Cycling, Coffee, and Recovery—three words that never fail to enter many riders’ daily thoughts. As the gap between Mister and Master grows and the junction seems impossible to get across, there is a progressive increase in the proportion of time pondering each.
The seasoned cyclist develops a fond appreciation for the subtleties of a finely crafted brew—slowing down to savor a conversational sip steeped in the two-wheeled culture of the coffee shop stop.
We focus on recovery more out of necessity than pleasure. We take any opportunity to enhance the recuperative gifts that have extended the horizon of readiness.
While it may not be the best-constructed method, the sample size is small, and the conclusion lacks causality to the discerning scientific mind. The title alludes to those three words, Cycling, Coffee, and Recovery! It compels, rather obligates, the seasoned cyclist to read—and share.
The Study of 14 Cyclists
A 2022 study published in the journal Nutrients contends that drinking coffee after an exhaustive training session improves recovery. Fourteen cyclists performed a training session to failure to deplete their glycogen stores, accompanied by a low-carb evening meal.
They returned to the laboratory following a 10 to 12-hour overnight fast to hit the bike again to failure. The researchers divided the participants into two groups, giving half coffee and milk and the others only milk during the four-hour recovery period that followed.
The frappe-type drink containing skimmed milk and sucrose was provided immediately after the workout and each hour for 120 minutes. Two hours after the session, the researchers fed the participants a salted egg and cottage cheese sandwich with their drink.
The authors planned the beverages and meal to provide 8 mg/kg of caffeine in a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to proteins. The scientists collected blood samples and muscle biopsies to measure total muscle glycogen resynthesis.
Conclusion - You Had Me at Coffee
Java-drinking cyclists rejoice. The muscle glycogen supply of the subjects in the coffee group increased 57% more than their non-caffeinated counterparts. The scientists raised a cup to celebrate the consistency with their belief that coffee and the recommended amounts of carbohydrates favored post-exercise muscle glycogen resynthesis.
They stopped short of defining the exact coffee components underlying the results or the effect mechanism on insulin secretion, enzymatic activity, and muscle glucose uptake. What? I didn’t catch that.
You had me at Cycling, Coffee, and Recovery! Another reason to not say, “No” to a good cup of Joe!
How About You?
Are you more likely to perk a cup knowing it can put some pep in your muscles? Comment below! Your fellow virtual cyclists want to know.
Drink Coffee! Do Good!
Did you know that The DIRT Dad Fund has coffee? I want to encourage you to visit www.highwatt.coffee. You will find coffee curated by cyclists and roasted by an award-winning roaster. If you see something you like, know that $2/bag will go directly to the DIRT Dad Fund. Who says you can’t drink coffee and do good?
Enjoy other great anecdotes exploring the intersection of coffee, cycling, and life by visiting the Community page of The ZOM!
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Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
