Coffee For Hikers: Friend Or Foe?

That first sip of coffee in the morning can feel like a warm summer's sunrise slowly spilling over an empty plain... 
 
But what if I told you, aside from the taste, it can dramatically improve both your training and your hiking?

Let me tell you why:

Caffeine is the most popular 'performance, enhancing drug' in the entire world. Athletes swear by it. Decades of research support the use of it. And you probably already know for yourself just how good it can make you feel!

And if you are training for a big hike, or are tackling a tough trail, it can have some fantastic benefits for you!

 It can:

• Increase time to exhaustion (i.e. you can hike for longer before you get tired)
  
  
• Reduce the rate of perceived effort (i.e. everything feels easier)
  
  
• Increase power output  (i.e. climbing steep inclines or sets of stairs isn't quite as hard) 
  
  
• Improve concentration (i.e. less chance of slipping on unstable ground, tripping on a root or stepping somewhere you shouldn't!)
  
  
• Improve mood  (not to be sniffed at when you wake up cold, sore and tired after a few days while hiking)
  
  

So it is safe to say that it can be pretty handy for the trail!

Now I am not saying go crazy on the caffeine. And go out and buy one of those pre-workout supplements.

(These can help, but for the majority of hikers out there they are complete overkill)

But a strategically timed coffee can be a great aid to get you through a tough section of a hike, give you that extra kick in a training session or cheer you up when you roll out of your tent before a rainy day's hiking.

Now if you are training for a big hike, and want some more tips, guidance and support to get in the best physical and mental shape possible, I highly recommend you check out the Online Summit Program. You can find it here:

https://www.summitstrength.com.au/online.html

Yours in trekking

Rowan

*Originally published 12/5/2018