Caffeine and carbs to boost workout?

The ideal pre-workout drink to enhance your performance: a drink containing both caffeine and carbohydrates, according to a new study on athletic performance.

Researchers at the UK’s Sheffield Hallam University carried out studies on soccer players fueling up with pre-game drinks containing both caffeine and carbohydrates. Along with improvements in endurance as a result of ingesting carbohydrates, the athletes’ skill level improved by adding caffeine to the mix.

“This means that energy drinks such as Lucozade and Coca-Cola could be more effective as a performance aid than so-called ‘sports drinks,’” wrote The Huffington Post, UK.

The researchers tested three different soccer simulations of 90 minutes each (two 45-minute sessions) that tested agility, dribbling, heading, and kicking accuracy. “We found that the combination of carbohydrate and caffeine allowed players to sustain higher work intensity for the sprints, as well as improving shooting accuracy and dribbling,” the report said.

Another study published last month in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that volunteers performed about 16 % if they had taken a caffeine capsule. According to the study, glycogen, the muscle’s primary fuel source during your workout, is replenished more quickly when athletes ingest both carbohydrates and caffeine following exhaustive workouts.