Coffee For Fat Loss And Energy
Coffea Arabica | Coffea Canephora
Arabica | Canephora
The World's Second Most Popular Beverage (Water Being The First)
Humanity's favorite caffeinated substance doesn’t require much of an introduction, so unlike the other performance enhancing fat burners listed on this website, we'll skip the usual intro and instead give you some interesting facts about coffee. Some you will likely know already but others might surprise you.
- There are over 120 species of Coffea that are grown from seed. The two most well-known are Coffea arabica (commonly known simply as “Arabica”), which accounts for 60–80% of the world’s coffee production, and Coffea canephora (known as “Robusta”), which accounts for about 20–40%. (1)
- In terms of caffeine content in a given ounce, espresso contains about 40 milligrams per ounce while a brewed cup of coffee has about 10 milligrams per ounce. (2)
- The top 3 countries that produce the most coffee in the world are Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia. (3)
- While the tropical climate countries dominate production, it is the much cooler climate countries that dominate consumption. The top 3 countries with the highest coffee consumption (per capita) in the world are Finland, Norway and Iceland. (4)
- The world's most expensive - and most bootlegged - coffee comes from Indonesia and it is called Kopi Luwak. What makes it special is the unique process that the coffee berries and beans go through before they are brewed. In short, a type of cat native to Indonesia eats the coffee berries. As they pass through the animal's digestive system the beans remain intact. The poop is later collected and the beans are removed for further processing and eventually for brewing into coffee. Due to the delicious flavor and limited supply, an entire industry of both fake Kopi Luwak and cruelly-produced Kopi Luwak have sprung up to cash in on the demand. (5)
- Around 95% of coffee berries contain 2 side-by-side coffee beans inside. Coffee berries with only one bean in the center are called peaberries and are thought to be sweeter and more flavorful. As a result, they also fetch a higher price tag on the market. (6)
The Unique Nutritional Profile Of Coffee
The main compounds found in brewed coffee include varying degrees of caffeine, chlorogenic acids, melanoidins, cafestol, kahweol. The exact amounts depend on the beans, the quantity brewed and the method of brewing. (7) Robusta beans have twice as much caffeine on average compared to an equal amount of the much more commonly used Arabica beans. A roasted Arabica bean contains about six milligrams of caffeine, while a roasted Robusta bean has about 10 milligrams of caffeine. (8)
Can Coffee Help You Exercise?
The key ingredient in coffee is one that is known to everyone who drinks it and that is of course caffeine. Caffeine is both a mental and physical stimulant. Research has shown that caffeine has the ability to positively assist physical performance during both endurance and high-intensity exercise. Caffeine has demonstrated that improvements in time-trial performance can be achieved during aerobic exercise (running, swimming, rowing) and that caffeine can assist during anaerobic exercise (lifting weights, sprinting) as well. (9)
Can Coffee Help You Lose Weight?
Besides being a stimulant, the caffeine in coffee also works well as a fat burner for several reasons.
First, it has been shown to increase the body’s resting metabolic rate (i.e. – your metabolism). (11) (12)
Second, it stimulates an increase in lipolysis. In simple, non-scientific terms, lipolysis is a process where stored fat is broken down into useable energy. As you can imagine, if you consume something that stimulates this process before a workout, then you increase your body’s ability to burn more fat during exercise. (13)
Avoid This Coffee Mistake If You're Trying To Lose Weight
While coffee can be an excellent way to power your way through a workout and burn more fat in the process, you have to be careful with the variety that you’re consuming.
Espresso shots, straight black coffee or black coffee with a natural, non-sugar sweetener like monk fruit extract or stevia will give you the edge without the added calories.
However, if you opt for a latte with the works, you’ll likely be doing yourself more harm than good. Almost any conventional additive to coffee will result in more sugar, fat and calories being put in your system – which defeats the whole purpose of drinking it for energy and fat burning purposes. If you can’t stomach the taste of the pure stuff and monk fruit and / or stevia just aren’t enough for you to make it palatable, then opt for one of the other choices on the long list of fat burning performance enhancers.
Also, if taste is an important factor for you, then definitely stick with pure Arabica beans because while Robusta is higher in caffeine, it’s also more bitter and generally less pleasant as a beverage unless you mask it with the creamers and sugars we just said to avoid.
Some Of Our Favorite Coffee Picks
The coffees below are all high quality and offer unique tasting profiles. After all, who says you can’t enjoy sipping your pre-workout beverage before you go hard?
Our Favorite Coffees To Help Energize Your Workouts And Burn Fat
One instant coffee for when you’re in a hurry, another medium roast ground coffee, and finally a whole bean dark roast for the connoisseurs.
Instant Coffee For
Pre-Workout
Mount Hagen, Organic Fairtrade Coffee, Instant, 3.53 oz (100 g)
Freeze Dried
Fair Trade
USDA Organic
Great For When You're In A Hurry
Fuel Your Workout
Medium Roast Coffee For Pre-Workout
Mt. Whitney Coffee Roasters, Organic Ethiopia Guji, Medium Roast, Ground Coffee, 12 oz (340 g)
Naturally Occurring Caffeine
100% High Altitude Arabica Coffee
USDA Organic
Excellent Energy Booster
Dark Roast Coffee For Pre-Workout
Cafe Altura, Organic Coffee, Colombia, Dark Roast, Whole Bean, 10 oz (283 g)
Rain Washed, Sun Dried, Fire Roasted
USDA Organic
Great Source Of Caffeine
Potent Pre-Workout
Our Favorite Coffees To Help
Energize Your Workouts And Burn Fat
The 1st - a solid instant coffee
The 2nd - a medium roast ground
The 3rd - a dark roast whole bean
Instant Coffee For
Pre-Workout
Mount Hagen, Organic Fairtrade Coffee, Instant, 3.53 oz (100 g)
Freeze Dried
Fair Trade Coffee
USDA Organic
Great For When You're In A Hurry
Medium Roast Coffee For Pre-Workout
Mt. Whitney Coffee Roasters, Organic Ethiopia Guji, Medium Roast, Ground Coffee, 12 oz (340 g)
Naturally Occurring Caffeine
100% High Altitude Arabica Coffee
USDA Organic
Excellent Energy Booster
Dark Roast Coffee For
Pre-Workout
Cafe Altura, Organic Coffee, Colombia, Dark Roast, Whole Bean, 10 oz (283 g)
Rain Washed, Sun Dried, Fire Roasted
USDA Organic
Great Source Of Caffeine
Potent Pre-Workout
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This does not increase the price for you but it helps us to run this site and provide you with what is hopefully useful information.
Coffee is a tried and true beverage that can help you workout longer with a greater degree of intensity while simultaneously boosting your metabolic rate. As long as you’re not sensitive to caffeine, don’t mind the taste of pure coffee, and you’re mindful of how much you’re consuming per day, then it’s a solid performance enhancing fat burner.
Yerba Mate
Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) or Mate for short, is a popular tea alternative with a long drinking history in the South American country of Paraguay.
Cordyceps
Wild grown, high altitude Cordyceps runs for about $50,000 for one kilogram, or about $10 for one single piece. Don't worry, you can get it for much less.
Green Tea
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the world’s most popular beverages. It not only has lots of health benefits, but it's also an excellent fat burner.
Guarana
Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a fruit, although the word is interchangeably used to refer to its seeds and to soft drinks where it is the active ingredient.
Guayusa
Guayusa (Ilex guayusa) is in the same family as Yerba Mate and it's been used by humans for at least 1,500 years according to archeological evidence.
Yohimbine
Pausinystalia yohimbe, is one of several different plant species in the pausinystalia family that contain yohimbine, a potent fat burner.
Fat Burn Fitness has provided this material for your information. It is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider(s). We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. The mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by Fat Burn Fitness.