Cappuccino factor hits the gym

If your new year’s resolution of hitting the gym is starting to slip, then scientists have a tip to keep you on track. Make sure you have a steaming cup of coffee on stand-by for after your workout.

Forget aspirin, caffeine is the gym bunny's pain relief of choice

A new study from scientists in the US suggests that caffeine can help reduce the post-workout soreness that discourages some people from exercising – meaning that there is one less excuse to stop going to the gym.
Victor Maridakis, lead researcher in the study carried out at the University of Georgia, said the findings may be particularly relevant to people new to exercise, since they tend to experience the most soreness.
“If you can use caffeine to reduce the pain, it may make it easier to transition from that first week into a much longer exercise program,” he said.
Maridakis and his colleagues studied nine female college students who were not regular caffeine users and did not engage in regular resistance training. One and two days after an exercise session that caused moderate muscle soreness, the volunteers took either caffeine or a placebo and performed two different quadricep (thigh) exercises. Those that consumed caffeine one-hour before the test had a 48% reduction in pain compared to the placebo group.
Despite the positive findings in the study, the researchers say the results may not be applicable to regular caffeine users, since they may be less sensitive to its effect.
Professor Patrick O’Connor, of the department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, said: “A lot of times what people use for muscle pain is aspirin or ibuprofen, but caffeine seems to work better than those drugs, at least among women whose daily caffeine consumption is low.”
The researchers also point out that they chose to study women to get a definitive answer in at least one sex, but men may respond differently to caffeine.