Does caffeine hinder weight loss?

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For the majority of overweight people caffeine does hinder weight loss. If you have insulin resistance, caffeine will have a bad effect on your metabolism. Going off caffeine will increase your energy and metabolism. Caffeine can also hinder digestive absorption of essential minerals such as iron and calcium.

Here are some sources:

• Petrie, H.J., Chown, S.E., Belfie, L.M., Duncan, A.M., McLaren, D.H., Conquer, J.A. and Graham, T.E. 2004. Caffeine ingestion increases the insulin response to an oral-glucose-tolerance test in obese men before and after weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 80(1):22-8.
• Graham, T.E., Sathasivam, P., Rowland, M., Marko, N., Greer, F. and Battram, D. 2001. Caffeine ingestion elevates plasma insulin response in humans during an oral glucose tolerance test. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology. 78(7):559-65.
• Keijzers, G.B., De Galan, B.E., Tack, C.J. and Smits, P. 2002. Caffeine can decrease insulin sensitivity in humans. Diabetes Care. 25(2):364-9.
• Natali, A. and Ferrannini, E. 2004. Hypertension, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome. Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America. 33(2):417-29

Another Answer

If you are working out while eating properly recent studies have shown that a little caffeine about 30 minutes prior to your workout will help you get a better workout. The energy boost is supposed to make you more alert and therefore more willing to do your workout. It is also to give you a small boost in strength allowing you to lift a little more weight.

Another Answer

If you are insulin resistant, caffeine is bad. You can increase fat burning by having several small meals per day. Caffeine as a performance enhancer in the gym or in competition is only effective is you do not drink it on a regular basis and the most effective is 330 mg (3 cups of black home brewed coffee) about 15 minutes before working out. I quit drinking coffee and introduced green tea. What is neat about green tea is that the caffeine breaks down slowly (time released) in relation to other compounds in the plants. Because caffeine is released slowly, the boost is gradual (so no ups and downs in blood sugar, which would encourage fat storing). Tea and coffee act in the same way as high GI foods. Green tea is like a low GI food and the crash is non-existent.

Another answer

Many overweight people, particularly those who have frequently 'dieted' and lost weight only to regain it later, have insulin resistance. Unfortunately, the majority of people who have insulin resistance are unaware of it. If you have insulin resistance, regularly using caffeine will negatively affect your metabolism. It will have the opposite outcome of what you want. In the long term, avoiding caffeine will help to boost your metabolism.

Naturally increasing your metabolism by combining correct eating, eating frequency, and (unless too heavy to exercise) cardio and strength training exercise, will lead to fat loss and increased lean muscle. Lean muscle is your metabolic furnace that will burn extra calories/energy 24 hours daily. Naturally increasing metabolism AND maintaining it long term will enable you to avoid future weight gain and "yo-yo dieting."

To learn about the foods that do speed up metabolism for weight loss, see the related page, further down this page, listed under "Related Questions."

First answer by anonymous. Last edit by Sepp2. Contributor trust: 658 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 504 [recommend question]