Coffee Reduces Post-Work Out Pain

Here’s something for you athletes or sports buffs out there: Drinking about 2 cups of coffee a day can reduce your post-workout muscle pain by up to almost half!

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 quadriceps (thigh) exercises, one designed to produce a maximal force, the other designed to generate a sub-maximal force. Those that consumed caffeine one-hour before the maximum force test had a 48 percent reduction in pain compared to the placebo group, while those that took caffeine before the sub-maximal test reported a 26 percent reduction in pain.

I wouldn’t try this especially prior to a work-out if you experience adverse reactions to caffeine, such as palpitations. However, if you are a coffee drinker anyway, it might be a good alternative to OTC pain killers. If it works, that’s one alibi less for not getting into an exercise regimen this year!