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Today’s Health Upgrade
The truth about afternoon coffee
The performance-enhancing vegetable
Wrong again…
Arnold’s Podcast
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On Our Radar
Is Morning Coffee Healthier Than Afternoon Coffee?
Do you enjoy coffee when you first get up or drink it whenever you need to power up? The timing of your coffee might matter more than you think.
New research suggests that morning coffee might have more longevity benefits than drinking throughout the day.
Researchers examined data from more than 40,000 adults, tracking their coffee consumption habits and mortality rates.
In general, coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of death, but the timing of your cup might play a role in maximizing its benefits.
Those who consumed their coffee earlier, particularly in the morning, tended to see the strongest association with longevity.
The researchers found that adults who limited their coffee consumption to between 4 a.m. and noon were 16 percent less likely to die from any cause than those who didn’t drink coffee. They were also 31 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
Both heavy morning coffee drinkers (more than three cups) and moderate drinkers (2 to 3 cups) benefitted the most, while light morning drinkers (1 cup) saw improvements, but they weren’t as significant.
Interestingly, people who drank coffee throughout the day did not see improved mortality or a lower risk of heart disease.
Scientists believe coffee's impact on circadian rhythms and metabolism plays a role. Drinking coffee late in the day can interfere with sleep, which is linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and metabolic disorders.
They also speculated that coffee’s anti-inflammatory effects may be more prominent in the morning (when inflammation might be higher). However, much more research is needed to prove that theory.
If you love your coffee, studies suggest that moderate intake (around 2-4 cups per day) is associated with health benefits, including reduced risks of heart disease, Parkinson’s, and even certain cancers.
However, you might want to have your last cup by midday to avoid disrupting sleep.
Nutrition
The Performance-Enhancing Vegetable
You know vegetables are good for your health, but can they also boost your workouts?
A new study suggests that spinach might be the real-life version of Popeye’s power-up. The scientists found that spinach extract significantly improves physical performance, particularly in endurance and strength-based activities.
The review analyzed multiple studies where participants supplemented with spinach extract and measured muscle strength, endurance, fatigue resistance, and recovery. Across the board, participants who took spinach extract showed improvements.
Specifically, spinach increased total strength and power, improved endurance and speed, and reduced overall fatigue.
It’s likely because spinach contains high levels of nitrates — one of the few proven supplements — which enhance nitric oxide production, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles. Additionally, it is rich in phytonutrients that may reduce oxidative stress and muscle damage, helping athletes recover faster.
While the exact dose varies, most studies used 1 to 2 grams of spinach extract daily. If you don’t want to use an extract, this is the equivalent of about 20 grams of fresh spinach, which is how much raw spinach fits in one cup. Unlike traditional pre-workout supplements, you don’t necessarily need to load up on spinach before a workout. Instead, you need to consume it consistently in your diet.
Adam’s Corner
Wrong Again (31 Lessons In Fitness, Nutrition, and Health)
My inbox and DM’s caught fire recently, and the subject lines all looked similar.
Mistake in today’s newsletter
You made an error
Incorrect conclusion
In a post about the connection between Alzheimer’s and sleep, we mistakenly wrote,
“In other words, shortened REM sleep latency could be an early sign of neurodegeneration—before cognitive symptoms even appear.”
The correct wording was,
“In other words, prolonged REM sleep latency could be an early sign of neurodegeneration—before cognitive symptoms even appear.”
It’s just one word, but it made a difference because that error could lead to incorrect changes or stress.
Those who wrote were mostly kind, and I expressed my appreciation because for the last 25 years of helping people become healthier, there’s been one constant:
My job isn’t to be right; it’s to get it right.
It’s an important distinction. Many people in wellness want to be the smartest or have all the answers. We just want to help.
At APC, we aim to be the most honest and accurate — and that includes admitting when we incorrectly explain research or when information changes our understanding of a topic.
Too often, people become married to an idea or belief and then refuse to evolve their beliefs no matter what real life or scientific evidence shows. They’ll cherrypick data, deny contrasting viewpoints, and fight to prove a point.
But our mission is to help you live a healthier, happier life. It’s not about what we believe. It’s about what can help you become better and what has a low likelihood of doing harm or wasting your time or money.
Our willingness to offer an agnostic approach to nutrition, fitness, longevity, mental health, and general wellness is what we hope all of you feel every day you read APC.
In honor of my being wrong, I thought you might find it helpful to look back at the (many) things I got wrong because many of my best lessons are usually from my mistakes.
31 Times I Got It Wrong (And Learned What Was Right)
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (it can help some manage hunger, but for others, it doesn’t).
Intermittent fasting is the most effective way to burn fat and improve hormonal health (whatever way allows you to restrict calories gets the job done; you don’t need to fast).
Eating before bed doesn’t matter (To be clear, it doesn’t directly make you gain weight, but it can affect sleep quality, which can then have a domino effect that influences hunger).
You need to take supplements (They can help fill gaps or offer convenience, but you can get everything you need from a good diet, exercise, stress-reduction techniques, social connection, and sleep. The only exception to the rule might be creatine, which is hard to get from food in the amounts that offer health benefits).
Carbs make you fat (they don’t…people can get very lean eating a high-carb diet).
Full-body workouts are less effective than other splits (they are the backbone of Arnold’s Foundation Program and work surprisingly well.)
You must take every set to complete failure (Nope, this backfires for most).
You should never take a set to failure (If you’ve never pushed yourself to the limit, then you don’t know where the limit is.)
You need to eat within 60 minutes of finishing your workout (timing is not as important as most make it seem; it’s more about personal preference and the total amount of calories, protein, carbs, and fats you eat).
You must eat every 3 to 4 hours, or you will become “catabolic” and waste muscle. (If you are trying to gain muscle mass and size, it might help to eat more often to cram in all the calories, but it’s not superior to less frequent meals).
You need to count calories to see exceptional results. (The thousands of success stories in The Pump App are proof of this…and decades of research suggest the same.)
It’s a good idea to wake up in the middle of the night to eat protein and maximize muscle gain (I still can’t believe I used to do this to preserve muscle.)
BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) are necessary for building muscle and workout performance (Standalone BCAA products might be one of the biggest scams in the supplement industry).
You must train for more than an hour each session to maximize results (short, intense workouts can be very effective).
You need to be sore after a workout to see your body change (Soreness can be a sign that you’re causing too much fatigue, and it might be why you’re not progressing faster. But if you’re sore, that isn’t bad. It’s just that soreness is not necessary.)
You can’t train the same muscles on back-to-back days.
You can’t build muscle with lower weight and higher reps (you can, but there are costs to this type of workout).
Bodyweight workouts are not an effective way to train.
Walking is useless (Research repeatedly shows it’s one of the best things you can do for your health.)
Cardio is counterproductive if you want to build muscle.
Machines are not an effective form of resistance training.
Diet and exercise are more important than sleep (Sleep is just as important, if not more important. Honestly, the best purchase I’ve made in the past year was upgrading my bed. That’s no BS. It’s made a dramatic change for my wife and me, and that’s saying a lot because we have a newborn.)
Super-restrictive diets are sustainable (they are the reason why most people hate diets and don’t see success)
All sugar needs to be removed (the poison is in the dose)
Motivation matters, and if you lack it, you’re weak-minded. (I’m embarrassed to say I once believed this; I’m so sorry.)
If you can’t stick to a behavior, it’s because you don’t care or don’t work hard enough. (Behavioral change is complicated and starts with shifting self-perception.)
Artificial sweeteners are harmful to all people (They don’t sit well for some and are completely tolerated by others)
Good foods vs. bad foods is a smart way to teach people how to eat better (it’s not).
You need to do HIIT training if you want to be lean
Social health doesn’t influence physical health.
Emotional and mental health doesn’t influence physical health.
Remember, these are the things I got wrong. And that’s not even all of it.
Each wrong answer made me more curious. That has made it easier to offer sustainable solutions without the added stress or anxiety.
Being honest and admitting when you’re wrong only costs you a little ego.
Being stubborn and needing to be right can cost you trust and the ability to help others.
While no one likes making mistakes, the choice is an easy one.
Editor’s note: If you want me to go into more detail on the topics I mentioned above in future newsletters, feel free to email, tag Arnold, or find me on social, and we can explore them more in future newsletters. -AB
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
