Have you heard of protein coffee? Well, let me tell you about it. Protein coffee is a trend that is growing by leaps and bounds. Essentially, the term ‘protein coffee’ is used to reference coffee-rich protein powders that you mix with cold water to make smoothies. The chilled beverage is the preferred method of consumption simply because the protein powder mixes better in cold rather than hot liquids.
If you are already an active person, you will have a fairly good understanding of the role of protein powders in your daily workout. The idea behind adding protein into your system is that it will help you to grow more muscle without losing bulk and if you have ever taken a protein shake after a workout for muscle recovery, you’ll know what I mean.
The Health Benefits of Protein Coffee
So I’ve made it fairly clear that protein coffee is an important tool to help with your fitness. But I haven’t explained any of the benefits you can experience from drinking this cold beverage regularly. Here are the top benefits that are attributed to protein coffee.
1 – It Protects Your Body From Age-Related Muscle Loss
I have hinted at the connection between protein and muscle growth. Your body needs muscles to build strength, to increase performance as well as for losing weight. The greater your muscle mass, the stronger your body will be. A lot of muscle burns off a great number of calories.
The downside is that as we get older, our muscle mass tends to decrease. But according to HCW Magazine, you can slow that process down when you incorporate protein coffee into your diet along with exercise. The muscle mass will benefit from the protein while coffee will add an extra boost to your workout.
2 – It Improves Mental Alertness And Cognitive Function
You should already know that a jolt of caffeine will increase your alertness but when it is combined with protein powder you will also improve your memory. Why this is important is that with the improvement of your cognitive function, you will be better able to maintain workouts.
Oh, but there’s more. The stimulation you get from caffeine can combat depression and anxiety. The protein powder will reduce the symptoms of various neurodegenerative conditions ranging from dementia and Parkinson’s Disease to Alzheimer’s Disease.
3 – It Supports Weight Loss
Protein, when combined with coffee, has amazing weight loss properties. It can help you to drop unwanted extra pounds just by drinking a chilled glass of protein coffee because it will increase your metabolic rate which impacts the number of calories your body will burn.
Another way in which protein coffee assists with weight loss is that it works to curb your appetite which in turn will reduce your caloric intake. The third bonus to this mixture is that it will increase your stamina and performance when exercising or training. Interested in other coffee products? Check out this awesome gift guide for the coffee lovers out there.
4 – It Improves Stamina And Strength
I’ve already mentioned the stamina part but where it counts is if you drink protein coffee about half-an-hour to an hour before you hit the gym. That’s because it will give you an energy boost that will carry you through even the toughest of workout routines.
Also, the energy boost comes with an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure from caffeine. The short term effects of this ensure that your body is receiving an adequate supply of nutrients and oxygen it needs from the additional blood flow that results.
5 – It Assists With Post-Workout Recovery
Again, I have indicated that you could benefit from protein coffee aiding in your muscle recovery after an intense workout. What happens is that the caffeine – which is catabolic – assists with the breakdown of energy. Think about that for a moment.
Protein powders are used in training because they are anabolic. That means that they help rebuild lost energy. When combined in a protein coffee, the two opposing effects cancel each other out which makes muscle recovery possible after working out in the gym.
6 – It Enhances Heart Health
Consuming whey protein daily can reduce your cholesterol levels which are a contributing factor for heart attack, stroke and additional cardiovascular conditions. Conversely, coffee can assist small blood vessels in delivering an increased amount of nutrients to the nervous system.
So, when both protein and coffee are consumed together they work in concert to reduce blood pressure, increase blood circulation, reduce the death of heart cells as well as reducing the buildup of cholesterol. All of these contribute to improving your heart health.
7 – It Has Anti-Inflammatory And Antioxidant Properties
Coffee contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals as well as minerals and vitamins. Some protein powders also contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The antioxidants counteract the effects of free radicals that can damage cells in the body.
The damage caused by free radicals can result in inflammation. So what this means is that protein coffee can reduce swelling and boost your immune system by feeding it the antioxidants it needs to stimulate the immune system response to the free radicals cell damage.
8 – It Reduces The Risk of Developing Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a condition that can occur before chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and obesity. Protein coffee reduces the onset of metabolic syndrome and may even reverse the effects of it by increasing your body’s metabolism.
In Conclusion
Now that you know the 8 ways protein coffee helps with weight loss, there is one additional item I have not mentioned. That is, how it tastes. I’ve recently tried Complete Nutrition’s protein coffee and enjoyed the taste and how it made me feel. I have noticed an increase in energy.
I have also noticed that I’m not quite as hungry as the protein powder seems to fill me and keep me from getting hungry. That has contributed to my losing a few pounds. Think protein coffee is a fad? I don’t think so and suggest you give it a try to judge for yourself.
Author bio: This article comes from Julian Gnatenco, of JGBilling
