At Goriffee, we are not only roasters and lovers of tasty beans. We are first and foremost a community of people who love to move. Many of us play active sports, run or spend our weekends in the saddle of a bicycle at the climbs in the Little Carpathians. That’s why we know that coffee and sport go together as naturally as espresso goes with a good morning.

Caffeine is probably the most researched legal performance enhancing substance in the world. If you know how to use it properly, it can be your secret engine – whether you’re training for a marathon in Bratislava or an intense workout at your local gym. In this article, we’ll take a look at how Specialty coffee affects your body during exercise and how to get the most out of it.

How caffeine actually works in the body

The underlying mechanism of caffeine is its ability to block adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a substance that builds up in the body during the day and causes a feeling of fatigue. When caffeine occupies these receptors, the brain does not receive the signal that it is exhausted.

For the athlete this means several advantages:

• Reduction in perceived effort: a workout that would normally hurt suddenly seems a little more bearable.
• Improved neuromuscular transmission: caffeine helps muscles activate more efficiently.
• Increased fat oxidation: caffeine stimulates the release of free fatty acids into the blood, which the body uses as fuel, thus saving precious muscle glycogen.

Benefits for endurance athletes and cyclists

Cycling is linked to the world of coffee both historically and practically. We at Goriffee see on our rides around Bratislava that caffeine can increase the time to exhaustion by 10 to 20%. On long journeys, where every reserve of energy is crucial, a well-timed espresso is key.

In addition to endurance, caffeine also improves cognitive function. When you’re tired after three hours in the saddle, your attention drops. Quality freshly roasted coffee will give you back the focus you need for riding technique and road safety.

Strength and explosiveness

Although caffeine has long been associated mainly with endurance, modern studies confirm its benefits in strength sports as well. It aids in maximal performance per repetition and increases muscular endurance during high repetition sets. If you are going for heavy squats, double shot espresso from our roastery may be more effective than most commercial pre-workouts full of artificial sweeteners.

Why grain quality matters

Many athletes make the mistake of reaching for any coffee. But at Goriffee, we make sure it’s specialty coffee. Why is this important to the athlete?

1. No moulds and blemishes: cheap commercial coffee often contains beans high in mycotoxins that can irritate the stomach. When playing sports, digestive comfort is a priority.
2. Consistent caffeine content: With specialty coffee, you know exactly what you’re drinking. The lighter roast we use often preserves a more complex profile of substances that work in synergy with caffeine.
3. Taste without sugar: Specialty coffee tastes great on its own. You don’t need to add sugar or milk to it, which are empty calories that can cause an insulin swing before exercise.

You can read more about how the processing of the grain affects the resulting taste and characteristics of the drink on our coffee blog.

Timing and dosage: how to do it

In order for coffee to work as a stimulant and not as a brake, a few rules must be followed:

• Gold watch: Caffeine levels in the blood peak approximately 45 to 60 minutes after consumption. Plan your cup so that you reach this peak at the moment of the hardest part of your workout.
• Amount: the recommended dose for performance enhancement is 3 – 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. For the average athlete, this equates to one to two strong espressos.
• Hydration: the myth that coffee dehydrates has long been debunked. When consumed regularly, the body builds up a tolerance and the diuretic effect is minimal. Nevertheless, water should remain your main source of fluids.

Coffee as ritual and community

Sport is not just about numbers and performance, it’s about community. Just as we at Goriffee meet for cuppings at our Bratislava headquarters, athletes meet for “coffee trails” during their rides. It’s a moment of regeneration, socialization and mental reboot.

If you’re looking for a way to push your boundaries, start with what you drink. A quality specialty coffee prepared with love and expertise will not only give you energy, but also a clean taste that will kick you up to the next mile.

Myths about drinking coffee during sports

There are a lot of half-truths surrounding caffeine. Let’s take a look at the ones we encounter most often at Goriffee.

1. Coffee causes dehydration of the body This is probably the biggest myth. Although caffeine has a mild diuretic effect, people who drink coffee regularly develop a tolerance to it. The liquid you take in a cup of coffee counts towards your overall drinking regime. During sports, coffee does not cause fluid imbalances, as long as you remember to drink plain water as well.

2. The more coffee you drink, the better your performance In this case, more is not better. There is a so-called tipping point. Too high a dose of caffeine can lead to tremors, heart palpitations, anxiety or stomach problems, making your performance worse rather than better. The ideal dose is individual, but moderation is key.

3. Espresso has more caffeine than filter coffee When it comes to concentration per millilitre, espresso leads the way. However, when it comes to sports, we are interested in the total volume of caffeine ingested. A cup of filtered coffee has a larger volume and longer extraction time, which often means that it ultimately contains more caffeine than one small espresso.

4. Drinking coffee before a workout puts a strain on the heart In healthy individuals, caffeine slightly increases heart rate and blood pressure, which is a natural phenomenon in sports. Studies even suggest that regular consumption of high-quality coffee may have cardioprotective effects in the long term. However, if you have heart problems, consult a doctor first.

5. Coffee before exercise causes indigestion This myth is individual. While for someone coffee helps kick-start metabolism, for another it can cause discomfort. The solution is often to switch to Specialty coffee that is free of defective beans and mold, which are the main culprits of an upset stomach when drinking commercial coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Can I drink coffee before a cardio workout on an empty stomach? Yes, drinking coffee on an empty stomach before a morning cardio workout can promote fat oxidation. Caffeine mobilizes fatty acids, which the body then uses as an energy source. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, we recommend supplementing coffee with at least a small bite of food.

Does milk in coffee reduce the effects of caffeine? Milk can slightly slow the absorption of caffeine in the blood, leading to a slower onset of energy. However, the stimulant effect itself is not lost. If you’re looking for a quick ‘kick’, choose a pure black espresso or filter.

How long before sport should I drink coffee? The ideal time is 45 – 60 minutes before the start of physical activity. This is the time for the caffeine level in the blood to reach its maximum. If you have a very long exercise to do (for example, a full day of cycling), you can continuously replenish the coffee in smaller doses.

Should I have coffee after my workout? The combination of caffeine and carbohydrates after exercise can speed up muscle glycogen replenishment. This means that a coffee with a good dessert after a long run is not only a reward, but also an effective way to kick-start recovery.

Can the body get used to caffeine and stop reacting to it? Yes, with regular drinking, tolerance builds up. If you feel that coffee is no longer having the right effect, try cutting out caffeine completely or cutting back significantly for 7-10 days. Your receptors will “reset” and you’ll feel the full power of your favourite cup again when you return.

Coffee as fuel for your progress

At Goriffee, we believe that sport and Specialty coffee are about finding quality in every detail. The next time you’re packing your workout gear, don’t forget your favourite beans. Your body will thank you the next time you climb.

External expert resources for deeper study

For those who want to delve into the scientific facts about the effects of caffeine on the human body, we recommend the following expert materials:

PubMed Central (NCBI): Meta-analysis of caffeine’s effects on exercise – Analysis of dozens of studies confirming positive effects on strength and endurance.

International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN): Position stand: caffeine and exercise performance – A comprehensive scientific review on the dosage and effects of caffeine.

Journal of Applied Physiology: studies focusing on glycogen and muscle recovery after exercise in combination with caffeine.