Looking for a pre-workout energy boost that can also help jack up your natural testosterone levels? Well just reach for a cup of Joe before you hit the gym!
Bodybuilders and athletes have been know to use caffeine (i.e. caffeine pills, pre-workout energy drinks, coffee, etc.) prior to training to help increase mental focus, energy levels, and workout intensity. Basically it gives you a good swift kick in the arse before hitting the gym, we all need one of those from time to time.
But the caffeine is doing more than just increasing energy…
It is also increasing testosterone levels! New Zealand researchers have found that taking caffeine induced higher blood levels of testosterone during weight training.
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And of course we all know that higher levels of testosterone helps with muscle growth, recovery, reducing bodyfat, building strength, and increasing sex drive.
I always drink a cup of black coffee prior to my workouts for the energy boost, but now it appears that the caffeine may also be helping build more muscle mass due to increased testosterone levels. A nice added perk if you ask me! |
(Note: this study was published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition Exercise Metabolism 18: 131-141, 2008)
88 Comments
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samuel
Nice article Lee. Coffee works wonders.
Mike
Aimo Ruoho,
Guarana features large leaves and clusters of flowers, and is best known for its fruit, which is about the size of a coffee bean. As a dietary supplement, guarana is an effective stimulant:[1] it contains about twice the caffeine found in coffee beans (about 2–4.5% caffeine in guarana seeds compared to 1–2% for coffee beans).
Now for my words, it also is a stimulant and drug. So what are you on about?
Garry
Thanks for the info Lee.
The only bummer is, if I drink coffee too close to training, I get the jitters and BAD.
Coffee actually makes me feel worse either during training or just after training.
How long do you possibly advise to have the coffee just before my training?
If I have it an hour before hitting the iron, that’s when my problems start in the Gym
Thanks mate from Australia
Ben
Hey Lee
I’ve read that you shouldn’t take caffeine pre-workout if you are taking creatine.
What are your thoughts?
Lawrence
Caffeine decreases your body’s ability to process creatine. I don’t know the scientific explanation. I take my creatine an hour before hitting the gym (with glutamine) and drink coffee throughout the day/evening. The cancer fighting benefits of several cups of coffee per day has also been in the news lately.
Tim
Lee i’d just like to say I love that you give cited information. I’ve seen so many claims from “researchers” that it’s nice to know where your information comes from.
George
If you are to drink Coffee drink it with( Raw Stevia ) that will keep you from using plain old Sugar
Lee Hayward
Guarana is used in a lot of pre made fat burner combos. But when I’m taking caffeine myself I’ll usually just have coffee of a caffeine pill. I’ll usually have about 200-300 mg of caffeine before my workouts and this is plenty to give me a good “kick in the butt” 🙂
Lee Hayward
Everyone has different sensitivity levels to caffeine. You could just try taking smaller amounts and see if it helps. I personally have coffee / caffeine right before my workouts and it helps increase my energy and mental focus in the gym.
Lee Hayward
I cover this question at: https://www.leehayward.com/blog/creatine-supplement-information
Lee Hayward
Again, the whole caffeine / coffee and creatine question has been covered in detail at:
https://www.leehayward.com/blog/creatine-supplement-information
(Just scroll down the page, that question is towards the bottom.)
brian
I don’t like coffee but I have used some different pre workout drinks in the past. My favorite was Jack3d. I’m pretty sensitive to caffeine, so for me just 1 scoop did the trick and I only took it on training days which was 3-4 times per week. I had some great workouts and becuase I was training at 5:30 a.m. it felt like a necessity. The only problem is that after I ran out and stopped using it before training my workouts sucked for a couple of weeks. After a few weeks though my training intensity resumed without using the caffeine. I’m not against using the stuff in moderation but it does seem to be a bit addictive. I know guys who drink coffee in the morning and take 3 scoops of pre workout drinks and do that shit day in and day out for months on end so I would imagine that they are completely dependent on caffeine.
mark
yea i take a shop of 5hour engery befor my weight training sessions
Frank Zappa
Hey Lee i usually down 2 cans of Monster lo-carb energy drinks and i feel like im on cloud nine. but do you think i should go with just caffiene alone?
Neil
I’m with You Lee I always drink coffee and use Argentinian Liver Tabs as testosterone and everything hormone booster.
brad
http://www.ergo-log.com
great site for free info on how to increase testosterone, lower estrogen, supplements, hormones, anti aging, cancer prevention. you name it they cover it.
Chuck S
Ouhley,
Jeff Anderson suggests crushing a 200 mg caffeine tablet 1/2 hour before exercising. Or buying caffeine in powdered form.
leehayward
Well the caffeine pills will be a heck of a lot cheaper compared to the energy drinks. But both are effective.
leehayward
Honestly I don’t think “crushing” the pill makes any difference. Your body will break it down and absorb the caffeine pill as is, it may take an extra few minutes to digest, but so what, you’ll still get the same effects.
Potterdile
leehayward,
leehayward,
hmmmm, I take 500MG pre workout and 200MG during, perhaps this is too much, does have me buzzing for the rest of the morning, not advisable on an evening workout…
Suneet - SebastianFitnessSolutions.com
Thanks for the heads up Lee
Dennis
Thanks for this info lee
Marc X
Like you, I also had low levels of testosterone and LH. I recognise the symptoms of little body hair, low libido, and depression.
I have been getting replacement testosterone from a Testosterone Boosting supplement from the Dr. Max Powers brand of men’s products. For about 8 now. I have never tried the gel, but I know other people for whom it has been successful.
For me, these supplements helped my libido recover and my low T has never been as bad as it used to be. I can definitely recommend trying the Dr Max Powers Testosterone Boost. It might also be worth finding out why your hormone levels are low. I also had low levels of other hormones, because of a tumour on my pituitary gland.
TIM
Has anybody tried coffee bean extract and checked the results for increased testosterone??
Jim USMC
The way i learned about coffee is in this example.
Pretend you have never drunk coffee ever. On day 1, you have a cup of coffee. Your veins dialate slightly, your blood flow increases and you feel more alert mentally and physically quicker.
Roughly on days two thru six you repeat and drink one cup of coffee and experience the same effects.
Approximately on day seven, you have your one cup of coffee, but nothing happens. You are now a caffeine addict. You drink a second cup to get the effects of the very first cup you ever had. It’s not going to happen.
From day seven forward all your coffee consumption is only capable of making you feel like you used to feel before you ever drank coffee. Your new excessive coffee drinking benefits will now be jittery nerves, poor sleep
Does caffeine in coftee raise testosterone levels. Sounds reasonable. But as Lee is fond of saying from time to time, “Everything works, but nothing works forever.”
Compare this with the know fact that Squats can temporarily raise Testosterone levels. This leads one to push the analysis to the unproved concept, that a weightlifting workout will temporarily raise your testosterone level with or without the coffee.
gatez
Good post. However it is not recommended before activities/sports in which you sweat heavily and get dehydrated quick since caffeine is also a diuretic making you lose fluids.
paul
As someone with ADHD and into exercise I have been drinking coffee for many years now. It helps reduce the symptoms while still able to maintain a decent energy level.
andrzej
coffee does not have any affect on me besides it dehydrates you and thats impair your perfofmance
Darshan Weerasinge
Well all this talk of coffee leading to a heightened level of arousal begs the questions…whats the strongest coffee available. Look no further than Death Wish Coffee…google it! It has the doubloe the coffee of regular coffee which means double the kick!!
NYU Grad
You need to try the Dr Max Powers Stack. I’ve been stacking different types of supplements that promote the growth of GH and testosterone for quite some time, all legal and natural of course. The best combination I have had was when tribulus was in the mix. No doubt it plays a large role in elevating normal levels of testosterone into a zone where my strength and endurance increases on all levels. There is of course the bed room side effect that you’ll need to be prepared for…helps very much if you have a girlfriend!
If your reasons for wanting to raise test levels is for the gym or you just have extremely low leves to begin with, I would recommend looking into The Dr Max Powers Anabolic Stack, which puts together all of the natural boosters like DHEA, trib, DAA, longjack, and some others I cannot think of. I’ve combined many of these supplements in the past on my own, so I will reiterate that something like this would be for someone who is looking to build some serious muscle and is willing to deal with the side effects of more aggression and sexual tension. Sorry but thats what happens when test levels get too high, to me it’s worth, others not so much.
Quinn Cashatt
Nice article, will you please let me have your contact information, i need to share some information with you.
Hakan
And what about coffee after workout meal?
ong jack
It’s so easy for you people to make silly comments about such an important topic. Be serious please!
leehayward
Hakan,
Rather than having coffee / caffeine after a workout, you are better off having it before so you get an energy boost from it.
Travis
We dont all need a swift kick in the arse sometimes!!! I NEVER DO!!
Jon
People can make silly comments about this if they want
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Harold Simpson
Caffeine could be one of the helpful ways to increase the testosterone count in the body as per research. This is a good read to men who also want to exercise and increase their testosterone at the same time.
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