Life gets busy and we get tired. That’s why so many of us chug an energy drink when we start to feel sluggish and fatigued. But are those drinks healthy and effective? It’s clear that the market is overly-saturated by these products, so choosing the right one for you can be difficult.
It’s important to know what to look for when it comes to ingredients for a healthy and effective energy drink that you would feel comfortable spending your money on while boosting energy. You have to be able to trust a brand, and part of that is conducting research when you want to boost your health and gains.
Let’s consider energy drinks and why they are good for working out and giving you a much-needed energy boost every day. When you know what to look for, you can prepare yourself for what’s out there, which is a saturated market chock full of energy drinks. Yes, there are lots to choose from, but you need to be guided in the right direction in order to select a healthy and effective product.
Energy Drinks: The Benefits
Energy drinks give you energy and increase gains. Knowing the benefits of each one can take your training to new heights. Best part is, there are lots of flavors to make the experience more enjoyable.
Here are some of the top benefits of energy drinks:
- Increased energy: With caffeine included in these drinks, you can rapidly increase your energy to better tackle challenges when you feel sluggish during the day.
- Less Fatigue: Energy drinks help you break fatigue so you can push through barriers that can come up when exercising.
- More focus: Certain ingredients can enhance focus and boost mood for higher alertness and to get more out of your workout.
- Muscle growth and recovery: Because you are less fatigued and have more energy, you can squeeze every last drop out of your workouts, building more muscle and enhancing recovery.
- Potential weight loss: In addition to more energy, you can burn more calories, which would lead to increased weight loss if you have sculpting goals.
What to be on the Lookout For
When selecting an energy drink, you need to look out for things that can indicate a good product. Your energy drink must not only be healthy, but it must also be effective.
- Brand Reputation
Like all health products and supplements, brand reputation certainly matters. You have to ensure your energy drink comes from a trusted source. You will have to do some research and reading on the company’s website to determine if the company is a high quality and reputable one.
- Caffeine
Energy drinks contain lots of caffeine to boost energy and ensure better focus. But if you are sensitive to caffeine, this will be a deal breaker for you in terms of how much each brand contains. Be sure not to overload on caffeine if you also take a pre-workout or fat burner supplement that contains caffeine.
- Added Ingredients
Energy drinks often contain other ingredients like taurine and B vitamins to enhance energy and focus. Consider these ingredients and how much are in each drink, doing plenty of research to make the best selection. If you are an advanced lifter or very into nutrition, this will be important to you.
- Sugar
Sugar is added to energy drinks to enhance taste. But it shouldn’t be necessary. That’s a lot of sugar and caffeine! Yes, how many have artificial sweeteners but these can be unhealthy as well. If you are health conscious, keep in mind that sugar can make or break gains so be aware of all those unwanted calories.
- Flavor and Taste
Of course, energy drinks should taste good…no one wants to spend money on a bland-tasting product. Many brands are experimenting with newer, more interesting flavors so you never get bored.
- Overall Price and Effectiveness
Lots of supplements are expensive, but you can select the right product at the most affordable price. In terms of effectiveness, read customer reviews to get a well-rounded view of what people think of the energy drink in question.
Why Use an Energy Drink?
It can be smart to use energy drinks as supplements, provided they fit your lifestyle. If you want to increase energy and focus to stretch your workouts, productivity, gaming sessions and more, consider adding an energy drink into your goals. If you like caffeine and want an excellent workout, an energy drink could be the answer for you.
But there are also some alternatives out there if you don’t want an energy drink, such as pre-workout supplements or a cup of good old fashioned coffee. If you want to avoid stimulants, try a stim-free pre-workout that has great ingredients but no caffeine or stimulants, which minimizes side effects.
In Conclusion
Energy drinks can be good supplements for people who want to enhance their energy and focus, or to power them through sluggish feelings. Above all, you want to achieve an effective workout, and a quality energy drink for increased gains is a great idea. Choose the best energy drink for your workout needs, but keep in mind there are alternatives if you don’t like the idea of energy drinks. Whatever you choose, you can have a great workout!
