Coffee not only has the effect of refreshing the mind, but also gives muscles more energy. An experiment conducted on cyclists showed that drinking caffeinated mixed drinks after exercise can accelerate the body's recovery. However, this effect is only achieved when the caffeine reaches a certain concentration.
Glycogen is one of the main sources of muscle energy. It can be continuously regenerated in the human body to ensure the supply of sugar in the short to medium term. Now, Australian scientists have confirmed that caffeine can greatly promote the production of glycogen.
A research team from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, led by John Harvey, invited seven well-trained cyclists to participate in the experiment.
The cyclists had to train to exhaustion according to their daily routine, but could only have a lunch with very low carbohydrate content. Carbohydrates are a necessary substance for the production of glycogen—this ensured that the athletes' energy stores were depleted before the actual experiment began.
The next day, the athletes were again trained to exhaustion. They were only allowed to drink carbohydrate-containing beverages, some of which also contained large amounts of caffeine, equivalent to six or seven cups of strong coffee.
Within one hour after the start of training, there was not much difference in the performance of the athletes. Four hours later, the situation changed: tests showed that athletes who drank caffeinated mixed drinks had more glycogen in their blood. The rate of glycogen formation in the muscles increased by 66%, and the levels of blood sugar and insulin also increased significantly.
Harvey and his colleagues first noticed that some enzymes become more active under the stimulation of caffeine. But some athletes also began to complain about the side effects of caffeine—their sleep was greatly disturbed during the trial period. Therefore, Australian scientists plan to further research: whether caffeine can maintain its regenerative effect after reducing the dosage?
In other experiments, there are signs that large doses of caffeine may inhibit muscle tension diseases. A research team from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, led by Jeffrey Miles, gave mice a caffeinated mixed drink weekly, with a concentration equivalent to 600 milligrams of strong coffee per liter. These rodents absorbed about 4 milliliters of caffeine daily and were thus spared from muscle tension diseases.
Linda Thompson, a member of the team, considers this an "exciting and unexpected discovery". It is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of human muscle tension diseases and immune system diseases. In any case, only further research can make the application of this result possible.
Thompson therefore suggests investigating the coffee consumption of patients with muscle tension diseases. If the reduction of symptoms is related to coffee consumption, further medical research will be put on the agenda.
Based on the current research findings, the special components of coffee have the following physiological effects on the human body:
1. Antioxidant effect. 2. Function of protecting the cardiovascular system. 3. Refreshing the mind. 4. Anti-depression. 5. Weight control. 6. Promoting digestion. 7. Diuretic. 8. Improving constipation. 9. Reducing the risk of colon or rectal cancer. 10. Pain relief. 11. Enhancing physical agility. 12. Reducing the chance of getting gallstones. 13. The tannic acid contained in coffee has astringent, hemostatic, and deodorant effects.
In addition, to enjoy coffee deliciously and healthily, the following points should be noted:
1. Drinking more than five cups of coffee (about 150cc per cup) a day can easily lead to addiction and endanger health.
2. You should eat breakfast before drinking coffee, otherwise it is easy to damage the gastrointestinal function. People with stomach and duodenal ulcers should especially avoid drinking coffee on an empty stomach.
3. It is not advisable to drink coffee after drinking alcohol, as it will further stimulate blood vessel dilation, speed up blood circulation, and increase the burden on the cardiovascular system.
4. Do not drink coffee that is too strong, otherwise it will make people irritable and weaken comprehension.
5. After drinking coffee, you cannot smoke immediately, otherwise it is easy to harm the heart.
6. Do not drink coffee while taking antibiotics and gastric ulcer medications, so as not to irritate the stomach and cause pain and discomfort.
7. It is best to add some creamer to coffee to reduce the stimulation to the stomach, but creamer and sugar both have calories, so intake must be controlled.
8. The best time to drink coffee every day is from 3 to 5 p.m. in spring and winter, and from 4 to 6 p.m. in summer and autumn, because this is the time when the human body is most tired.