Monday, March 04, 2013 6:01 AM
Avoid energy drinks in favor of strategic workout supplementation for best performance and body composition results. The problem with the typical energy drink is you don’t have enough control over the ingredients.
For example, caffeine can significantly enhance performance, but most energy drinks have other stuff added that you simply don’t want pre-workout or when your goal is to boost energy. This tip will tell you why you should avoid energy drinks in favor of smart peri-workout nutrition.
The most obvious problem with energy drink is that they often contain competing ingredients. For example, taurine is a calming amino acid that is found in Red Bull and it should be taken post-workout, because it enhances activity of the inhibitory brain transmitters. You don’t want to take it when your goal is to elevate energy for training.
Two studies show that when subjects drank Red Bull, which contains sugar and vitamins along with caffeine and taurine, they had significant increases in blood pressure and heart rate variability, both of which indicate poor homeostasis. In the long-term changes in blood pressure and heart rate indicate altered circadian rhythms, put you at greater risk of inflammation, and may cause adrenal fatigue. All around, combining taurine and caffeine is a bad choice!
Of course, studies also show that the caffeine in energy drinks can be used to improve endurance and anaerobic performance. For example, a review of studies showed that energy drinks significantly increased run time to exhaustion and increased pain tolerance. However, researchers suggest that instead of using energy drinks, a straight caffeine supplement will provide more control over the ergogenic effect, without increasing cardiovascular health risk.
A second problem with energy drinks is that many contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, both of which have been shown to significantly increase blood glucose levels. Energy drinks containing carbs (sugar) should be avoided because it can decrease insulin sensitivity over the long run and raise your diabetes risk. Plus, you want to completely avoid carbs pre-workout, saving them for after training if you are very lean. If your goal is fat loss, avoid carbs completely in favor of protein post-workout. Increasing insulin during workouts is also known to boost serotonin, which you do not want because it will make you feel tired and will sap your strength.
The third problem with energy drinks is they often have artificial ingredients that will only increase your toxic load and should be eliminated. Finally, you simply don’t have enough control over the quality of the nutrients in energy drinks for them to be reliable.
Instead of using energy drinks, keep your workout nutrition simple with the following strategies:
Boost pre-workout energy levels by taking anhydrous caffeine in supplement form because it is the most effective fat burner, freeing up fat to be used for energy. Pair it with the amino acid tyrosine, which will help you feel alert and ready to train because it raises levels of dopamine.
Take 2 to 10 grams of vitamin C post-workout to help clear the caffeine and lower cortisol.
Avoid carbohydrates (and sugar) pre-workout. If you are very lean and your goal is building muscle, use a high-quality blend of carbs after training to enhance protein synthesis.
Take whey protein, or amino acids if you are allergic to whey, after training to enhance protein synthesis. Use BCAAs during training to prevent muscle breakdown.
Take magnesium threonate post-workout. This provides magnesium and threonine, and the pair will calm the nervous system and raise the neurotransmitter GABA. This will enhance recovery and sleep.
References
Franks, A., Schmidt, J., et al. Comparison of the Effects of Energy Drink Versus Caffeine Supplementation on Indices of 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2012. 46, 192-199.
Steinke, L., Lanfear, D., et al. Effect of “Energy Drink” Consumption on Hemodynamic and Electrocardiographic Parameters in Healthy Young Adults. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2009. 43, 596-602.
Wolk, B., Ganetsky, M., et al. Toxicity of Energy Drinks. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2012. 24(2), 243-251.
A great solution is Solstic Energy by Nature's Sunshine. It’s a fantastic alternative to Coffee, Tea, Fizzy drinks and other ‘energy’ drinks that provide a quick, sugar-fueled rush followed by an abrupt, vitality-sapping crash. Helps energy release from carbohydrates, the main source of fuel for the body. Your body needs to constantly replenish water-soluble B vitamins to support energy levels and fight the draining effects of the day.
BENEFITS OF SOLSTIC ENERGY
- Yerba Maté, a powerful herb that has been used for thousands of years in the jungles of South America to increase endurance
- Green tea extracts, rich in properties that help increase energy and vitality
- Guarana seed contains a naturally occurring caffeine that promotes a gradual, sustained increase in alertness
- B Vitamins, the most important vitamins for helping release the energy you need to work all day
- Solstic Energy also includes sucralose, a sweetener created from natural sugar that has been proven safe through over twenty years of in depth scientific analysis
- Contains only 12 calories, no fat and only 3g of Carbohydrates.
- Low Glycaemic Index, and contains no pharmaceutical grade caffeine.
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