Exercise & Caffeine Both Do Good Things to Muscle DNA

Here's some good news for coffee lovers, energy drink junkies, and exercise fanatics: caffeine and exercise seem to affect muscle DNA in similar ways. Researchers from the University of Barcelona have found that exercising for even just a few minutes causes rapid beneficial changes to muscle DNA. The incredible thing is that consuming caffeine appears to cause similar changes!

This is great news for those of us who like a little pick-me-up energy booster before our HIIT cardio sessions. The study focus on people who didn't workout regularly but experts believe the positive effects are seen in more fit people as well.

The bottom line: We already know caffeine has some big benefits for athletes and people who exercise regularly. So why not do both -- get in some intense exercise and drink some delicious caffeine -- almost every day?? :)

 Read more: Exercise and Caffeine Change Your DNA in the Same Way, Study Suggests

Green Tea Extract Can Protect Your Muscles from Damage

Here's some good news about a really healthy diet supplement: green tea extract can protect your muscles from "exercise-induced" damage. A new study showed that people who took 640 mg of polyphenol-rich green tea extract every day had significantly less oxidative damage after performing heavy strength training exercise.

What does this mean for you? Possibly faster recovery, less muscle soreness, and a reduced chance of overtraining (and its many health-related consequences) after lifting weights or performing other intense training!

 Check out the study: Green tea extract supplementation gives protection against exercise-induced oxidative damage in healthy men