As for my top choices for the best energy drinks for exercise, I pick Red Bull, Celsius, Bang, and of course, my favourite REIZE Energy!
From running on a treadmill to playing sports or hitting the gym, exercise is great for staying fit and healthy. Without it, you might be unhealthy and sick.
However, with exercise comes the need for energy. Lots of energy.
In the quest for more and more energy, you might stumble across energy drinks and wonder if they can help improve the quality of your exercise activities.
Energy drinks can be great for exercise, but with so many energy drinks on the market, how are you supposed to figure out which one is best?
Keep reading to find out what’s the best energy drink for exercise!
What should you drink when exercising?
Water is the best drink to have when exercising.
When exercising it’s important to stay hydrated. With the amount of sweat that you lose each time you exercise, it’s important to make sure you’re replacing lost fluids to maintain energy levels.
In addition, you can also consume energy drinks 30 to 45 minutes prior to exercising.
The reason for that is that it takes about 45 minutes for the caffeine and other ingredients in energy drinks to be fully diluted into your bloodstream.
That’s when you’ll feel the maximum effect from it.
If you are going to be exercising for longer periods of time such as a gym session or a long jog, you might want to try having an energy drink too.
But hey, I love energy drinks, so maybe I’m biased!
But seriously, energy drinks are proven to significantly improve physical and mental performance – which is great for being able to exercise at your best.
Not to mention that other ingredients in energy drinks, such as taurine, will help with fatigue and muscle recovery too.
Do energy drinks help exercise?
Yes, energy drinks can certainly help exercise if used appropriately.
By appropriate, I mean that you drink the right amount of the right drink at the right time and don’t overdo it.
This study found that energy drinks had a positive effect on the perception of exertion, reported muscle leg pain, and increase intensity in cyclists.
That’s great news for you if you’re thinking about adding energy drinks to your exercise routine.
However, it’s not all good news. Too many energy drinks can be dangerous and not all energy drinks are the same.
Some contain crazy amounts of caffeine, sugar, or other ingredients. You definitely need to read the label to understand what you’re putting into your body.
Is it good to drink caffeine while working out?
It depends!
However, it is best to drink caffeine before working out so you can take advantage of its energy-boosting effects.
On the other hand, there are some people who might feel sick when they drink caffeine while working out. This may happen due to mixing caffeine with other stimulants. As a result, it elicits nausea during high-intensity exercise.
You should be aware of the side effects of caffeine and also learn to listen to your body’s reaction to the stimulant.
Is it good to drink Red Bull before exercising?
Red Bull can definitely help you gain energy for exercise.
I actually had a very productive workout after having a can of Red Bull.
However, there are some risks to having Red Bull daily. Plus, you need to be mindful of the sugar infused in a serving of Red Bull.
But it’s a good energy drink to have as long as you consume it in moderation.
In this study published in the Human Kinetics Journal, athletes who drank Red Bull had significantly increased upper body muscle endurance than those who drank the placebo.
Pretty cool, huh?
However, another study found that drinking Red Bull did not alter sprint performance in women.
There was also this study on how sugar-free Red Bull affected the run time to exhaustion of young adults. In addition, this study suggests that Red Bull had no influence on young adults’ run times.
I interpret these results to mean that energy drinks (including Red Bull) are unlikely to hurt your sporting or athletic performances, but they might give you an edge over your competition in some cases.
If you’re curious to try Asian Red Bull, check out this article.
What other drinks can you drink when exercising?
There are many other drinks that you can try when exercising besides energy drinks.
These drinks include:
Green Juices and Smoothies
A great alternative to caffeinated drinks is a fresh smoothie or green juice.
Fresh smoothies and green juices are great because they are refreshing, and provide you with a lot of vitamins.
Green juices can be made with kale, spinach, and parsley which are great sources of healthy vitamins to keep your body running.
Smoothies taste amazing and can also be very nutritious.
Not to mention both green juices and smoothies are refreshing!
Water
Believe it or not, the best source of hydration is plain, simple water. Around 60% of the body is water, and our bodies need water to perform basic daily functions.
I would say water is the best alternative to an energy drink, though if you’re getting sick of drinking plain water I’d spice it up a little with fruit slices.
Green Tea
This came as a shock to me when I first found out. Green tea is amazing for calming the nerves and for a cold day out. I’d never imagined it’d be a great alternative for energy as well.
But it’s true, that green tea contains caffeine, albeit a smaller amount than both coffee and energy drinks.
There are studies that show green tea improves mental health and helps with physical relaxation.
In fact, I would say that it’s alright if you drink green tea before, after, or even during a workout. It can help in so many ways.
And not to mention that you can drink more of it since the caffeine content is much less than any energy drink or coffee.
What should you look for in an energy drink?
There are 4 things you should look for in any energy drink because they will help keep you healthy and happy.
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Price
Caffeine
As far as caffeine goes, it can be good or bad for you depending on how much you drink.
Some people naturally have a higher tolerance for caffeine and as such can drink more.
However, it’s possible you have a lower tolerance to caffeine, especially if you’re not used to drinking it every day.
It’s best to control your caffeine intake and try not to drink too much in one sitting if you’re not used to it. Personally, I would suggest drinking between 50mg to 100mg of caffeine per serving. I find that to be the perfect amount.
Any more than about 100mg of caffeine sometimes leaves me unable to concentrate or feeling a bit hot-flushed.
The FDA recommends a maximum intake of 400mg of caffeine per day.
So even if you like to drink a lot of caffeine, try not to go over the recommended safe amount.
Sugar
Sugar is one of the energy-boosting ingredients in many energy drinks. It’s good for giving you a quick burst of energy, but it does have a downside.
Too much sugar can lead to a sugar crash and long-term health risks.
There are many energy drinks that are completely sugar-free, but still taste really good. So it’s not always a case of having to sacrifice flavour to avoid the sugar.
If you do insist on having sugar, the AHA has a guide on just how much sugar you can safely consume each day:
| Sex | Maximum daily intake |
| Men | 150kcal / 37.5g / 9 tsp |
| Women | 100kcal / 25g / 6 tsp |
Price
Sometimes, the most popular and priciest energy drink may not be the best energy drink to invest in because it may not suit your needs.
Similarly, choosing a more affordable energy drink doesn’t always mean sacrificing quality.
But it all comes down to how much your budget allows you to spend on energy drinks and what kind of energy drinks you prefer.
But hey, I think we can agree that getting a great deal feels nice.
Personally, I love REIZE since it’s super affordable and is a great exercise buddy too.
But more on that a little later…
Best Energy Drink for Exercise
In no particular order, here are some good choices of energy drinks for exercise. Check them all out and see which one works best for you.
Red Bull
Red Bull is great for exercise even though it contains sugar. It has just the right amount of caffeine and you might be able to burn a lot of the sugar as an instant energy source if you’re doing some high-intensity exercise.
Each regular 8.4 fl. oz can contain:
- 110 calories
- 28g carbohydrates
- 27g sugars
- 80mg of caffeine
- Niacin
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Pantothenic Acid
It’s a great energy drink for exercise and the most popular energy drink in the world.
If you’re wondering what the difference is between Red Bull and Monster, check out my other article where I detail all of the differences.
Bang Energy Drink
Bang Energy Drink is by far the most heavy-handed on this list and there is a perfectly good reason for it.
It contains:
- 300mg caffeine (that’s a crazy amount in my opinion)
- 0 calories
- 0g total fat
- 0mg cholesterol
- 40mg sodium
- 85mg potassium
- 0g total carbohydrates
- 0g protein
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B6
- Magnesium
- Niacin
- Vitamin B12
With the whopping 300mg of caffeine, that’s 75% of your maximum daily caffeine intake in a single can.
I would only recommend Bang if you’re doing heavy exercise early in the day and have a high tolerance to caffeine.
If that’s the case then, by all means, drink Bang. But otherwise, only drink it if you are going to be doing a really long exercise in the morning.
Check out this article on where to get Bang near you.
Celsius
Celsius Energy Drink is heavier in terms of caffeine content than Red Bull, but it’s sugar-free.
Celsius Energy Drink contains:
- 10 calories per can
- 60mg of Vitamin C
- 1.7mg of Riboflavin
- 20mg of Niacinamide
- 2mg of Pyridoxine hydrochloride
- 6mcg of Cyanocobalamin
- 300mcg of Biotin
- 10mg of D-pantothenate
- 50mcg of Chromium
- 1.81g of “Meta plus Proprietary Blend” (which includes 200mg of caffeine and 1.61g of other ingredients)
Based on the caffeine content, I would suggest drinking Celsius Energy Drink for your morning exercise.
Throughout the day, your body will have a chance to fully utilise all that caffeine for helping you focus and by night, you can sleep easily.
Celsius Energy Drink also contains no sugar which is great for avoiding sugar crashes and fatigue.
If you’re still not convinced, you can check out my review on the drink to see if Celsius is suitable for you.
REIZE (10 out of 10)
REIZE is great for exercising no matter what time of day it is.
This is because REIZE contains 50mg of caffeine and is absolutely sugar-free!
That’s a good amount of caffeine and it’s so little that it won’t really keep you up after your workout. But it’s also just enough that if you drink it in the morning, you will have plenty of energy to start your day on the right foot.
REIZE also has a great mix of caffeine, ginseng, taurine, and B vitamins to ensure you have a perfect energy boost, with no crash.
And it’s powdered so it’s convenient to carry around and just plop a sachet into your water bottle when you’re out exercising.
And the really good news?
REIZE costs only around $1 per drink including shipping right to your door.
It’s a quality energy drink for an affordable price, now tell me that’s not a win-win!
Give REIZE a shot and it might soon become your favourite energy drink for exercise too.