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WE SH IP TO ALGERI A VIE W D E TAILS

How To Optimize Caffeine Intake &

Timing For Fat Loss

Does caffeine really help your fat burning efforts, and if so,
when and how much should be taken? Fine tune your caffeine
intake and bolster your fat loss efforts.

You’re likely familiar with the popularity of the stimulant drug caffeine given most people
habitually use it in some capacity. Caffeine has been used for decades as an ergogenic
aid/performance-enhancing supplement due to its ability to “excite” the central nervous
system.  Naturally, the use of caffeine specifically for fat loss is a popular area of research
in the health/fitness industry.

Does caffeine really hold potential to enhance your fat burning efforts, and if so, when
should one take it to maximize their fat loss? Moreover, what is the proper dosage to take
in and what are the pros/cons to continual use of caffeine. These are all questions to be
examined in this article, so without further ado let’s move onto the next sections.
What is caffeine?
It’s pertinent to briefly cover the chemical nature of caffeine and what it actually is. The
chemical nomenclature for caffeine is “1,3,7-trimethylxanthine” (don’t worry if you’re not
a chem whiz, I’ll try and keep this in layman’s terms). Methylxanthines are alkaline,
organic (i.e. carbon-based) substances that stimulate the CNS and heart, and they are
naturally abundant in tea leaves, coffee beans, some fruits and other foods/plants.

Physiologically speaking, the ingestion of methylxanthines postpone the breakdown of

cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate
(cGMP) via inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzymes; thus caffeine is considered
a PDE inhibitor. Since cAMP and cGMP are crucial messengers in cell signal
transduction, the metabolic processes in the cell are sent into “overdrive” after the
ingestion of PDE inhibitors.

Does caffeine help fat loss efforts, and if so, how?

There is some speculation that caffeine may enhance fatty acid oxidation through
increases in catecholamines (such as adrenaline).[2] While research on caffeine’s
ergogenic effects in athletic performance is abundant, there remains to be conclusive
evidence that caffeine ingestion significantly alters substrate metabolism in muscles
during exercise.[1] That being said, there are other possible mechanisms for caffeine to
enhance fat loss, so we can’t write it off as useless just yet.

One of the proposed mechanisms for caffeine enhancing fat loss is through an increase
in 24-hour energy expenditure (via increased metabolic rate). Moreover, the thermic
effect of meals ingested with caffeine are more pronounced than meals ingested without
caffeine. [3]

Despite the relatively short half-life of caffeine, the duration of its effects may last for
several hours after ingestion. It appears that caffeine, when coingested with
carbohydrates, does enhance carbohydrate oxidation during endurance training, but this
likely mediated through enhanced intestinal absorption as opposed to increased
catecholamine levels.[4]

The most compelling evidence, in my opinion, for caffeine use enhancing fat loss is
actually through its effects on exercise performance. What I would argue, based on the
research, is that since caffeine has been shown to augment both aerobic and anaerobic
exercise, as well as lower the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), that the “extra” fat loss
achieved is a secondary effect due to the increased exercise output.[5,6] Essentially,
after taking caffeine, you generally have an increased athletic performance capacity, thus
you can work harder and longer than those who workout without caffeine use
beforehand; this in turn would likely increase caloric burn from exercise.

When should caffeine be taken for fat loss and at what dosage?
Most studies examining caffeine’s effect on athletic performance are carried out roughly
1-2 hours after ingestion caffeine. It’s impossible to give all-inclusive dose timings for
trainees since different individuals may metabolize caffeine at different rates.
Furthermore, caffeine absorption may be slowed with concomitant ingestion of nutrients.

As a starting point (and to assess your tolerance), try taking caffeine on an empty
stomach about an hour before training. If you prefer to take caffeine with a meal, give
yourself a bit more time before hitting the gym. If you find your performance in the gym is
indeed bolstered after caffeine ingestion, than there is little reason to alter your
approach. On the contrary, if you notice no change or a decrease in performance, you
will either want to adjust your dose and/or manipulate the dose timing.

Dosage wise, it is generally recommended to take 1-3mg per kg of bodyweight

(remember: 2.2lb=1kg).[7] If you’re a 180lb (~81kg) athlete, your dose range will land
around 80 to 240mg. Do not go too crazy with caffeine dosing since there isn’t much
extra benefit to superfluous amounts and it can in fact be lethal/toxic at high enough
doses (>5g). Be safe and methodical with caffeine; it is a drug, so treat it as such.

References:
1. Graham, T. E., Battram, D. S., Dela, F., El-Sohemy, A., & Thong, F. S. (2008). Does caffeine alter muscle
carbohydrate and fat metabolism during exercise?.Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 33(6), 1311-
1318.

2. Kobayashi-Hattori, K., Mogi, A., Matsumoto, Y., & Takita, T. (2005). Effect of caffeine on the body fat and lipid
metabolism of rats fed on a high-fat diet.Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 69(11), 2219-2223.

3. Acheson, K. J., Zahorska-Markiewicz, B., Pittet, P. H., Anantharaman, K., & Jequier, E. (1980). Caffeine and
coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. The
American journal of clinical nutrition, 33(5), 989-997.

4. Yeo, S. E., Jentjens, R. L., Wallis, G. A., & Jeukendrup, A. E. (2005). Caffeine increases exogenous
carbohydrate oxidation during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 99(3), 844-850.

5. Doherty, M., & Smith, P. M. (2005). Effects of caffeine ingestion on rating of perceived exertion during and
after exercise: a meta‐analysis. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 15(2), 69-78.

6. Doherty, M., Smith, P. M., Hughes, M. G., & Davison, R. R. (2004). Caffeine lowers perceptual response and
increases power output during high-intensity cycling. Journal of sports sciences, 22(7), 637-643.

7. Del Coso J, Salinero JJ, González-Millán C, Abián-Vicén J, Pérez-González B. Dose response effects of a
caffeine-containing energy drink on muscle performance: a repeated measures design. J Int Soc Sports Nutr.
2012 May 8;9(1):21. PubMed PMID: 22569090.

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About The Author

Elliot Reimers
Elliot is a raw powerlifter who enjoys researching the science behind how
the human body works. He has a BS in Biochemistry.
View all by Elliot Reimers »

2 Comments + Post Comment

Posted Tue, 10/29/2013 - 18:22 LIKE 33

JohnBee70
caffeine is a chemical compound. Water is a chemical compound. Water won't do anything
unless it causes a reaction in the body and is metabolized. Same as the stuff in water. There's
caffeine in the water, you get a buzz, that buzz makes you amp up your actions and you burn
fat, and work harder and build muscle, and get more supple connective tissues, and it's
beneficial. there are no shortcuts or magic pills for exercise or growth. It's all about activity.
Activity inside the body sometimes reflects outside the body (or superficially), some activities
of the mind are counter-productive like wanting an easier way to exercise, or live in a world that
worships forgiveness. they both lead to dishonest genuine failures. So, sweat your ass off,
clean off the equipment when you're done, don't spit on the floor at the gym (stupid pigs), and
do long workouts for real stamina. Tuff guys bounce, instead of break when they feel hard
impact (like some retard who prayed for forgiveness in the morning, then made an illegal U-
turn from the outside lane and pushed a motorcycle in the inside lane through a retaining wall
on the other side of the street.) . Maybe if he'd been drinking coffee, his brain would have
reacted to the bike that was behind and to the left of him ! There's thinking, and then there's
thinking. Reality defines the quality of thinking and decisions! (not forgiveness, not equality,
not religious freedoms [or the lies that they depend upon]. So think! Do something new! Carry
caffeine pills on long trips! One thing's for sure, if you don't snack yourself to death, you'll burn
off unwanted tissues , and coffee helps (so does black tea "black is beautiful !" ) ha,ha! Old
farts love to run off at the mouth ! Next?!!

REPLY
REPLY
 Posted Mon, 10/21/2013 - 03:11 LIKE 33
Nicolaos
very interesting.
So in closing, is it fair to say that there is little to no solid evidence suggesting caffeine burns
fat or expends calories directly, but rather indirectly through enabling and facilitating a higher
level of energy expenditure, much like a pre-workout?
The question that follows then (at least to my mind) is, are all caffeine sources created
equally?
Excluding pre-workout formulas (which as we know contain substances other than caffeine to
maximize on energy and endurance) is there a best conventional caffeine source to take? i.e
green tea V.S freeze dried coffee V.S filter coffee/espresso etc.
Would this depend solely upon the mg of caffeine associated with each source, or would
sources have different rates of absorption and therefore affect bio-availability?
Im a bit of a caffeine addict, sorry for the barrage of questions.

REPLY
REPLY

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