Soccer players run several miles and simultaneously carry out numerous activities which cause them to burn a huge amount of body fat and calories while playing soccer. The sport is a draining game that requires soccer players to be in sound health of mind and body.
Soccer players ought to cultivate the habit of adequate hydration and good eating habits if they desire to achieve good results both during the game season and off-season. A player’s performance determines the direction of their career.
Hydration is the act of making the human body absorb water for proper body function. All soccer players need to stay hydrated regularly and always rehydrate whenever they feel thirsty.
However, apart from water, is it OK for a soccer player to drink other forms of liquid? If the answer is yes, is coffee part of the other liquid that a soccer player can take?
The coffee drink is known all over the world. Most people do not see it as just a drink but as a culture or ritual.
Therefore, it is not surprising that more than half of the world’s population take coffee as their morning beverage of choice.
In the world today, coffee is one of the most popular beverages and one of the biggest foreign exchange earners for some countries.
While coffee can be drunk in virtually any gathering, you have to be careful about the quantity of your coffee consumption particularly if you are a soccer player.
Coffee is packed in with lots of benefits that are essential for human health, but it also poses some threats when abused. Since it is widely accepted and taken by most soccer lovers, they might be curious to know if soccer players can drink coffee before a soccer game.
In this article, we have given an intense clarification regarding coffee consumption and soccer players—whether they can drink coffee before a soccer game, its benefits, and also probable side effects.
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Can you drink coffee before a soccer game?
Coffee is a good hydrating drink for soccer players although they must be mindful of how much they ingest and when they ingest it. Coffee can only be taken an hour before a match or training session commences due to its immediate effects on the body.
According to legends, the discovery of coffee has its roots from when Kaldi, an Arab goat herder observed that his goats became alert and energetic after feeding on berries from a certain tree. This story unfolded in 15th century Ethiopia.
Kaldi further described his discovery to an abbot resident in a nearby monastery, a drink was made from the berries and when drunk, kept the abbot alert and energized throughout the long period of their evening prayer.
Coffee is a cherry-like berry (in its unrefined form) from a flowering shrub that comes to be red when it ripens and is sometimes referred to as beans due to its semblance to legumes.
Some time ago, to make a snack bar rich in protein, the coffee berry was mixed with animal fat, also wine-like mixtures were made from fermented coffee pulps.
A cup of coffee contains about 50 mg of caffeine which is a stimulant and also a drug frequently used around the world. It is regularly consumed to boost focus, increase wakefulness, and lessen weakness.
There has been some controversy on whether caffeine is healthy or not. While a moderate consumption gives a lot of benefits, a high amount causes adverse effects. In recent years, many people add caffeine to drinks that do not contain it which is bad and poses a health risk.
Coffee is also slightly acidic. Therefore, soccer players are normally advised to stay off coffee as much as possible, preferably an hour before a soccer game because its acidic content can cause stomach cramps and the caffeine can cause headaches.
When consumed a few hours before a soccer game, the stimulating, and energy-enhancing effect of caffeine found in coffee can be good for soccer players. It usually gives them the energy they need and also helps them stay focused, jump higher, and run faster during a game.
Is coffee good before sport?
Over the years, coffee has been massively embraced by many and the best part is that it is not only enjoyed in homes alone but also in offices and public coffee houses. But is it okay to take coffee before engaging in sports?
The high caffeine content in coffee, unlike most supplements, affects a good number of cells in the human body such as the fat cells, cells in the central nervous system, and those in the muscles. With its numerous benefits, coffee is certified as a good drink to take before engaging in sports.
Some of the numerous benefits of drinking coffee include:
- Improves focus while activating the nervous system
- It also increases energy and lessens fatigue
- The adrenaline which is in charge of flight and fight actions becomes more active
- There is an increase in heat production. This helps to burn more calories due to a rise in body temperature
- Jumping, throwing, and sprinting actions are improved
- Coffee increases the ability of the body to adequately break down fats
- Fats are used as body fuel thereby sparing glycogen
When coffee is taken with carbohydrates, there is an increase in the number of sprints, enhanced accuracy in shooting, and high overall performance during sporting activities. Sportspeople are more energetic with increased endurance and dexterity when they take coffee.
Research shows that coffee helps in enhancing a player’s performance for shorter events, but the addition of carbohydrates improves a player’s performance for a longer period. Soccer players and other sportsmen are advised to drink carbohydrate caffeine drinks for optimum performance.
How long before a game should you drink caffeine?
Although coffee is a hydrating drink legally approved for soccer players’ intake, it should be taken not less than an hour before a game commences. This is because the caffeine content in coffee gets to its peak level at about 30-60 minutes after consumption and stays high for about 3-4 hours before gradually diminishing.
If a soccer player takes too much coffee before a soccer game, he or she is likely to experience heart palpitation, jitters, anxiety, and also irritability.
A soccer player should know when to drink coffee, they should not always drink coffee anytime they feel like it as it gradually becomes too difficult to experience its effects due to a decrease in the body’s sensitivity to the caffeine in coffee.
Nutritionists and experts often advise soccer players to cut down on too much intake of coffee so that they can reach the peak of their soccer career. For soccer players to track their coffee intake, they can acquire a coffee scale to aid them in weighing a recommended daily amount.
Coffee comes with many benefits but it has possible dangerous side effects when consumed in a high dosage, some of its known risks include:
- A rise in blood sugar
- Gout attack
- Bladder problems
- Reduce fertility
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Dysphoria
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Restlessness
- Saggy eye bags
Notably, coffee can cause fatal harm or instant death when you drink 80-100 cups which is approximately 23 liters in a short period. Only about 10-13 grams of coffee in your body system can cause multiple organ failures.
Conclusion
Coffee consumption comes with a lot of benefits like promoting a healthy liver, digestive tract, and also extending one’s life when taken in a moderate amount. It can only have adverse effects on the human body when abused just like every other thing does.
When a soccer player takes over 400mg of caffeine which is about 4-5 cups of coffee, it causes some adverse effects which might reduce average performance. Therefore, soccer players must be mindful of their coffee intake and also the best time of the day to take them.
Hi there, I’m Jay.
Soccer is everything in my life! My friends and I have created this blog with all our enthusiasm, passion, and understanding after years of playing pro soccer. Hope you will enjoy it!