I am always looking at what people are doing in the realm of increasing performance as it relates to fitness and health.

When it comes to naturally occurring botanical substances I am of the opinion we have a large body of ancient knowledge that we don’t use effectively enough when talking about remedying illnesses. I always refer to TCM (traditional chinese medicine) and Ayurvedic Medicine (traditional Indian medicine) but there are many others including traditional African, Korean, Arabic and Persian. Even further back in history the Sumerians were using herbs and this plant-based medical approach is a constant through all of these practises.

So we have a lot of knowledge that got usurped in the mid to late 1800’s by the establishment in the US of the American Medical Association. The AMA quickly worked to marginalise and then demonise the use of botanicals as treatments. A good example is the use of medical marijuana. For decades people have been imprisoned for using it and now it can be prescribed by a doctor. Craziness.

And there’s caffeine that has been proven to be a safe and effective cognitive stimulant. It also provides significant performance enhancement in cardiovascular and strength work. Of course WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) figured it was a seriously dangerous substance and banned it for a while.

Now new research from 2019 indicates caffeine will help burn fat as well. Ok so it is a small sample size and only men so the research does have its limitations but from my experience and knowledge working with clients for many years, I would suggest the research is correct.

And you don’t have to drink coffee of course, you can drink tea or a drink that contains caffeine. I would always attempt to drink the most natural form though in this case black coffee/tea.

Any advantage we can get naturally is something we all should consider as we journey towards better function, improved fitness and all the health benefits that flow from this.