Dr Mosley says drinking coffee one hour before exercise to blast fat
When it comes to weight loss, many people turn to protein shakes and meal replacements, but Dr Michael Mosley has revealed one surprising drink that could help you shed those stubborn pounds.
According to the health guru, drinking coffee an hour before your gym session could increase the amount of fat you burn whilst working out. Speaking on his BBC podcast Just One Thing, the TV doctor said that the morning brew can “increase alertness, improve mood and even boost my morning workout”
He added: "Surprisingly, drinking coffee not only perks us up mentally but it's been shown to boost our performance in all sorts of other ways." The popular drink is commonly used for wiping away tiredness first thing in the morning, but it will also get your body working too.
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Dr Mosley said this includes “increasing the amount of fat you burn while doing exercise and improving endurance, so you can keep going for longer". The best time to get your coffee fix to achieve the fitness benefits is “about an hour before you exercise", revealed the doctor.
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The expert spoke to professor of metabolic physiology Dr James Betts, at the University of Bath, about the impact coffee has on exercise. He said: "We know that being physically active is just about one of the most important things you can do for your health. So, if having a coffee helps someone get the motivation to work out or go for a walk, I think we should focus on things that help with that."
Dr Michael Mosley spoke about the benefits of coffee on his podcast Just One Thing (Getty Images)Dr Mosley discussed the other health benefits of the tasty beverage, he said: "Coffee - as most people know - contains caffeine, which is a powerful stimulant produced by plants to help ward off insects. Coffee is also rich in polyphenols, which are anti-oxidants that have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect."
He said that coffee is believed to support heart health, citing a UK study of half-a-million people which found that having up to three cups of coffee a day was linked to better brain and heart health. The findings suggested that participants who consumed that amount had a lower risk of stroke, heart disease and dementia, as well as having healthier sized and better functioning hearts, compared to non-coffee drinkers.
“Coffee aficionados will also be delighted to hear that their favourite brew may even help burn calories,” Dr Mosley said. "A recent university study showed drinking coffee stimulated brown fat and one of the main functions of brown fat is to generate body heat by burning calories.
"Other recent research showed that women who drank up to two cups of coffee per day had less total body fat and abdominal fat than those who didn't drink any." You don’t have to fork out on expensive options to reap the benefits, as Dr Mosley explained that you can get the same advantages from instant coffee.
However, coffee has also been linked to increased blood pressure and disrupted sleep. The diet guru said: "For this reason, it's sensible to go easy on how much coffee you drink. Three to four cups of coffee a day might be the sweet spot for the most beneficial effects on your health."
According to fitness and nutrition coach Afton McKeith, people shouldn't opt for lots of caffeine before a workout. "Instead of coffee, I would recommend opting for green tea which contains a much smaller amount of caffeine than coffee," she said. "Green tea has the potential to break down fat during exercise and provides you with antioxidants which can help to reduce inflammation so that your chances of body injury diminish."
Gulping around five to six cups a day could leave you feeling some discomfort, as coffee can become a diuretic and leave you dehydrated.
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