Caffeine for Weight Loss and Enhanced Athletic Performance

The rapidly rising obesity rate has sparked much interest in alternative diet and weight loss remedies.  It has also opened debates about substances that have been long a part of the American fabric.  Your morning cup of coffee has not escaped this scrutiny.  Caffeine has been put to the test in many studies to determine if it helps or hinders weight loss and athletic performance.

Facts about Caffeine
Caffeine is a mild stimulant to the central nervous system.  It temporarily wards off drowsiness and restores alertness.  It has endured a poor reputation for many years, although recent studies have shown that not only is it not as bad for one as previously reported, but indeed, a cup of coffee before exercise, work, or even a test can enhance both cognitive and physiological performance.

Caffeine’s addictive reputation is not all smoke and mirrors, but physical dependence on the drug is actually quite mild.  Withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and fatigue only last a day or two because of the rapidity with which caffeine exits the bloodstream.  This feature also helps debunk the myth that caffeine is a cause of insomnia.  Any trace of caffeine is eliminated from the body within 10 hours after consumption, so a morning cup of coffee is not the reason for a lack of sleep; provided that it is clear that if you are sensitive to this substance, drinking caffeine later in the day may well interfere with your sleep patterns.

Caffeine was, at one point, believed to increase the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer.  The diuretic quality of caffeine may increase calcium loss in urine, but studies have shown that the tiny degree of such loss does not significantly impact the potential risk of osteoporosis. Caffeine does adversely affect blood pressure in those that have hypertension, but it neither raises cholesterol levels nor contributes to irregular heartbeats. Of course, any correlation to cancer has been shown to be utterly without foundation.

Benefits of Caffeine
Studies have revealed that caffeine has no obvious health benefits, other than those noted above, but they do point to some interesting potential benefits.  The anti-inflammatory effects of caffeine may improve the immune system and the histamine-reducing effects may help to reduce the intensity of allergy attacks.  Preliminary evidence has shown, rather unexpectedly, a potential that caffeine may reduce the risk factors for Parkinson’s disease, colorectal cancer, and type-2 diabetes.

Good news for Starbuck’s lovers, but what is the correlation, if any, between caffeine and obesity?

Despite extensive research, the results are inconclusive. In fact, researchers are beginning to consider the possibility that the effects of caffeine might be subject to the underlying physiology of the individual subject.

While caffeine has not been proven to promote weight loss, there are some theories on why it seems to work as a weight loss supplement for certain people. Caffeine may act as an appetite suppressant for a short period of time.  It may stimulate thermogenesis (the process of generating heat and energy from food digestion).  Finally, its inherent diuretic quality may decrease weight due to simple water loss.

On the other hand, studies have shown that caffeine elevates the stress hormone cortisol.  Cortisol has been proven to increase abdominal (visceral) fat, and stimulate the appetite.  Caffeine also interferes with GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) metabolism: a neurotransmitter that plays a role in stress management.

Hence the inability of researchers to draw a definitive conclusion as to the benefits or drawbacks of caffeine for the average person. It appears to be a matter of individual reactions, unless further research points to a factor as yet undiscovered.

Caffeine and Exercise
Diet aside, caffeine has been proven to make a workout feel easier, thus enhancing endurance.  Studies show that caffeine releases fat during exercise, thus protecting the stores of glycogen (an energy source stored in the liver and used by the body to preclude fatigue).  The ergongenic function of caffeine, as illustrated by studies demonstrating the enhanced athletic performance and endurance of athletes who drank coffee prior to engaging in a fitness endeavor, provides support for theory that the average individual would benefit in terms of longer workouts and hence the expenditure of a greater number of calories.

As always, more is not better. Simply relying upon coffee to increase your athletic prowess or endurance can be harmful.  Perception by the individual that the workout or activity ‘seems’ easier can inadvertently mask the body’s natural tolerance points.  You could injure yourself significantly and not be aware of the injury until the effects of caffeine have worn off.

The best conclusion to these various benefits and concerns is to drink caffeine in moderation, preferably earlier in the day and ensure that you do not rely upon any substance to artificially enhance your performance levels beyond those that your body is prepared to perform.

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