Who Knew George Clooney Could Improve Your Running Form

When it comes to health and wellness, coffee consumption has always been up for debate. 

On the one hand, there are those who sing the praises of our favourite hot beverage linking it to lower rates of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and even diabetes.  On the other hand, there are those who call for an all out detox and suggest we quit coffee altogether (how dare they). 

Somewhere in the middle are health experts who simply want us to find a happy medium, with a recommended 1-2 cups a day. 

So what does this mean for runners? The good news, it's not time to put away the Nespresso machine just yet.  

A number of studies have found coffee consumption before physical activity in fact aids in performance, helping athletes go farther and faster. That little black liquid gold is found to benefit both endurance runners and sprinters. 

But like all good things in life, it comes down to timing. It is believed that the best time to have a coffee is an hour before your race. It is also suggested that three to six milligrams of coffee per kilogram of body weight is required to see benefits in your performance. Anything more and you risk the negative side effects to too much coffee such as anxiety and dizziness.  

 So runners, bottoms up – and don’t forget to hydrate!