I am not that much of a fan of exercise, are you? I do have my moments but in general, I would rather sit in front of a computer or read a book while sipping a cup of joe. Then again, exercise is good for you, right? BUT the pain that I feel during and after working out just makes me cringe! Just thinking about makes me NOT want to get up from my chair right now…
Anyhow, I got to thinking about working out and exercising after reading a news item on how coffee can help people feel better if they drink some after exercising. WMTW reports:
Downing some strong coffee or an energy drink after a workout — along with a carbohydrate, such as pasta — can help people feel better more quickly, researchers said.
A team of Australian researchers said that people who recover with caffeine had 66 percent more glycogen in their muscles four hours after exercise. That means there is more energy for the next day’s training or performance, said senior author John A. Hawley.
Glycogen is the primary fuel for muscle during exercise, they said in a news release, which also said that caffeine had previously been shown to improve other areas of athletic performance.
I suppose that it should not be much of a surprise since we know that caffeine is an upper. Come to think of it, after a long day of walking around at the mall, I feel so much better after sitting down at a coffee shop and relaxing over a cup of coffee. Oh, you can add a doughnut or two in there!
Photo courtesy of cheetah100
Originally posted on July 15, 2008 @ 4:16 am