A Coffee A Day Keeps Stubborn Fat Away

Coffee has been doing the rounds in health clinics and dieticians offices as the most talked about drink off late. Recently we learnt that almost upto 5 cups of coffee a day is perfectly fine for our body but a recent study says that even one cup a day can help you stick to fitness routines!

Perception of Effort

According to the researchers, diminishing perception of effort during workouts using caffeine (or other psychoactive drugs like methylphenidate and modafinil) could help people to stick to their fitness plans.

“Perception of effort is one of the main reasons why people find it difficult to stick to their fitness plans,” said professor Samuele Marcora, director of Research at University of Kent in the United Kingdom.

Leisure Lazing

Marcora also highlighted the fact that perceived effort or exertion is one of the main reasons why most people opt for sedentary activities (that involve minimal movement) for their leisure time.

Together with lack of time, physical exertion is one of the main perceived barriers to exercise, the researchers explained.

As compared to watching television, which involves next to zero effort (unless you’ve to fight for the remote), even moderate-intensity bodily activities like walking requires considerable effort, they added.

Pumping Up

Marcora recommended that the use of caffeine or other psychoactive drugs to reduce one’s perception of effort during exercise can make the healthy choice of moving those chubby bums off the couch easier.

He also affirmed that whilst there is no solid ethical opposition to the use of psychoactive drugs to help quit smoking (nicotine) or treat obesity (appetite suppressants), the negative picture of doping in sports might prevent the use of ‘tonics’ and other psychoactive drugs to treat physical inactivity, which is responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity.

Basically, a cup of coffee a day will make you feel like a charged up bunny ready to take on the world by storm by simply reducing your perception of hard work. Now go, chug a glass or two.