Feel Good About Being Faster

March, 11 2010

Want to improve your sprint time, explosive power and how good you feel about training? A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism suggests that substituting your carb-only drink for one containing carbs and caffeine could make the difference.

Researchers had 15 male soccer players drink a carbohydrate beverage containing a little less than a gram of carbs for every pound of body weight an hour before doing 90 minutes worth of intermittent shuttle runs. They got to take swigs every 15 minutes to stay hydrated. Next time they performed this test, they got a carb beverage jacked with about 2 mg of caffeine per pound of body weight.

During the second 90 minute shuttle run, the guys were a tenth of a second faster, developed greater explosive leg power and reporting having more fun during their workout. Try a performance beverage like Ripped Force to see if it provides a similar boost to your routine.