How Soccer Players Can Use Coffee to Boost Their Performance

The issue of whether professional athletes should be allowed to drink coffee or not has been the subject of debate for many years. People in support of it claim that coffee is a part of normal food consumption, while those who are against it claim that caffeine, the active ingredient in coffee, is an addictive and unregulated performance enhancer that may be abused by some athletes. Both sides of the argument have pretty valid points, which is why you should be careful about your decision to drink coffee if you are or want to be a professional soccer player. But, drinking coffee has been shown to actually have some benefits for professional soccer players under the right circumstances. 

Drink coffee at the right time 

If you are a professional soccer player, you shouldn't be taking a cup of coffee every time you feel like it, no matter how much you love it. Studies have shown that habitual coffee intake decreases your body's sensitivity to caffeine making it hard for you to experience it's performance-enhancing benefits when you need it most. Experts recommend that you cut down your coffee intake in the lead up to a soccer match so that you are able to receive a boost when you take it on match day. For the best results, drink your coffee 30 - 60 minutes prior to your matches or training sessions. 

Track your coffee intake 

If you are taking coffee to boost soccer performance, you can't afford to be drinking cup after cup with no regard for how much you take. You need to keep a close eye on exactly how much coffee you take and the caffeine content in each cup so that you can know how it affects your performance and make adjustments if needed. As such, it's best to avoid buying cups of coffee from vendors as you don't know exactly what you will be getting in terms of caffeine content. Even if you buy from the same brand of coffee from the same vendor on six consecutive days, the caffeine content will not be the same every day.

The best way for soccer players to monitor their coffee intake is by making their own cups at home. There are various ways to explore coffee brewing at home that can make it easy to perfect your cup of joe each morning. Give yourself the gift of a new coffee machine, or purchase a coffee scale that allows you to weigh your beans in order to get an exact measurement time and time again. 

As a professional soccer player, it is up to you to make sure that everything you consume works for you and never against you. While coffee has performance-enhancing capabilities, it can also have a negative impact on your performance if you don't take it properly. For the best results, seek advice from your team doctor so that you know when to take coffee and how much of it to take to boost your performance.