If you're a fitness junkie or CrossFit athlete,
chances are coffee is your pre-WOD ritual. But what happens when your favorite cup leaves you with heartburn, stomach irritation, or gut drama?
High acidity in coffee can mess with your digestion, energy levels, and even performance. Nobody wants to hit Fran while battling acid reflux. Lowering acidity helps protect your gut, regulate cortisol, and keeps your ritual energizing / not punishing.
A Real-Life Perspective
Most coffee lovers don’t even realize their morning brew is the reason behind:
That post-coffee stomach “slosh”
Unexpected bathroom sprints before a metcon
Mid-day acid burps that ruin your protein shake
The goal isn't to ruin the taste. It’s to tune your coffee for performance — just like you fine-tune your macros or mobility drills. You can still enjoy a bold brew, just without the acid backlash.
| Tip | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| ☁️ Cold brew it | Cold water extracts fewer acidic compounds — up to 70% less acid |
| 🧂 Add a pinch of salt | Neutralizes acidity and smooths the taste |
| 🥛 Add almond or oat milk | Plant-based milks help buffer the acid |
| 🥚 Use eggshells while brewing | Rinsed eggshells lower acidity due to calcium content |
| 🔥 Prefer dark roasts | Roasting breaks down more acidic compounds — darker = smoother |
| 💧 Use filtered water | Fewer minerals = less acid extraction |
| 🌱 Go low-acid beans | Choose beans grown at low altitudes (Sumatra, Brazil, etc.) |
| 🧪 Add a pinch of baking soda | Baking soda is alkaline and can neutralize acidity instantly — perfect for sensitive stomachs |
Science-Backed Info & Data
A study in the Journal of Food Science found that cold brew coffee contains significantly lower titratable acidity compared to hot brew — ideal for people with GI sensitivity.
The pH scale of coffee ranges from ~4.5 to 6. Baking soda has a pH of around 9, which can help balance acidity in small amounts.
Chlorogenic acids — the compounds most responsible for acidity — are higher in light roasts and hot-brewed methods.
Bottom Line 💥
Coffee should fuel your day, not fight your stomach.
Taming acidity is about hacking your brew to be more gut-friendly, more energy-focused, and more sustainable for athletes and daily grinders alike. You don’t need to quit coffee — just get smarter about how you brew.
Less burn, more boom. ☕️🔥💪