4. Coffee before exercising may help to increase fat burning
Researchers have found that a strong coffee containing about 3 mg/kg of caffeine consumed 30 minutes before aerobic exercise boosts the rate of fat-burning significantly. It was also discovered that the effects of caffeine are more noticeable if the exercise is conducted in the afternoon as opposed to in the morning.1✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1186/s12970-020-00400-6
For the study, 15 men with an average age of 32 completed an exercise test 4 times at intervals of 7 days. They consumed 3 mg/kg of caffeine or a placebo at 8 am and 5 pm, with each participant finishing the tests in all 4 conditions in random order.
Physical exercise, hours elapsed since last meal, or stimulant substance intake were the strictly standardized conditions before each exercise test, and fat oxidation while exercising was calculated accordingly.
The results of the study established that acute ingestion of caffeine half an hour before engaging in aerobic exercise increases maximum fat oxidation while exercising no matter the time of day. It was also confirmed that the fat oxidation values were higher in the afternoon compared to in the morning for equivalent hours of fasting.
The study also demonstrates that fat oxidation increases with caffeine intake while exercising in the morning similarly to that found with no afternoon caffeine intake.
The results of this study indicate that an acute intake of caffeine and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise combination in the afternoon provides the optimal situation for individuals wanting to increase fat-burning while exercising.
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