Endurance sports such as mountain biking, swimming, and running require stamina and energy. To maintain optimum performance, you need to refuel and replenish your body with the proper liquids.
Energy drinks are fantastic for that, and they aren’t just refreshing; they’re also great for a quick energy boost. They also improve exercise and cognitive performance, which would be highly advantageous in an endurance-related setting.
Energy drinks can be quite the helping hand when you’re needing extra energy for endurance sports. Personally, I find the energy drinks Raze, NOS, Xtend Energy On-The-Go, and REIZE to be the most helpful.
For a more detailed discussion on energy drinks and endurance sports, read on to find out about how energy drinks can affect your performance, from the benefits of caffeine in sports to a list of recommendations you’ll love.
Let’s get to it…
Do Energy Drinks Improve Athletic Performance?
Energy drinks can improve athletic performance due to the caffeine in them. Aside from increasing your alertness, caffeine is also notable for its ability to increase exercise performance in moderate doses.
A 2014 study found that the ingestion of a caffeine-containing energy drink improved total running distance and the number of sprint bouts among soccer players.
Another 2018 study reported that caffeine had significant beneficial effects on maximal upper body muscle strength and muscle power.
On top of that, energy drinks are also great for improving your mood and mental performance. This review stated that energy drinks could boost mood and performance during tiring or mentally-demanding tasks.
Meanwhile, a 2016 study found that low to moderate doses of caffeine increased vigilance, attention, and reaction time.
When competing in an endurance sport, focusing on physical fitness alone isn’t enough to help you obtain success. In addition to physical strength, mental fortitude is crucial if you want to succeed in the face of intense pressure and seemingly insurmountable hurdles.
Energy drinks will give you an edge over your competitors by improving your athletic performance and your cognitive performance to withstand the mental strain.
Does Caffeine Increase Endurance?
Caffeine does indeed increase endurance. A 2009 study discovered that a moderate dose of caffeine could significantly increase endurance time to exhaustion.
Caffeine works better when it’s taken before or during exercise. This is so you can experience the maximum effectiveness of caffeine when you need it to kick in.
Another study reported that caffeine could help athletes train at a higher power output or even longer.
When you think about it, it makes sense because caffeine can make you feel less tired and thus increase the amount of time before fatigue sets in, helping you endure through your training rounds or sports activities.
So, if you need to maintain your endurance and performance, have an energy drink for that quick boost. However, be mindful of how much caffeine you consume and stay under the daily caffeine limit.
The FDA recommends a maximum daily caffeine limit of no more than 400mg for healthy adults. Any more than that, and it may lead to adverse effects like:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
Thus, make sure to avoid having too many energy drinks in a day, as you could end up with adverse side effects that would affect your performance.
If you want to know more about the effects of caffeine on muscle endurance, check out this video:
Does Sugar Affect Endurance?
Sugar does affect endurance if it isn’t consumed in moderation.
While some sugar is good, having it frequently isn’t going to benefit your overall performance and endurance. A high sugar intake can lead to a sugar crash, leaving you feeling sluggish and tired, something you don’t want during your training or sports sessions.
Besides that, consuming a lot of sugar can also lead to health issues like:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular disease
- Ageing skin
For reference, the AHA has recommended the maximum daily sugar intake that you should follow:
| Men | 36g/150 calories |
| Women | 25g/100 calories |
Also, instead of getting your supply of sugar from snacks and sweets, you should go for fruits as they contain healthy sugar that’s good for your body and can satisfy your cravings too.
The key to consuming sugar if you’re preparing or participating in an endurance sport is to have them in moderation and increase your consumption of ‘healthy sugar’ as opposed to processed sugar.
Does Sugar Affect Athletic Performance?
Sugar can affect athletic performance, though positively or negatively, depending on your consumption.
Muscle glycogen is essential during exercise and sports because it fuels your muscles. Glycogen is created from glucose, a type of sugar that comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates.
You must maintain or resupply your glycogen stores, or your performance will suffer. Since carbs are part-and-parcel of sugar, it’s only logical that you’ll be able to maintain or improve your performance by consuming the right amount of sugar.
However, if you go overboard with the amount of sugar consumed, you’ll end up with a sugar crash instead, which is a worst-case scenario that would reduce your performance and hinder your progress.
What’s The Best Energy Drink For Sports?
The best energy drink for sports has moderate caffeine content and contains appropriate minerals and vitamins that can help replenish any lost nutrients.
XS Energy and REIZE are good energy drink options for sports as they contain an ideal amount of caffeine and are both sugar-free. They also contain B vitamins and taurine that can help enhance your physical performance.
However, if you’re looking for drinks exclusively catered for sports, you might want to consider sports drinks as they contain electrolytes essential for hydration.
If you’re curious to learn more about the differences between energy drinks and sports drinks, check out this article which I’m sure you’ll find helpful.
Other Drinks For Endurance Sports
Water
Water is essential, not just for sports but for daily life.
Water is a crucial drink to have, especially during an endurance sport, from delivering oxygen throughout the body to regulating body temperature.
Plus, it’s zero-calorie and carb-free, which is a huge plus for your health.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are great drinks when you’re a participant in an endurance sport because they’re comprised of water, carbs, and electrolytes, which, when combined, helps to maintain hydration and reload glycogen storage.
Besides, research has found that sports drinks can improve physical performance.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is nature’s miracle drink.
Coconut has plenty of nutrients that can help you last longer during an endurance sport. Aside from being low in calories and sugar, it can hydrate you even better than plain water and sports drinks. Coconut water will not likely cause any nausea or stomach issues, so that’s a plus.
Best Energy Drink For Endurance Sports
Raze
Marketed as a pre-workout beverage by REPP Sports, Raze Energy contains a high caffeine content of 300mg to supply you with a long-lasting energy boost and improve your exercise performance.
Aside from that, Raze has zero calories and zero added sugars, incorporating artificial sweeteners to enhance the taste. Raze is also packed with electrolytes and BCAAs to maximize hydration and muscle performance.
With Raze Energy, you’ll have no trouble maintaining your endurance during your sessions. But because of its high caffeine content, Raze might not be suitable for you if you have a low caffeine metabolism.
The price of a 16 fl. oz can of Raze is around $3, which is a little pricey in my view, especially if you’re planning to invest in this drink in the long run. If you don’t mind shelling out more money, Raze is the energy drink for you.
NOS
If you prefer something more traditional and straightforward, NOS Energy would be great for you. With 160mg of caffeine, NOS can provide you with plenty of energy for training, matches, and sports sessions.
However, NOS does contain 54g of sugar and 210 calories, so you might need to brace yourself for a sugar crash after the initial effects have worn off.
The cost of a 16 fl. oz can of NOS is around $3, depending on the flavor and where you buy it.
I feel that’s quite expensive for an energy drink, but if you drink NOS simply as an occasional pick-me-up for a quick boost, it’s a pretty solid investment.
If you want to learn more about NOS in more detail, look at this article on NOS energy drinks review, where I give my insight on how NOS ranks.
Xtend Energy On-The-Go
Containing ingredients that enhance body performance and recovery, Xtend Energy On-The-Go is an energy drink that strives to rehydrate, recover, and build lean muscle.
Xtend Energy On-The-Go contains 125mg of caffeine, 0 calories, and 0 added sugars. Besides that, it’s loaded with amino acids, electrolytes, and vitamins that’ll reduce muscle fatigue and improve muscle performance.
With Xtend having a moderate amount of caffeine, you can drink Xtend Energy even if you’re caffeine-sensitive.
The price of a 16 fl. oz can of Xtend Energy On-The-Go is around $1.50, a very affordable price for an all-rounder energy drink. If you’re looking for a good energy drink to help you persevere, you should consider Xtend Energy On-The-Go.
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
In my opinion, REIZE is the best energy drink for endurance sports.
REIZE is a powdered energy drink that comes in lightweight 4g sachets, making it convenient for you to take REIZE anywhere you might need an energy boost.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE will keep you going until the finish line, minus the side effects like nasty headaches or unpleasant jitters.
REIZE is also sugar-free and has just 11 calories, which means you can avoid consuming unnecessary calories and sugar.
Besides that, REIZE contains many wholesome ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that combine to provide you with a smooth energy boost.
REIZE is also customizable, versatile, and super easy to make.
All you need to do is tear open a sachet of REIZE and mix it with 250ml of water to get your energy drink. I suggest making your energy drink in a drinking bottle before your match starts and having it on the go as you need to.
The best part? REIZE ships straight to your door for only about $1 per sachet.
That’s fantastic value for money.
Give REIZE a try, and you might find that it’s the perfect energy drink for any endurance sport.