The smell of coffee alone makes many people mouth water. Having one or several coffees during the day is part of the routine of millions of Brazilians.
But now, scientists have realized that taking a small amount of caffeine before doing any physical exercise can improve task performance.
The researchers analyzed urine samples from athletes who competed in the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
Of the total, about 75% of the samples had traces of caffeine, which for some time now can be consumed by athletes.
Since 2004, it has left the list of the World Anti-Doping Agency, which determines which substances are illegal during competitions.
According to the researchers, caffeine helps speed, strength and endurance during physical activity.
For this reason, athletes from sports such as cycling, running, jumping, rowing and swimming have benefited from the effects of the substance.
It is important to consider that the sample was made up of young and healthy people, which, according to the authors, may have influenced the effects.
Other broader groups should be studied in order to assess whether these skills, such as speed, can also be influenced in non-athletes.
Read more: The suggestion of coffee is enough to stimulate the brain
The discovery was made at Harvard University in partnership with Northeastern University, in the United States, and was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Caffeine: young lady or villain?
Caffeine can bring benefits or harms to the body. What determines is the amount in which it is consumed.
The ideal is to consume a maximum of 300mG of caffeine per day, that is, around 2 to 3 cups of coffee.
When we drink a cup of coffee, for example, the substance will be processed by the liver. After this process, it travels throughout the body for a period of time that oscillates between 4 and 6 hours.
Among the effects on the body, it stimulates the central nervous system, facilitating concentration and decreasing the feeling of physical and mental tiredness .
But it is not just in the coffee that it is, because black teas and foods that are made with cocoa, cola and guarana also contain it.
In the right amount, it tends to have no negative effects, but if consumed daily and in excess, caffeine causes restlessness, difficulties in relaxing and sleeping, headache and heart and gastrointestinal problems.
Read more: Studies indicate why we should avoid taking energy drinks
Performance in physical activities can be improved with caffeine intake. However, taking care of the amount consumed is also worrying about health.
