Can I Drink Coffee After Yoga? (Answered!)
Coffee is a stimulating drink that immediately kicks up energy and awareness levels. After your Yoga session’s physical and mental exercises, should you opt for the coffee energy kick?
In short, no, you shouldn’t.
Coffee increases cortisol levels, so drinking a cup of coffee after your Yoga session is not healthy because it shoots up your cortisol level at a time when the body is actively working to bring the level down.
Yoga stretches and poses are stressors which the body combats by increasing the circulatory levels of cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels for long periods can lead to some health issues, so the body works to bring cortisol levels back to normal.
What are the effects of drinking coffee after a Yoga practice? What are the best drinks after Yoga? What about drinking coffee before a Yoga session? Read on to find out.
Effects of drinking coffee after yoga practice
Drinking coffee after yoga or workout can lead to several health issues. These include:
1. Chronically elevated cortisol levels
Repeatedly drinking coffee after strenuous yoga or workout sessions can cause the circulatory level of cortisol to be chronically high over long periods.
This situation can cause some health issues, including muscle weakness, diabetes, and susceptibility to infections [1].
- Breakdown of muscle tissue – Cortisol is a catabolic hormone which means it breaks down tissue. So, elevated levels of cortisol over long periods can cause a breakdown of muscle tissue.
- Diabetes – Cortisol inhibits the secretion of insulin which is the hormone that lowers blood glucose levels. So, too much cortisol over long periods can cause blood sugar levels to skyrocket and lead to diabetes
- Susceptibility to infections – Cortisol suppresses the immune system, so raising its levels over long periods will make one susceptible to infections.
2. Dehydration
The caffeine in coffee has a mild diuretic effect, meaning it may cause body dehydration by making you urinate more [2].
A strenuous yoga or workout session will leave you dehydrated because you’ll sweat and lose body fluid. So, you need to be hydrated afterwards. A diuretic, no matter how mild its effect, is not what you need.
3. Brain dysfunction
In response to the physical and mental exercise of your practice, the body produces adenosine to help calm it down.
However, the caffeine in coffee antagonizes adenosine receptors. That is, it prevents the binding of adenosine with its receptors and prevents adenosine from doing its work [3].
The effect is that you are super alert in the short run. But keeping this up can affect various brain functions, including sleep, cognition, learning, and memory.
4. Cardiovascular issues
Your yoga or workout activities will increase your heart rate. After your sessions, the body needs to calm down and recover.
However, that cup of coffee after your session will set your heart racing again instead of calming down. Keeping this up can lead to cardiovascular issues.
5. Weight Gain
Cortisol is an appetite-inducing hormone [4], so you will want to eat something after your yoga or workout session because of the increased cortisol levels.
Interestingly, the caffeine in coffee inhibits the perception of sweet taste, making you crave even sweeter high-calorie treats [5].
A high appetite and a craving for high-calorie treats make a perfect combination for gaining weight.
Is it better to drink coffee before or after your yoga practice?
Coffee is not a good yoga or workout partner, so it is better to avoid it before or after yoga or workout.
Repeatedly drinking coffee after yoga or working out can lead to some health issues, so coffee is not a good post-practice drink. However, drinking coffee before yoga or workout can also cause some problems, so coffee is not a good pre-practice drink either.
Drinking coffee before a yoga practice is not okay because of the following:
1. It can cause stomach upset and digestive issues
Exercises generally slow digestion because blood is redirected from the digestive system to the active muscle sites [6].
This may cause digestive problems and stomach upset if there’s anything in your stomach. So, it is not a good idea to gulp down a cup of coffee before jumping on your yoga mat.
2. It triggers stress reactions
Coffee has a stimulating effect because it triggers stress reactions. It will get your heart racing, and your muscles tightened up for action.
However, these reactions are the opposite of those you aim for by engaging in your yoga practice.
3. Cardiovascular Issues
A cup of coffee increases the heart rate, which is something that your yoga or workout session will also do. Thus, taking a cup of coffee before your session bothers on overkill and can cause complications.
It should be said that some yoga enthusiasts favour drinking coffee before yoga. These people always point to the energy-boosting effect of coffee as a fine performance enhancer when working out.
However, they usually acknowledge that there are adverse effects of drinking coffee before exercising, and they will proceed to proffer measures to counteract these side effects.
For example, ‘coffee + yoga’ apologists will acknowledge that a pre-yoga coffee drink can cause stomach upset, and they will admonish taking the drink about 1 hour before hitting the mat.
Also, they will acknowledge that it may disrupt their calm and internal balance and will admonish taking the drink only before Yoga sessions that consist of physically demanding activities like the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
What are the best drinks after yoga? (top 5 ideas!)
The best drinks after yoga or workouts are drinks that rehydrate the body and replenish lost nutrients.
Drinking water is fine after yoga as it is refreshing and hydrating. However, plain water is not the best drink after exercising because the body has lost more than fluids.
Remember that when exercising, the body loses fluid and electrolytes in sweat, and muscle glycogen is depleted as the body converts glycogen to glucose for energy. Thus, the best drinks after yoga are those that contain fluids, electrolytes, and some form of carbs and proteins.
Some of the best drinks are:
1. Coconut water
Coconut water is a naturally sweet and hydrating liquid. It is low in calories and rich in potassium, magnesium, and other electrolytes.
It is perfect a post-workout drink for hydrating and replenishing electrolytes lost during exercising.
2. Smoothies
Smoothies allow you to get different electrolyte-filled fruits into a drink. So, smoothies are fine drinks for replenishing lost electrolytes.
If you get creative and include protein-rich additions to your smoothie, you’ll have the perfect post-workout drink because the protein can help rebuild muscles.
3. Green Tea
Green Tea is one of the best drinks after Yoga, especially for persons hooked on caffeine. Green tea has about one-third of the caffeine in coffee, so it can give you the caffeine kick without exposing you to the numerous problems of consuming too much caffeine.
Green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, which relaxes the mind without causing drowsiness [7]. It is also rich in antioxidants which help muscle recovery after a workout.
So, green tea gives you everything you need after a strenuous yoga session – it keeps you hydrated, it calms and relaxes you, it reduces muscle soreness, and there’s the bonus of that mild caffeine kick.
4. Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk is a wonderful post-work drink because it provides fluids and sodium for recovery, as well as carbs for muscle glycogen resynthesis [8].
You tire when exercising because your muscle glycogen reserve is depleted, so replenishing muscle glycogen is vital in post-workout recovery.
5. Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are specifically created to provide hydration and energy during or after an athletic event, so the drink is packed with electrolytes and easily digestible carbs.
Thus, sports drinks refuel you by hydrating you and also energizing you. However, to get the best of sports drinks, opt for sugar-free options.
Wanna know more? 👉 Here What to Eat and Drink Before and After Yoga?
Conclusion
Coffee can kick up your energy and alertness levels, but it is not the drink you should reach for after Yoga practice. The physical and mental exercises of your Yoga session will already have your energy and awareness levels up, so upping these again with coffee bothers on overkill.
Coffee after exercising is also not OK on the hormonal level. After working out, the body immediately focuses on reducing workout-induced high circulatory cortisol levels.
However, taking coffee will further shoot up the cortisol level, and chronically elevated cortisol levels can lead to problems like muscle weakness, diabetes, susceptibility to infection, and more.
So, after your yoga practice, drink a cup of plain water to stay hydrated instead of that cup of coffee. For better recovery, take electrolyte-filled drinks like coconut water or beverages that contain carbs and proteins like smoothies.
Mind you, coffee is not a good yoga/ workout partner, so not only is it not fine after your session, but it is also not fine before your sessions.
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