caffeine

If your workout needs a little boost, having caffeine before you exercise can be just what you need. Studies have shown that ingesting caffeine before a workout increases your endurance, can help ease postexercise muscle soreness, and can help sedentary people exercise more vigorously. While caffeinated gels, drinks, and chews help give a much-needed boost during endurance races, you should play it safe when it comes to your caffeinated workout. Stay away from energy drinks, and opt for naturally caffeinated options with these tips.

Have a shot: An espresso shot before a workout is convenient, since it won't weigh you down and can be drunk quickly if you're on your way to the gym. Take the shot, which on average contains about 75 milligrams of caffeine, about 30 minutes before your workout to reap the effects of the caffeine during your workout.

Take a coffee break: If you are going to drink a full cup of coffee or tea before you exercise, make sure that you drink it about an hour before so you won't be full of liquid when you work out. Note that a 16-ounce cup of Starbucks coffee contains 330 milligrams of caffeine, so don't drink a full cup before an evening workout if caffeine normally keeps you awake.

Look for caffeinated snacks: A recent study found that eating a small piece of dark chocolate before a workout can help with endurance because it contains a flavonoid that may help muscles resist fatigue. While a small piece of dark chocolate may not contain that much caffeine, the combination of carbs, caffeine, and flavonoids may help give you a small boost. For a bigger caffeinated effect, look for energy gels and chews that contain caffeine.

No matter what your caffeine strategy, if you are training for a race and use caffeine to help your workouts, endurance running and nutrition coach Matt Fitzgerald recommends in his book The New Rules of Marathon and Half Marathon Training to go on a caffeine fast a week or two before your big day. Since your body acclimates to the effects of caffeine, taking a weeklong break will ensure that you feel the greatest effects during your race. You should also take care to not go over the recommended daily intake of 300 milligrams.

Move over coffee, you're not the only way to energize in the morning. If you'd like to trade that cup of strong black brew for something that wakes you up without the jittery caffeine jolt, here are four non-caffeinated drinks to opt for tomorrow morning.

Apple Cider Vinegar-Cranberry Drink

Actress Nikki Reed uses this blend to help power her through morning workouts, since the apple cider vinegar has been shown to help boost energy (as well as aid in digestion, which can also help put a pep in your step). This apple cider vinegar and cranberry drink recipe is more palatable if you aren't a fan of drinking the vinegar straight.

Green Juice

A tall glass of green juice in the morning offers your body much-needed nutrients for a healthy, energized start to your day. This parsley, apple, spinach, and ginger green juice recipe offers a good dose of vitamin C, antioxidants, and iron, all of which can help raise your energy levels.

Peppermint Tea

If you're craving something hot in the morning, opt for an herbal tea made from peppermint. Even without caffeine, the mint in the tea can help wake you up. Look for noncaffeinated peppermint tea blends at your grocery store, or throw a few mint leaves into a cup of boiling water, cover, and steep for five to 10 minutes.

One more energizing drink after the break!

• Let's settle the debate: is coffee good or bad for you? — HuffPost Healthy Living
• Why being single is sometimes better (for your waistline) — Self
• Find out what happens to unused muscles — Fit Bottomed Girls
• Salad isn't boring: rosemary and balsamic-roasted grapes and olives — Vegetarian Times
• The foods that health experts always keep in their kitchens — Real Simple
• Make it really count! Sex positions that double as exercise — Fitness
• Iron Chef Jose Garces shares his tips for healthy eating — Daily Spark

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

If you feel like you need a jolt of caffeine to get started in the morning, you're not alone. About four-fifths of the world's population drinks coffee on a daily basis, but how much caffeine is too much? Let's talk about the benefits of caffeine and how much you should consume each day.

Caffeine can...

• Give you a quick boost of energy and help you focus on tasks at hand.
• Help you work out longer and harder when consumed just before exercise. Because caffeine seems to block signals of muscle fatigue, both cardio and strength training feel easier, letting you work harder or go faster without noticing extra exertion.
• Provide a temporary boost in metabolism. The caffeine in one cup of coffee temporarily revs metabolism by up to 15 percent, torching an extra 15 to 25 calories.
• Prevent disease, possibly. Some studies suggest that the caffeine in coffee may help prevent Parkinson's disease. And a recent study found that women who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 15 percent less likely to develop depression over the 10-year study period, compared with women who consumed one cup or less per day. Women who drank decaf didn't show a similar reduction in depression rates.

Learn the dangers of too much caffeine after the break.

There's nothing like the great outdoors . . . with a latte in hand. Unfortunately, having that combination when you head out on your next camping adventure isn't really an option. But if you can handle the kitchen and the campfire, you can surely have your caffeine the next time you hit the trails. With a few creative, shortcut, or back-to-basics methods, you won't be yawning or missing that perfectly foamed milk.

• The French method: A French press is a quick method for brewing smaller amounts of coffee. Aside from the press, all you need is the coffee itself (medium grind) and a pot to boil water in. Try this GSI Outdoors Java Press ($110) or get personal with a Bodum Travel Coffee Press ($40) that you can take with you on the trails.

Keep reading for more ways to get your caffeine buzz while camping!

The benefits and risks of coffee are often debated, but a new study has found that coffee drinkers may be better off sticking to that cup of joe: in fact, having two cups of coffee a day may just help you live longer — even if it's decaf.

The latest coffee study followed 400,000 healthy older men and women and is the largest study to ever look at the benefits and risks of coffee. Of the study group, 42,000 did not drink any coffee, about 15,000 drank more than six cups a day, and the remaining study participants averaged two to three cups. After following the group for almost two decades, researchers found that those who drank coffee lived longer than those who didn't; men who drank two to three cups of coffee were 10 percent less likely to die at any age, and women who drank the same amount were 13 percent less likely to die at any age. The biggest risk reduction was seen in women who drank four to five cups a day.

The findings aren't a reason to force yourself to drink coffee; after all, the benefits are small, and too much caffeine can make you feel wired, anxious, or irritable, and may increase your risk of heart conditions. But the good news is that the study didn't find any differences between drinking decaf and regular coffee, so if you're a coffee fan but hate that wired feeling you get when you drink too much, have a cup of decaf in the afternoon — it just may help you live longer. (And if you don't like coffee, there's always green tea!)

Whether they're working out first thing in the morning or after work, many people may feel a little drowsy and sluggish. Rather than heading to the gym with only one eye open, prepare by drinking one of these energy-boosting beverages to help you feel more focused, energized, and ready to push your body to do more.

Coffee or Green Tea
Caffeine increases your endurance because it changes how your body uses fat. Caffeine helps your body convert fat into readily accessible energy, so you can work out for longer. As an added bonus, studies have also shown that caffeine consumption helps reduce postworkout DOMS.

Green Juice
Rich in natural sugars, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, a homemade green juice is a glass full of easily absorbable nutrients, especially iron, which can combat your sleepy slump. And because green juice recipes are high in carbs but low in fiber, it helps give the body energy while also being easy to digest. Perfect if you need something on the way into the gym.

Apple Cider Vinegar
If you are a fan of kombucha, then you'll love the tart flavor of apple cider vinegar, which is rich in minerals, vitamins, and beneficial acids. For an energy booster sans caffeine, mix a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and drink prior to a workout. Look for raw and unfiltered varieties to get the most nutrients possible. A small study also links apple cider vinegar to improved weight loss.

Preworkout Sports Beverages
Gatorade, Vega Sport, and Biosteel High Performance offer sports drinks that are developed specifically for before workouts. Each drink is formulated with ingredients to help stimulate and energize the body. We recommend these drinks for more intense or longer workouts.