The world wakes up to caffeine but have you ever wondered how does it impact athletes? Caffeine is known to stimulate the central nervous system which reduces fatigue, it can have a positive impact on athletes’ performances by improving their endurance level. Caffeine is particularly good for power sports.
The most common and natural source of caffeine is coffee, but do you know which coffee is the perfect energy boost for soccer players?
Whether you are after a hit, a pleasing stimulant, an energy boost, or simply an excuse to socialize with your friends, coffee is the go-to drink for many soccer players.
Drinking coffee at the right time and right dosage has been shown to have some benefits for professional soccer players.
Though there is a huge variety of coffee available to select from, my best picks for athletes and soccer players are Strong Coffee Company Original, Strava Craft Coffee Restore, and Laird Superfood InstaFuel.
Continue reading to learn more about how coffee can help in improving an athlete’s performance and how long it should be taken before the game to attain the maximum benefit out of it.
Does Caffeine Help In Improving An Athlete’s Performance?
Caffeine is well known for enhancing the performance of athletes. Particularly, doses of 3 to 13 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) have been shown to improve athletes’ performance.
But how does caffeine do that? Caffeine’s stimulating effect on the central nervous system has been linked to lowering perceived exertion, reducing fatigue, and even lowering levels of perceived pain.
Caffeine is also known to improve mental sharpness and acuity, it helps in maintaining laser-like focus, and it can even improve some technical skills both during and after strenuous sports.
Moreover, caffeine is also believed to improve the body’s capability to use its fat as energy, which can effectively increase the time to exhaustion in endurance events.
You can watch the following video to know more about how coffee affects an athlete’s performance.
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How Soccer Players Can Use Coffee To Boost Their Performance
Drink coffee at the right time
If you play soccer regularly, you shouldn’t be drinking coffee every time you crave it, no matter how much you love it. Studies have revealed that regular coffee consumption can decrease your body’s sensitivity to caffeine, making it difficult for you to reap its performance-enhancing benefits when you need them the most.
Experts suggest cutting down your coffee consumption in the lead-up to a soccer match so that you can get the maximum boost when you take it on match day. To achieve the best results, consume coffee 30 – 60 minutes before your match.
Track your coffee intake
If you are consuming coffee to boost your performance in soccer, you can’t just drink cup after cup with no record for how much you consume. It is important to keep a close watch on precisely how much coffee you are drinking and the amount of caffeine that you are getting from each cup so that you may know how it affects your performance and make adjustments accordingly.
I think it’s better to avoid buying cups of coffee from coffee vendors as you might not know exactly what you will be getting in terms of caffeine content. It’s fascinating to know that even if you buy coffee from the same brand and the same vendor for six consecutive days, the amount of caffeine that you will get in each cup will not be the same every day.
The best way soccer players can monitor their coffee intake is by preparing their cups by themselves. There are various ways to explore coffee brewing at home that can make it easy for you to enjoy a perfect cup of coffee every time.
You can gift yourself a new coffee machine, or get a coffee scale that lets you weigh your beans so that you may get an exact measurement of your coffee every time.
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Which Coffee Is Best For Athletes?
Regardless of the brand, according to my research, the following are the best options available for athletes who are looking to attain a performance hit with their coffee:
- Espresso: No messing about, hardcore, a simple, sharp, and robust shot.
- Long black: The strength of the espresso is diluted to take the edge off for a longer drink.
- Cappucino or regular white coffee: if you want to get fancy with your coffee, ideally, you should swap the milk out for unsweetened almond milk.
I make a more specific and detailed article on this that you can read here if you’re interested.
Best Coffees For Soccer
Strong Coffee Company Original
Strong Coffee Company Original is a sugar-free instant latte, specially designed for athletes.
It carries a sweet flavor that has a hint of vanilla, beware the deliciousness might get you addicted to it. The best thing is that it contains collagen protein which helps athletes in recovering from injuries and is equally beneficial for their joint health.
Furthermore, this coffee contains MCT oil, which is a fatty acid that enhances endurance ideal for soccer players.
Strava Craft Coffee Restore
Strava Craft Coffee Restore is sourced from Colombia and consists of whole bean coffee. It is infused with 250 milligrams of CBD in every bag.
CBD helps in promoting homeostasis and overall mental and physical well-being by supporting the body’s endocannabinoid system. It’s an ideal way to complement your fitness routine.
This coffee also has a delicious flavor and provides a sense of calmness and reduces anxiety during important matches. Also, it lessens the discomfort from achy joints and muscles.
The CBD oil used in Strava is rich in vitamins B1 and B2 and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Laird Superfood InstaFuel
This coffee is prepared with Arabica beans with a perfect blend of Aquaman, coconut oil, and coconut milk to help reduce inflammation and improve bone density.
The taste of Original Superfood Creamer is of a creamy, smooth latte with a subtle addition of sweet coconut.
This coffee is an easy way to attain a ton of goodies, and it works!
The following table shows the price and features of each brand that I discussed above:
| Coffee | Best for | Price |
| Strong Coffee Company Original | Keto-Friendly and full of nutrients | $45 (12oz) |
| Strava Craft Coffee Restore | Full-spectrum hemp CBD oil | $35 (12oz) |
| Laird Superfood InstaFuel | Premium instant coffee with Original Superfood Creamer | $19.95 (8oz) |
How Long Before Playing Soccer Should You Have Coffee?
You should drink coffee around an hour before your soccer match.
Caffeine gets to its peak level after around 45 minutes of drinking coffee. Therefore, you should aim to have your cup of coffee 45 to 60 minutes before playing soccer.
If you are playing for a game that has several segments, then it is better to distribute your caffeine intake equally before each segment rather than gulping on a big pre-game jolt that can make you lose your focus.
The suggested amount of caffeine to enhance performance is about 3 to 13 mg per kg of body weight.
However, you should be aware of the amount of caffeine you consume because overconsumption can lead to:
- Jitters
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
It is very important to monitor your caffeine intake because too much of it can cause health issues with the digestive and nervous systems. As a soccer player, you will not want to risk the pitch.
To Sum It All Up
As a professional soccer player, you need to make sure that everything you consume works in favor of you and never against you.
Though coffee contains performance-enhancing powers, it can also have a negative effect on your performance if you don’t take it at the right time and right dose.
To obtain the best results, it’s always better to seek advice from your team doctor so that you know exactly when to take coffee and how much of it to boost your performance in the game.
If you’re looking for the best deals on great coffee, definitely check out Volcanica coffee where you’ll find a wide range of the highest quality coffee. (Affiliate link)
Other Articles
- Strongest Coffee at Starbucks (Caffeine Buzz!)
- Best Coffee For Exercise (Boost Up Your Workout!)
- Best Coffee For Cycling (Enhance Your Performance)
- Can You Put Collagen in Coffee? (A Detailed Answer)
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