Can Coffee Help Ease Muscle Pain After Exercise?

Men with sore muscles after exercise may benefit from sipping some java (caffeine). A study from the April 2009 edition of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism evaluated 25 college-aged men. The men were given either a placebo pill or caffeine pill one hour before exercise. After exercising and taking the caffeine pill men reported significantly less quadricep muscle pain compared to the placebo pill. Both men who do consume caffeine regularly and men who normally do not drink caffeine received a similar benefit. It is believed that caffeine affects a pain-processing center in the brain and spinal cord, which may reduce the pain sensation. Further research is needed but some interesting initial results we wanted to share…