Do Boxers Drink Coffee

Do Boxers Drink Coffee

We all do like to drink coffee, so why would it be any different for boxers? But, is coffee bad for boxing fighters, and are they allowed to drink it before the competition, those are some of the questions we will give you an answer in this article.

Boxers do drink coffee, and it even helps them during their trainings, and competition matches.

So let us tell you more about it below.

Do Boxers Drink Coffee? 

Don’t we all love a cup of coffee to boost our energy levels? For most boxers, like it is with a majority of the athletes, the caffeine in a cup of coffee comes in handy to improve their mental and physical performance. 

Caffeine ranks as one of the world’s most consumed drugs. It occurs naturally in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate. It is the caffeine in the cup of coffee that does the magic trick. Even for boxers!

The effect of coffee on your mental and physical aspects is linked to the direct effect of caffeine on your brain. It makes you perceive doing your exercise or involving activities to be easier. With the perception comes the ability to maintain a high level of intensity for longer periods of time. 

If you are struggling to drag your feet to your boxing class, grab a cup of coffee! The caffeine levels will prodigiously boost your productivity output.

Is Coffee Bad For Boxers?

Coffee has some adverse effects on boxers, but if consumed moderately, it can help them a lot more.

Advantages

Your performance as a boxer can be effectively enhanced by drinking a cup of coffee daily. For optimum results, you need a caffeine dosage of 2-4 mg/kg body mass. If you weigh 165 lb, you need to take 150-300mg.

Caffeine can be contained in various elements. It could be obtained in drinks, sports gels, supplements, capsules and energy drinks. Since all these alternatives have caffeine as an additive, they require many precautions. 

Handling coffee as a source of caffeine for you as a boxer is a more natural endeavour. The measures and risks involved are relatively low. It is what makes coffee good for boxers.  

As an athlete, you should choose a safe preferred source of caffeine. You also need to take it during your rehearsals to see if it yields the desired results. Your intake of caffeine should remain consistent prior to your competition. 

Is it 30-45 minutes before your training or contest? It’s time to drink your coffee. Achieving the best performance benefits requires taking caffeine at the right time. Time your coffee time 30-45 minutes before you desired time to experience the best mental performance benefit. 

The effect of coffee on your training and performance is dependant on your dosage and personal tolerance levels. The effects of caffeine typically last between five to six hours after intake. This period is sustained without energy-draining hard boxing workout. All the same, the boost should last throughout your entire session. 

The effect caffeine has on your central nervous system is responsible for giving you a winning oomph. It gives you the ability to push harder especially in activities happening over a short duration of time. It also significantly bunts your perception of pain. 

A cup of coffee will go a long way in reducing your muscle fatigue and the lactic acid building up in your system. The caffeine in your cup of coffee will reduce the consumption of glycogen by your muscles. It is the energy stored and used up during physical exercise that needs to be reserved.

The levels of glycogen available in your muscles are limited. Fatigue comes knocking when the amount of glycogen is exhausted. What your coffee does is provide enough caffeine to stop this from happening.

Caffeine assists your body to tap in its fat reserve energy. The glycogen levels are therefore protected and reserved. This process that serves to delay muscle fatigue is known as glycogen sparing.

Your coffee does more than you think. It prevents the levels of lactic acid from building up, which happens as the levels of glycogen get depleted. The effect of depleted glycogen in your muscles and the resulting increased levels of lactic acid are tremendous. It is what causes the burning sensation you experience in your muscles during and after a workout.

As you can see, there are many benefits from drinking the coffee, but, you have to be careful because there can also be some adverse effects on boxers if you are drinking it more then you should.

Disadvantages

Some of the adverse effects that could result in excessive coffee intake include restlessness, excitability, and some dizziness. It could also bring in some level of anxiety and irritability. At the initial stages, coffee consumption could cause dehydration and the need to pass urine frequently. It is the last thing you need during your training or your contest!

You need to ensure that your coffee intake does not exceed 400mg of caffeine each day. It means the highest number of cups of coffee you take in any given day should not exceed 4 cups.

Strive to establish a routine for your coffee intake. A pre-established system will do your boxing great good before your next big match! Start with a cup or two before physical engagement. Ensure your timing and observe if it yields the expected results. If not, make a few adjustments and see what best works for you.

Please be on the lookout. Coffee can be addictive. Should you realize you are developing a dependency, you need to wake up and smell the coffee!

Keep tabs on the amount of caffeine your body is obtaining from foods and other beverages like energy drinks. Cut back gradually. Avoid a wide variety of caffeinated drinks as you establish and maintain your coffee drinking pattern.

Coffe has a two-sided story. It can help you remain alert and active during boxing. However, it also poses its share of physiological effects on a boxer when introduced into the body. Taking it without a proper plan in place could be hazardous to your health and performance.

Be honest with yourself. Watch your actual intake. Develop a consistent plan and stick to it. A cup of coffee may be all you need to enjoy every moment of your boxing session.

Is Coffee Legal For Boxers? 

Being a drug, caffeine has its highs, lows and addiction risks. However, drinking coffee is not illegal for boxers. It is generally acceptable and embraced by most athletes. 

At the Olympics, caffeine was one of the forbidden substances. You only needed your blood-level to show an equivalent of 8 cups of coffee and you would be banned from the games as an athlete. Currently, caffeine for athletes is no longer banned. 

Taking coffee is permissible for you as an athlete. But like every other drug, caffeine needs moderation.  Watch out not to develop a dependency. It could result in serious problems in your sleep patterns and on your post-workout recovery.

Stefano Secci, French Savate Boxing, and Martial Arts champion
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Stefano Secci

Stefano Secci was born on the outskirts of Genoa. He began practicing sports at 11 by enrolling in a Ju-Jitsu class; from there, I have not stopped playing sports until today. At 16, he switched to French Savate Boxing, which I married and has remained my first and only true love. Our testing and reviewing method.
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