The #1 Best Coffee Habit for Muscle Building, Says Dietitian
Coffee can do wonders for your morning routine. In fact, to some people, coffee is one of the main reasons they get out of bed in the morning. It energizes you, warms you up or cools you down, and it can even help you achieve some of your health goals.
When it comes to muscle building, Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD at Balance One Supplements, says there's one thing you can do to your morning coffee to help you see better results from your workouts. Her suggestion? Adding protein to your coffee!
"A relatively new trend in the health and wellness field is combining protein and coffee to get your day started," says Best. "This combination allows you to take in your morning coffee along with protein while cutting down on sugar and other nutrient-void ingredients."
How you can add protein to your morning coffee
If you're wanting to add some protein to your coffee, you can do a couple of different things. For one, you can add a scoop of protein powder to hot coffee, which can act almost like a powdered creamer.
You can also add some coffee to a ready-made protein shake that you buy at the store, or you can make your own protein smoothie at home and add some coffee to the recipe.
This way of drinking your coffee gives you a lot of creative freedom and plenty of opportunities for added flavor without too much added sugar.
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What are the benefits?
When you're trying to build more muscle from your workouts, having enough protein is crucial. That's why Best suggests adding some to your coffee if you need more.
"Getting your day started with protein can help fuel your muscles with amino acids for rebuilding, while also keeping you full for longer and less reliant on quick sources of calories," says Best. "Intentionally taking in protein first thing in the morning can lay a foundation for the rest of your day."
One study from The Journal of Nutrition found that supplementing protein was proven to be helpful in building more muscle after a workout. Combining this type of supplement with the caffeine kick you get from coffee may be an excellent way to start your day and your workouts.
The takeaway
Your morning cup of coffee can affect the rest of your day, so it's important to choose your ingredients wisely. If you're someone who is very active and wants to see more results of their muscle building, adding protein to your coffee routine may significantly help.
For more coffee tips, check out 5 Easy Coffee Recipes for Weight Loss.
