The Benefits of Coffee
    In addition to the type and level of intensity of exercise, timing is also important. For the average person who sleeps at night, early morning is a unique time relative to the body’s metabolism and hormonal patterns. Typically, this is the only time of day when food hasn’t been consumed for 8 hours or more, allowing the body to activate hormonal responses that break down and release stored fat for energy.10 Also, receptors on the fat cell surface are primed to be stimulated by epinephrine (adrenaline).11,12 The lipolytic or fat-releasing effect of adrenaline (released during exercise to increase muscular contraction force, heart rate, etc.) can be increased by consuming strong coffee (no creamer or sugar) or a 100- to 200-milligram tablet of caffeine.13 It’s interesting to note that in addition to the quick pick-me-up coffee provides with its 100 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving, numerous health benefits have also been associated with coffee consumption. Individuals who consume three or more cups of coffee per day have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and are less likely to die young or suffer a heart attack or stroke.14-16 Coffee also has some anti-bacterial properties, protecting against salmonella, making it a wise addition to an omelet breakfast at any questionable restaurant.17
   
    Once a meal is consumed, insulin is released from the pancreas, essentially shutting down stored fat breakdown or release.18 Insulin acts at the fat cells to turn off enzymes that break down stored fat and turns on other enzymes that promote fat storage. Obviously, bodybuilders want to increase energy demand when the body is primed to use stored fat.

    Accepting the truth of that statement, moderate cardio before breakfast is best— how significant is the difference? Clearly, it would have to be fairly considerable to justify getting up an hour earlier and drudging through 45 minutes of treadmill work. This is the question answered by Drs. Bennard and Doucet of the University of Ottawa.3 Note that the treadmill session was ended after 400 calories were expended (approximately 40-45 minutes) to avoid local muscle fatigue, meaning the legs should remain ready for a workout later the same day.
   
    In a four-part experiment, healthy young men, who had been tested to determine how long and fast they would need to walk on a treadmill in order to expend 400 calories, performed four different exercise and meal routines on separate days in random order. The routines were: 1) exercise followed by a low glycemic meal; 2) exercise followed by a high glycemic meal; 3) a low glycemic meal followed by exercise; and 4) a high glycemic meal followed by exercise. All meals provided 400 calories; the low glycemic meal had a glycemic index of 48.3, the high glycemic meal had a glycemic index of 103.3. Glycemic index refers to how quickly sugars are released into the bloodstream, with a higher glycemic index representing an easily absorbed carbohydrate meal that quickly raises blood glucose (sugar) and insulin.19
   

The subjects’ total and relative fat burned for energy were calculated. From the results, the authors discovered some interesting and relative findings for bodybuilders.