What Drinks to Stay Away From When Working Out

​Do you often turn to energy drinks to get you through your workout? We can understand if you do. After all, you live a busy life and sometimes need a pick-me-up to get through everything you need to get through. But choosing the correct source of energy is critical, which is why we want to make sure you know about the right and wrong ways to stay energized with energy drinks.
 
When you sign up for personal training in Los Angeles with A4 Fitness, you can rest assured that we’ll guide you through all aspects of fitness, not just your physical workouts. We’re your partners in fitness on all levels. Let’s take a look at some reasons you should stay far away from some of the popular energy drinks on the market and opt for healthier, safer ones as alternatives.
 
Empty Promises
 
Energy drinks promise many things, such as sustained energy, no “crash” when the high wears off, and no calories. But, can you believe the hype? Are the ingredients in these drinks even safe for you? We say no.
 
Caffeine
 
Most popular energy drinks provide an energetic boost via caffeine—even those that don’t list caffeine as an ingredient. To do what they claim, these drinks don’t just give you a bit of caffeine, either. They overload you with caffeine. Sometimes, these drinks have up to 16 times more caffeine than a single cup of coffee.
 
In addition to all that caffeine, which is certainly not good for you, some energy drinks include guarana among their ingredients. Guarana is a plant that contains caffeine, like coffee. One guarana plant has up to 5.8 percent caffeine by weight, compared to a coffee plant that has 2.8 percent Together, energy drinks with guarana and caffeine from other sources inundate the body with more stimulants than it’s made to handle. This is a no-no in our book and should be a non-no for you if you want to stay healthy. People who consume energy drinks with these ingredients often report symptoms like a racing heart, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting.
 
Taurine
 
Energy drinks are marketed as being energy producing, but ingredients like taurine can provide the opposite effect. Taurine is an amino acid that nearly everyone receives enough of through his or her diet. When taurine is ingested as a supplement, the body typically gets too much of it. Taurine is a diuretic, which means that in high doses it can lead to dehydration.
 
If the energy product you’re drinking contains taurine, it’s probably draining you instead of keeping you energized and functioning optimally. Combined with excess caffeine, taurine can also be a dangerous substance to ingest when you’re working out, considering you’re likely sweating and losing water already.
 
Artificial Sweeteners
 
If you think you won’t get a blood sugar crash after you drink your energy drink, because it doesn’t have sugar in it, think again. You probably will experience this due to the high amounts of caffeine in the drink! In addition, you’ll be setting your body up for health problems by consuming artificial sweeteners, many of which have been linked to cancer in studies.
 
These are only a few of the problems consumers of popular energy drinks have to deal with. If you think we’re exaggerating about the negative health effects of these drinks, consider that generally recognized medical guidelines suggest that no one under the age of 18 drink these products.
 
Natural Alternatives
 
So, what do you drink if you want to stay hydrated and energized? We think you should turn to water. Pure water is your best bet for keeping your muscles, brain, and organs functioning optimally. If you don’t want to drink plain water, consider mixing a bit of matcha green tea powder into your water.
 
Matcha is a natural, gentle stimulant. It does contain caffeine, but the caffeine works differently in that it’s absorbed into the bloodstream minimally and slowly, providing long-lasting and sustained energy.
 
At A4 Fitness, we want you to stay healthy and safe, whether you’re working with us for personal training in Los Angeles or going about any other aspect of your life. Consuming natural substances is one of the best ways to achieve that goal.
 

---