffee and plants like fenugreek and barley, supports muscle health.
A study in Nature Metabolism showed trigonelline levels positively correlate with muscle power, while low levels relate to sarcopenia.
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How Caffeine Helps Sore Muscles
After a workout, you might experience both “I feel strong” and “everything hurts” soreness. If you are feeling the latter, don’t worry—caffeine can help speed up your recovery and ease the pain!
Why Do We Get Sore After a Workout?
Now, let us talk about why our bodies feel so achy after the workout is done. The answer may sound quite shocking though when we workout, our muscles in fact, tear. Don’t panic, though.
This tearing is a typical component of the process of growing muscle. Small fibers in your muscles break down when you strain them beyond their natural limitations.
The body strengthens these fibers by rebuilding them during recuperation. Yet this muscle soreness, commonly known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), occurs due to the repair process.
This can be rather irritating, but this is the way your muscles need to gain stiffer in order to become stronger.
How can we, therefore, make it easier to handle? Caffeine is useful in this situation.
How Caffeine Helps Sore Muscles
Caffeine slows down the body’s adenosine receptors, which reduces muscle soreness. Adenosine is usually associated with the sensation of pain when it attaches to receptors on nerves.
Thus, by eliminating this connection, caffeine reduces pain and related discomforts and helps people recover from the physical exertion of exercise.
In simple terms:
- Adenosine causes pain.
- Caffeine blocks adenosine.
- It also makes you happy and reduces your perception of pain.
To deal directly with the signals of pain that you get when you work out, you should consume caffeine to make the process of healing more comfortable.
Caffeine and Glycogen Replenishment
Regeneration of glycogen, which is the main fuel of the human muscles, is promoted by caffeine. Strenuous exertion depletes glycogen, thus the need for replenishment for healing and further activity.
This is promoted by caffeine, and glycogen repair is even better when the body is replenished with carbohydrates such as coffee and bananas.
The Importance of Timing
So, the question is how to properly time the use of caffeine boosters. Muscles, on the other hand, show the most response to food type within the first-hour post your workout.
Caffeine consumed within 30 minutes enhances the pain-relieving ability of caffeine and promotes the depletion of glycogen, which reduces soreness and the process of muscle repair.
Make Your Coffee Fun!
Post-workout can be quite exciting, and it may be interesting to incorporate caffeine! You can take protein coffee smoothies as they are very delicious and provide an energy boost.
It should be noted that there can be no recovery recipe, so try different coffee compositions or drinking time, which will decrease muscle soreness and improve recovery.
Next time you are sore, enjoy a cup of coffee within that golden hour — your muscles will thank you!