If you’re looking to get an edge with caffeine during your workout, Arnold Schwarzenegger has a study that could pique your interest. In his latest Arnold’s Pump Club Newsletter shared on September 25, 2024, he compared the workout performance benefits of coffee versus energy drinks, offering insight into which option might be superior.
Since donning a pair of posing trunks, “The Austrian Oak” has never underestimated the power of a quality cup of joe. He credits caffeine as the ‘champion’ of performance enhancers and believes it has the potential to pump up workouts to a whole new level.
With seven Mr. Olympia trophies sitting on his mantle, Schwarzenegger has learned the ins and outs of nutrition to solidify his status as one of the GOATS of bodybuilding. Previously, he compared the physical benefits of pre-workouts versus coffee, and now, he dives into whether or not energy drinks can live up to their name.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals If Coffee Offers Same Mental and Physical Boosts in Performance as Energy Drinks
According to Schwarzenegger, a new study suggested that people waste money on energy drinks, which charge extra for ingredients that don’t affect workout performance.
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“What Energy Drinks Don’t Want You To Know
Energy drinks are marketed as a proprietary blend of ingredients designed to boost mental and physical performance (and give you extra energy to get through the day). But do the extra ingredients make the canned drinks better than a couple of cups of coffee?A new study suggests you might be wasting money on energy drinks that charge a premium for extra ingredients.”
Scientists conducted a study where they compared 200 milligrams of caffeine to typical ingredients offered in energy drinks such as caffeine, L-tyrosine, Alpha GPC, L-theanine, and Huperzine-A.
“Researchers compared a drink with 200 mg of caffeine, L-tyrosine, Alpha GPC, L-theanine, and Huperzine-A to a drink with only the same amount of caffeine. The scientists measured attention, mood, handgrip strength, and pushup performance.”
The verdict? Even with extra ingredients in energy drinks, there were no differences in attention, mood, handgrip strength, and pushup performance measurements.
“Despite all the extras, there were no differences between the loaded energy drink and caffeine. In other words, the benefits could be attributed to consuming 200 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of about two cups of coffee).”
“This doesn’t mean all performance supplements are worthless. However, many ingredients you pay for don’t provide extra benefits.
Schwarzenegger says the bottom line is that you can reap physical performance benefits by using caffeine alone, which can be ingested through coffee or tea instead of sugar-laden energy drinks.
“If you’re looking for a quick boost in mental focus or physical endurance, caffeine alone—through coffee or tea—is just as effective as energy drinks.”
The performance benefits of caffeine have also reached the desk of bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler, who won four Mr. Olympia titles in his heyday. During his career, pre-workouts weren’t as mainstream as they are now. For that reason, Cutler relied on black McDonald’s coffee which he credited as an effective method for maximizing his training endeavors.
“I still think a cup of coffee was ideal. I used to stop at McDonald’s and get a small black coffee. I would put one Splenda in it and I would train on that before pre-workouts existed,” says Cutler. “Of course, now, we have a million pre-workouts, including the pump pre-workouts.”
While energy drinks have become increasingly popular over the years, Arnold Schwarzenegger believes the extra ingredients inside of them are offering you little-to-no benefits. If you want to pump up your workout performance, stick with caffeine from coffee or green tea.
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