A study found caffeine can help people maintain their fitness plans and achieve their fitness goals. University of Kent's endurance expert Professor Samuele Marcora responded to research claiming that most people abandon their fitness-related New Year resolutions within the first six months. Interestingly, the current research could provide the much needed motivation.
Marcora, Kent's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences Director of Research, said that using caffeine, or psychoactive drugs such as modafinil and methylphenidate, can help people stick with their fitness plans and goals by lowering the perceived effort needed during exercise.
People often blame physical effort and lack of time for delaying exercise. As humans evolved, we developed the so-called inherent laziness as part of our effort to conserve energy.
The perceived effort linked to exercise and other physical activities is one of the top reasons why many people choose sedentary activities such as watching TV during their leisure time. Compared to walking, which requires little but still significant effort, watching TV requires zero effort. Naturally, more people would rather spend as little effort as they can during downtime.
Marcora believes that using psychoactive drugs or caffeine can coax people into making healthier choices due to the decrease in perceived effort needed. This idea stems from the fact that these substances boost energy and keep users awake. Caffeine can also increase physical activity as it is a stimulant.
Additionally, some drugs are capable of suppressing appetite. Thus, substance intake may reduce energy consumption, causing an individual to lose weight and reduce physcial inactivity. This technique is already happening, according to Marcora, as six out of seven FDA-approved drugs for obesity are appetite suppressants.
Currently, there is no strong ethical resistance towards the use of psychoactive drugs to help people suppress appetites or quit smoking. Still, the negative image of "doping" in sports remains a barrier against the use of stimulants to treat recurring sedentariness and physical inactivity, which is actually responsible for many obesity-related deaths. The research was published in the journal Sports Medicine's January issue.
In a separate study, Harvard researchers found that a regular coffee intake reduces the death risks from type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, neurological illnesses and suicide in a span of 30 years. The Harvard study discovered that drinking coffee regularly, even up to five cups daily, can decrease early disease-related death risks.
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