Exercise with an espresso

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Drinking a cup of coffee before taking exercise can help you burn off fat, doctors said yesterday.

In tests, athletes were able to work out for up to 30 per cent longer after even a small dose of caffeine.

The stimulant triggers muscles to start using fat as an energy source, rather than carbohydrates, researchers found.

Normally this happens only after all carbohydrate stores have been depleted - which can take up to 90 minutes of continuous aerobic exertion.

The findings are good news for Britons, who consume 71million cups of coffee a day and spend £2billion a year on caffeinated drinks, including tea and cola.

Sports dietician Jane Griffin said: 'Because of this ability to burn fat more efficiently, when used in conjunction with regular aerobic exercise like running, swimming and cycling, it could help you to lose weight.'

The fat-metabolising effects were found during tests on cyclists at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Those who sipped cola or coffee while riding were able to keep pedalling longer and faster than water drinkers.

In the past, those taking exercise have been advised to steer clear of caffeine because of fears it has a diuretic effect that can contribute to dehydration. But experts now believe you would have to drink eight cups in one sitting for this to apply.

Ms Griffin said people should have no qualms about combining one or two cups of tea or coffee with exercise.

But she added: 'You have to be prepared to sweat for the benefits. No research has shown that coffee on its own does the trick.'

 

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