Perk up! Grab a cup of coffee with coconut oil (psst! — it’s much healthier than processed creamer) and you’ve got a sweet thing going for that morning workout. Not only does coffee with coconut oil give you an extraordinary energy boost, the heart benefits are terrific, too. Once you’ve got your move on, cool down with a tall glass of tomato juice and you’ll repair those muscles in no time. Down both of these super-drinks and your workout will step up to a new level.
First, let’s break it down to understand how these two drinks, coffee (with coconut oil) and tomato juice, elevate your workout routine.
Coffee improves workout performance
If you’re like us, you love coffee. Coffee improves your workout. According to the Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, caffeine not only increases endurance and speed in aerobic activity, it also increases endurance and power in resistance exercises. For a top tier workout, we recommend drinking high-quality, organic, fair-trade coffee for best results.
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Caffeine is well documented as a performance enhancer, but does the caffeine in coffee have the same effect as caffeine by itself?
The answer is yes. A study in the European Journal of Sport Science showed that the caffeine in coffee has the same beneficial effects on exercise as caffeine by itself. Most of us already know this intuitively — we have a cup of joe to get up and go every morning. But it’s good to know that science backs this up!
Coconut oil boosts energy levels
When we’re gearing up to work that body, coconut oil (think, healthy saturated fats) is a go-to energy booster. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs provide energy to the body.
A study in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology showed that short-term ingestion of a small amount of MCTs extends the duration of high-intensity exercise. The results also suggested that ingestion of MCT-containing food may suppress carbohydrate utilization for energy production because of the increased fatty acid utilization in generating energy. In other words, MCTs (remember, these medium-chain saturated fats are found in coconut oil) are used instead of carbs for energy, and this extends workout duration.
Let’s bring it together! Coffee enhances performance, coconut oil boosts energy — and you’re fueled and ready for a high-octane workout. We recommend an extra-virgin, organic, fair-trade coconut oil — it’s best for the body and Mother Earth.
An additional benefit: Perking up your coffee with coconut oil means you’ll be well on your way to a healthier heart. A 2015 study performed at the School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro showed extra-virgin coconut oil increased HDL cholesterol. High levels of HDL cholesterol protect us from heart disease. Let’s all be heart smart!
Click here to discover more reasons why coconut oil is the BEST healthy fat
Tomato juice speeds muscle recovery
A 2013 study showed that tomato juice lowers LDH/CPK levels — which is a good thing.
The study in Food and Chemical Toxicology of 15 anaerobically trained athletes with raised LDH/CPK levels showed that drinking tomato juice during and after a workout lowered these enzymes back to almost normal (this was significant). In contrast, the LDH/CPK levels of athletes in the study who drank carbohydrate energy drinks stayed elevated. This suggests that tomato juice improves muscle recovery after a workout and is more effective than energy drinks.
Tomato juice, like coconut oil, also provides a boost to heart health. Tomato juice contains lycopene, a natural antioxidant that protects against heart disease.
So, what are you waiting for? Today’s the day for that super workout! Gear it up with coffee and coconut oil and heal it up with tomato juice — you’ll be looking extra good in no time!
—Nikki Walsh
Nikki Walsh is a freelance writer and mom of two kids living in Southern California. She holds an MBA in marketing from University of California, Irvine and a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from UCSD. She has been practicing Kelee meditation for 19 years. When she is not writing she can be found out and about having fun with her kids.
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11897887
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26394649
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545671
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19436137
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512008964
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003503.htm
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003471.htm