How to Choose the Best Energy Drink Before a Workout
Do you ever have days where you are just dragging? You know, the kind of day where you feel like you barely have enough energy to get through a day at work, let alone to hit the gym afterward? Life can be exhausting. Long work hours, social events, and family obligations are just a few of the things that can tire a person out. By the time you get done with all of that, it’s easy to make excuses about why you’re skipping the gym—yet again.
To help with this we explain what you should look for in the best energy drink before a workout.
After all, who wants to go run a few miles when they already feel worn out? How can you safely do a bench press if you don’t have any energy left? These are all valid reasons to skip the gym, and most people wouldn’t blame you for it. However, these kinds of days are far too common in our busy world. You may never feel like working out if you are tired every day, but you still need to prioritize your health and fitness.
How can you get the extra energy you need to power through your daily workout routine? The answer is a good pre-workout energy drink. It’s the secret to showing up to the gym even after you’ve already had a long day, and dedicated fitness enthusiasts have been using pre-workout energy drinks for years to stay on top of their goals.
If you want to learn more about energy drinks for gym workout fatigue, we encourage you to keep reading. This guide will provide you with all of the information you need to find the best fitness energy drinks to get you through your next exercise session.
Is it Okay to Drink Workout Energy Drinks?
Some people are worried that drinking energy drinks before a workout isn’t safe, and this is a very valid concern. You should always be cautious about the products you consume and the effects they have on your body. For most people, a pre-workout energy drink is okay to consume before exercise. However, some people may feel ill from the ingredients. If you have any health concerns, heart conditions, or allergies, you should always consult a doctor before drinking any pre-workout supplements for endurance.
The average person, however, can safely consume energy drinks in moderation. Though it’s important that you don’t drink multiple beverages in one session if the products are ultra-high in caffeine. Too much caffeine and sugar can cause you to feel anxious and jittery while you work out. In worse cases, excessive caffeine intake can lead to an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which can be dangerous when you are already pushing your body to the extreme.
It’s important to keep in mind that all energy drinks are different, so some may be healthier than others. Therefore, it’s crucial that you pay attention to the ingredients and how your body feels when you consume the pre-workout energy drink. We’ll get more into the different ingredients that you should look for later on in this guide.
The Benefits of Energy Drinks for Working Out
In most cases, the benefits of pre-workout energy shots are much more noticeable than any of the potential side effects. There are multiple reasons that people continue to use these products as part of their routine.
The following are just a few of the reasons that we recommend consuming energy drinks before you start your next workout:
Boost Energy
The main goal of a pre-workout cocktail is to provide your body with more energy to get through a tough workout. These products are especially beneficial for endurance workouts because your body typically won’t have enough energy to get through a long-distance run on its own. Some people choose to supplement with energy gels and snacks, but they aren’t always as effective as an energy drink.
Increase Alertness
How many times have you found yourself struggling to get into your workout because you’re too tired to focus? It happens to the best of us. It causes us to lose track of reps, and it makes it difficult to push ourselves. When you drink an energy drink before your workout, you can increase your alertness so that you can stay focused on each rep and push through to the end.
Improve Performance
We’re not out here making claims that a pre-workout energy drink will give you superhuman strength, but it can certainly make improvements in your performance, especially when you’re tired. If you are exhausted before you enter the gym, you won’t be able to lift as much as you usually do, and you probably won’t be able to run as far, either.
An energy drink can help you to stay on top of your progress, and it may even provide you with a little boost on days when you are already feeling good.
Assist Your Body’s Key Functions
The best energy drinks for workout performance should also have ingredients that provide other health and wellness benefits. The exact impact on body functions will vary depending on the vitamins, nutrients, and nootropics that are added. Some are better for muscles and joints, while others can improve nerve and brain function.
You can learn more about the specific benefits when we cover the ingredients you should look for in a pre-workout energy drink.
The Difference Between an Energy Drink & Recovery Drink
Don’t get an energy drink pre-workout confused with a recovery drink. While there are instances where you can get both benefits in one product, most of the time, they serve two separate purposes.
With a pre-workout drink, energy is the primary focus. Athletes consume these products before starting their endurance or resistance exercise. These beverages have more caffeine than you would find in a recovery drink. They also have plenty of sugar so that your body has enough carbohydrates to supplement its glycogen stores. In some cases, a pre-workout drink also includes amino acids and other nutrients that will work to protect your muscles and joints, but this isn’t the main function.
When you compare a gym energy drink to a recovery drink, you’ll see that the focus shifts to muscular recovery. You’ll typically find more protein and BCAAs in these types of products because they are critical for muscle building and repair. Some recovery drinks also are known to have carbohydrates to replenish the energy you lost in your workout. As an added benefit, many recovery drinks will also include electrolytes, as these are key nutrients that aid in rehydration.
As we mentioned, there are instances where the benefits may overlap. Some products can provide you with both energy and recovery ingredients, but we’ll get more into that in a bit.
When Should You Drink Workout Drinks?
It’s important that you time everything right, whether you are drinking a pre-workout supplement or a recovery drink. So, when exactly should you drink your workout drink?
Of course, the name pre-workout implies that it should be consumed before you exercise, but that doesn’t mean you should drink it right before you start your run. If the beverage or pre-workout supplement comes with any instructions, you should follow those. If they don’t, you can follow the general rule of taking the pre-workout somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes before you start hitting the weights.
If you will be participating in an endurance workout or other strenuous activity, you may need to start drinking a sports drink or electrolyte-infused water to keep yourself hydrated. Sports drinks can also provide ongoing energy so that you can stay powered from start to finish.
A sports recovery drink should be consumed when you wrap everything up in the gym. As we mentioned before, these products are focused on helping repair and rebuild your muscles, but they can also recoup your body’s energy stores and hydration. Some people are under the impression that they need to drink these beverages immediately after they finish exercising, but as long as you consume them within 20 or 30 minutes, you will still see benefits.
What to Drink for Energy Before a Workout
Ingredients make the difference between the best energy drink for gym days and a beverage that is just “okay.” Therefore, consumers must understand what they need to look for on the ingredient label. If you want to truly find the best overall product to power your next workout, we strongly encourage you to look for an energy drink that contains:
Caffeine
You can’t have an energy drink without a little caffeine, right? It’s important to find a pre-workout and energy drink with real caffeine sources from ingredients like green tea leaf extract.
B Complex
If you want a well-rounded pre-workout energy drink, you should also look for any sign of vitamin B. A B complex is preferred because it encompasses all of the key B vitamins, such as B6 and B12.
BCAAs
Branded chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a group of three amino acids, which include valine, leucine, and isoleucine. These are important for pre-workout energy drinks because they may help to develop and maintain both power and speed while you are fighting through a strenuous workout. They may also reduce protein and muscle breakdown so that you can recover faster.
Creatine
This has long been a popular ingredient for pre-workout mixes, and for a good reason. It is another amino acid that helps you develop and maintain power and speed while you work out.
Glucosamine
Are you tired of feeling sore the next day after a hard workout? This ingredient might be the solution you were looking for. It is associated with reducing mild inflammation and post-workout soreness. In addition, it’s great for supporting joints so that you can continue to perform your best.
What Ingredients Should You Avoid in the Best Pre-Workout Energy Drink?
As much as it is important to know what ingredients are in the best drinks, pre-workout beverages can also include some ingredients that are worth avoiding. If you want to choose a healthy beverage that provides all of the benefits without the junk, you will want to keep an eye out for different things, including:
Excess Sugar
Not only do excessive amounts of sugar increase the calories in a drink, but they can also lead to a sugar rush and crash. This is especially true when the product contains simple carbohydrates or artificial sweeteners that are only added for flavor.
Artificial Coloring
Do you care about the color of your pre-workout caffeine drink? It doesn’t impact the effectiveness of the drink. It’s purely for aesthetic purposes, but it can cause allergies and some other issues for anyone who has an intolerance to artificial food coloring.
Fillers
The best pre-workout sports drink should focus on providing your body with everything you need, but it’s equally important that it doesn’t include anything you don’t need. Unnecessary fillers may maximize the portion of a drink, but they offer no nutritional value. In the worst cases, they can cause digestive issues or inflammation.
It’s important to know that these ingredients may come in a variety of forms with different names, like sucralose and aspartame. You should check each label carefully to make sure there are no “hidden” sugars, caffeine sources, or fillers.
The Best Pre-Workout Energy Drink
At LIFEAID, we believe in providing our customers with clean alternatives to pre-workout energy drinks packed with artificial flavors, fillers, and preservatives. Our FITAID Energy drink provides you with both clean energy and sports recovery ingredients, so it’s the best of both worlds. However, it’s recommended that you drink this beverage before you start your strenuous workout.
With this performance energy drink, athletes can get a whopping 200 mg of caffeine. We only use clean caffeine from green tea so that you can get a more gradual increase in energy. This prevents the crash feeling most people have after a major spike in energy.
That’s not the only reason to love our gym workout energy drink.
This drink also comes with several ingredients that are beneficial to your overall health and wellness routine:
- BCAAs
- Turmeric
- Quercetin
- Electrolytes
- Glucosamine
- CoQ10
- B-Complex Vitamin
- Vitamin C
All of these ingredients come in a single serving with just 15 calories. That means that it is perfect for those who are looking to lose weight, as well. Not to mention, it is low in sugar, so it is also keto-friendly.
Whether you are on a vegan, kosher, or paleo diet, this energy drink is for you. To top it off, it comes in four delicious, fruity flavors, so we are confident that you’ll find your new favorite energy drink and pre-workout.
The Best Fitness Energy Drinks for Recovery
If you are looking for the best energy drink for recovery, you’ll be happy to know that we have you covered in that area too. We’ve taken our classic FITAID blend and added bonded creatine to create our FITAID RX Recovery Blend. When you add this energy workout drink to your gym routine, you can expect amazing results with your post-workout recovery.
A single serving of this beverage contains 1000 mg of creatine which is crucial for helping your body to both develop and maintain power. It may also help you with speed during intense exercise.
That’s not the best part, though.
Creatine is also helpful in reducing the breakdown of protein and muscle while you lift weights. When you combine this with the BCAAs and glutamine, you get an energy drink that is perfect for high-performing athletes.
It’s important to note that while this is an energy drink, it doesn’t contain as much caffeine as the classic FITAID blend. The RX version only has about 45 mg of caffeine from green tea extract, so you have enough clean energy to get through your intense exercise.
Though this product only has 45 calories per can and 7 grams of sugar, we also offer a zero-sugar alternative. This is great for people who are looking to cut back on calories or carbohydrates. Regardless of which workout energy drink you choose, you can rest assured that we only use herbs, vitamins, and nutrients that support your lifestyle. We never use any junk like added sugar, preservatives, chemicals, or artificial sweeteners.
Shop for the Best Workout Energy Drink With LIFEAID
Whether you are looking to max out your bench press or trying to hit your mile PR, you won’t want to do it without the best pre-workout drink for energy. Fortunately, you don’t have to go far to find it. At LIFEAID, we are proud to offer several good workout drinks for both energy and recovery. We encourage you to shop through all of our products to find the one that best fits your diet and lifestyle.
We know it can be hard to pick a favorite, especially with the different flavors that we have to offer, so you might want to consider our FITAID Energy variety pack. This is a great way to try all four of our fruity flavors to see which one you love the most.
Once you find a product you’d like to try, you can order it directly from our website. We offer one-time purchases, or you can sign up for a subscription so that you always have access to healthy workout drinks. If you enroll in our subscription, you can have your favorite drinks delivered right to your door every month, and you’ll save money with free shipping and a 10% discount. The best part is that you can modify or cancel your subscription at any time!
We understand that many people still prefer to do their shopping in person, or maybe you just don’t want to wait to try our pre-workout caffeine drink. No matter the reason, you can use our convenient store locator to find our products in stock with a retailer near you.
The store locator will even show you what products the retail location carries. With all of the easy ways to shop LIFEAID, what’s stopping you from trying the best canned pre-workout products?
