A new study has revealed that caffeine can help reduce the post-workout soreness that discourages some people from exercising.
A team of Georgia researchers found that moderate doses of caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee, reduced post workout pain by up to 48 percent.
Lead author Victor Maridakis, a researcher in the department of kinesiology at the UGA College of Education, said the results may be chiefly significant to people new to exercise, since they tend to experience the most soreness.
"If you can use caffeine to reduce the pain, it may make it easier to transition from that first week into a much longer exercise program," he said.
Caffeine has long been known to increase alertness and endurance, and a 2003 study led by UGA professor Patrick O'Connor found that caffeine reduces thigh pain during moderate-intensity cycling.
O'Connor, who along with professors Kevin McCully and the late Gary Dudley co-authored the current study, explained that caffeine likely works by blocking the body's receptors for adenosine, a chemical released in response to inflammation.
Despite the positive findings in the study, the researchers say there are some caveats. First, the results may not be applicable to regular caffeine users, since they may be less sensitive to caffeine's effect.
O'Connor said that despite these limitations, caffeine appears to be more effective in relieving post-workout muscle pain than several commonly used drugs.
"A lot of times what people use for muscle pain is aspirin or ibuprofen, but caffeine seems to work better than those drugs, at least among women whose daily caffeine consumption is low," he added..
Still, the researchers recommend that people use caution when using caffeine before a workout. For some people, too much caffeine can produce side effects such as jitteriness, heart palpitations and sleep disturbances.
"It can reduce pain, but you have to apply some common sense and not go overboard," Maridakis said.