The energy drink industry has become a booming business in recent years. People of different ages are leaning towards those performance-boosting beverages every year.
You’re probably relying on energy drinks for their boosting effect as well. However, there are also other ways and beverages from which you can get energy.
In this article, I’ll share with you the alternatives of energy drinks and their effects on your energy levels.
Let’s get started!
How To Get An Energy Boost Without Energy Drinks?
Let me start with the basics. You have to eat your breakfast every morning so that you won’t experience fatigue and stress.
Before I share the other drinks that can give you energy, I think you should examine your meal first. Check if your meal contains high-fiber foods, like cereals. If your daily meals have important nutrients, then you can easily gain energy from your daily meals.
The second would be, go outside and get a little sunshine. Research shows that a few minutes of walking under the sun can enhance mood, memory and boost your bone health.
You can get vitamin D from the sunshine. This vitamin is essential for your bones, blood cells, and immune system.
You also need to get seven to eight hours of sleep every day. This is because your energy levels can go down from restlessness.
What Gives You Energy Fast?
The fastest way for energy to go all over your body is by starting to move. When you decide you must move now, you set your mind to do the activity and get your body to work.
Exercise is a natural energy booster. Every time you exercise, the oxygen-rich blood rushes to your heart, muscles, and brain. Making it a habit to exercise for at least 10 minutes per day will keep your body used to it.
However, there are chances that you cannot find your mood. My suggestion is to just scroll away if you want to try something new aside from energy drinks.
But before that, you have to consider the nutrients that you need from a beverage.
Nutrients That Can Give You Energy
You know well that aside from caffeine, energy drinks are also packed with vitamins. And these vitamins help energize and keep your body healthy.
Here are some vitamins you could look at in any beverage to check if you can rely on them for extra energy:
| Nutrients | Functions |
| B-Vitamins | B vitamins are good in-memory health. With regards to your physical activeness, it can help alleviate muscle weakness and numbness. |
| Creatine | This element can also give you energy. It’s primarily used in pre-workout drinks, so I think it really is an effective strength increaser. |
| Tyrosine | This improves alertness and energy levels. |
| Citrulline | Responsible for widening inner muscles of blood vessels to improve circulation. |
| Carbohydrates | It provides energy, stores energy, and builds macromolecules. |
Aside from vitamins, a stimulant drug in the form of caffeine can give you energy. It is also known to improve memory, decrease fatigue, improve your mental functioning.
However, going past the FDA recommendation of daily caffeine intake will cause you to suffer headaches, trouble breathing, palpitation, nervousness, difficulty in breathing, and quicker heart rate. Always remember to take no more than 400mg of caffeine per day.
Sugar is a form of carbohydrates. However, don’t think that overconsuming sugar is good for your health. The AHA recommends a daily sugar limit of 36g for men and 25g for women.
If you exceed that limit, you might suffer from these:
- Diabetes
- Skin
- Aging
- Weight
- Gain
- Obesity
- High Blood pressure
- Kidney Disease
- Muscle and
- Nerve damage
- high cholesterol
- liver disease
- Tooth Decay
Which energy drink is the safest?
There is no such thing as a risk-free energy drink. Although some energy drinks don’t always have as many negative effects as others, they can all have adverse implications if consumed excessively.
Energy drinks, for instance –contain a lot of caffeine, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure, in addition to anxiety and nervousness.
They can also be high in sugar, which can lead to weight gain and cavities. Furthermore, some energy drinks contain potentially hazardous ingredients such as guarana and taurine.
Guarana is a stimulant that can raise blood pressure and heart rate, whereas taurine has been associated with heart problems.
Best Energy Drink Substitutes
As I’ve mentioned earlier, here are the beverages you can consume in place of energy drinks. It can be refreshing to try something new from time to time.
Coffee
The first beverage that comes to my mind is coffee. I bet you turn to coffee when you need an energy boost, especially as you start your day.
You can also use it during the night if you really have a commitment you need to finish. But if you’re looking for energy drinks that are best for late-night activities, you may want to read this article.
The FDA suggests consuming less than four or five cups of coffee per day. This is to avoid its harmful effects. So I mean when you feel like you get the right energy you need, don’t go back to your coffee maker.
Green Tea
If you’re not a fan of coffee, I guess you like tea parties. Green tea is known for improving alertness and brain function.
This also contains caffeine, antioxidants, and minerals. This means it’s pretty nutritious aside from the energy factor.
Green tea is quite enjoyable to drink because it comes in many flavors. And it’s pretty affordable in the market. You can drink it cold or hot depending on your mood.
It is said that green tea is best consumed at least two hours before a meal. Although green tea has lesser caffeine content than coffee, overconsuming can result in headaches, sleep disorders, irritability, and anxiety.
Fresh Juice
As a kid, maybe you experienced getting served fresh juice in the middle of your soccer game or group study. It turns out we can get energy from juice as well.
Whether it is green juice or some kind of orange juice, it can definitely fill your tummy and get you energized. Combining both veggies and fruits in your drink has been proven to increase blood levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
This can also help you with your exercise as the natural sugar in the fruit, called fructose, normalizes blood sugar levels. This prevents your tummy from feeling hungry after eating.
You can also get vitamin C from fresh juices, especially from orange juice. This vitamin is commonly known as ascorbic acid.
It is a vitamin needed for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. And that includes healing wounds as well.
So in case, you feel down during your jog, at least your body can use the vitamin C you just took.
Water
Last but not least, water. You cannot make a beverage without water. So if there’s one thing every beverage has in common, it’s liquid.
Have you ever felt blue, and taking a glass of water made you feel ok somehow? That’s the power of water!
According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry, the human body comprises up to 60% water. Your brain alone is composed of mostly water.
Taking water helps your cognition and focus. Aside from these, it can also boost your energy.
Some of the most common benefits of water are the following:
- Carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
- Aiding digestion
- Prevents constipation
- Normalize blood pressure
- Stabilize heartbeat
- Protecting organs and tissues
According to the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, you need about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day if you’re a man and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of water daily if you’re a woman.
Best Energy Drinks
If you’re still craving energy drinks, you can try these ones:
5-hour Energy
If you want a strong energy drink, you can go with 5-hour energy. It boasts its energy blends and potent properties.
Despite being sugar-free, it has a sugary taste, so if you’re a sweet lover, you might love this. Aside from that, this energy drink is guaranteed to improve your physical performance with its 200mg of caffeine. This amount is quite a lot, so I suggest you only enjoy one serving per day.
Its sugar-free and carb-free nature is perfect for a strict diet.
Reign
A 16 fl. oz can of Reign energy drink contains only 10 calories.
Like 5-hour Energy, this energy drink is also strong having 300mg of caffeine. You’ll be glad to know that the Reign energy drink is completely sugar-free.
Plus, it contains essential nutrients, such as amino acids and B vitamins.
REIZE (My Bet)
REIZE is a powdered energy drink with a juicy taste. Its mixture looks a lot like fresh juice!
It can also help you with your energy needs because it is packed with 50mg of caffeine. On top of that, it’s sugar-free and has only 11 calories.
Among its other nutritious ingredients are taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins. For just around $1 per 4g sachet, you can have this shipped straight to your home!
So if you’re the type of person who wants a good boost but not too much, REIZE is perfect for you! In my experience, you won’t feel any pesky side effects or bitter aftertaste.
Other Notable Mentions
Conclusion
You can try my suggestions whenever you feel like you need to take a break from energy drinks. After all, drinking only energy drinks can get old very fast. Don’t worry though, there are other alternatives that can still give you that boost!
If you’re about to try an alternative to energy drinks, you should go with coffee or fresh juice. They’re both very natural and enjoyable to drink. Whichever you prefer, consume it responsibly to avoid adverse side effects.
All too often we are afraid of the unknown. But trying things out of your comfort zone can definitely help you to explore and enjoy a lot more!