Summary: If you’re looking for the best energy drink for training, REIZE Energy is your best bet. It comes in 4g sachets that are easy to carry around and mix. All you have to do is mix the powdered REIZE with water or any beverage you prefer and you have that instant energy drink refreshment.
The relationship between training and energy drinks is obvious.
Whether you’re training for a particular sporting event or just want to stay fit and healthy, we could all use a bit of extra energy from time to time.
The importance of proper sleep and a healthy, balanced diet can’t be overlooked. But, energy drinks might be what you need to get the edge over your competition or to push yourself when you might feel like quitting.
Whether you are training for any sports (badminton, tennis, swimming, football, etc) or trying to do a heavy workout for bodybuilding and fitness, all these require heavy motivation and a focused energy level to succeed.
Enter the mighty energy drink to take your training to the next level.
Let’s find out what energy drink works best if you’re training for a sport or any physical activity!
Things to Consider When Buying Training Energy Drinks
In this section, I’ll focus on ingredients – caffeine, sugar, and taurine – as factors to consider when choosing a suitable energy drink for training.
Let’s take a quick look!
Caffeine
Caffeine is perhaps the most essential ingredient in an energy drink and has multiple benefits for athletes of all levels.
Get the right amount and you’ll take your training to the next level. Have too little or too much and it may not affect you the way you had hoped.
My caffeine preference is 50 to 100mg per serving. I find anything more than about 100mg at once to be a bit too much and it sometimes leaves me feeling nauseous and unable to think straight.
The FDA recommends caffeine consumption of no more than 400mg per day for healthy adults. That’s caffeine from all sources, so make sure you read the labels of everything you’re eating and drinking because you’ll be surprised which products contain caffeine that you may not realize.
Caffeine has many uses that may be beneficial for training, such as: improving focus, learning, memory, reaction times, wakefulness, concentration, and motor coordination.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you can still get energy from caffeine-free beverages. You’d be surprised to know there are caffeine-free energy drinks too! Read my article about the best energy drink without caffeine here.
Sugar
Though it provides a quick burst of energy, sugar intake should be within the limit. It’s wise to always stick to the proposed limit of sugar intake by the AHA.
In other words, you should steer clear of energy drinks with high sugar levels. Go for sugar-free options, instead.
If you’re training for peak performance you should be very aware of how much sugar you’re consuming.
Read my top choices for sugar-free energy drinks in this article.
Watch the video below to learn more facts about the impacts of sugar on your health!
Taurine
Taurine is also another power-boosting key ingredient found in some energy drinks.
The effect of taurine, when combined with caffeine, can work like magic in your body in providing instant energy, strength, and focus – which is exactly what you want for training.
Taurine can be a very useful ingredient for athletes as it has been shown to:
- increase muscle mass
- increases muscle strength and power
- reduce muscle damage caused by exercise
- accelerate recovery between workouts
In my opinion, if you’re serious about training, you want to make sure you’re getting a good amount of taurine in your diet to help with muscle recovery.
Combining a sensible amount of caffeine with a healthy dose of taurine is a very good idea to always bring your A-game to your training sessions.
If you’re looking for taurine-rich energy drinks, I have my top recommendations for you listed in this article.
What are the bad ingredients in energy drinks?
In my opinion, the two most “dangerous” ingredients in energy drinks are caffeine and sugar. If taken too much, it’s highly likely that these two ingredients may take you straight to the ER.
There’s no doubt that too much of anything can be bad for you, and the same is true for energy drinks.
But, to say that energy drinks are bad for you without providing a bit more information about the precise ingredients contained in any particular energy drink is a bit of an unfair stretch.
Here’s the way I look at it, make sure the rest of your diet is balanced and healthy and always stay within the FDA and AHA recommendations and I think you’ll be just fine unless you already have some kind of pre-existing health condition.
Do energy drinks helps in training?
Yes, energy drinks can be helpful for your training when you choose the right one and have it at the right time.
Energy drinks not only boost your energy but may also give you added strength and focus to practice and train for long periods.
As mentioned above, the main thing to watch out for is the amount of caffeine and sugar which might lead to problems if you have too much.
Are energy drinks safe?
Yes, energy drinks are safe for daily consumption, but the most important thing to keep in mind is to consume them in moderation.
By following FDA and AHA recommendations on caffeine and sugar, you’ll be just fine as long as you don’t have any pre-existing health issues.
This study published in the International Journal of Health Sciences warns of caffeine overdose which can lead to anxiety, insomnia, gastrointestinal irritation, muscle twitching, and restlessness.
But, the authors also acknowledge that “energy drinks may show positive beneficial effects on exercise performance in various sports activities.”
Key takeaway?
Energy drinks can be useful and helpful but don’t overdo it or go crazy with them, just as you shouldn’t go crazy with anything.
When is the best time to drink an energy drink before any sports activity?
The optimum time to drink any energy drink is around 30-45 minutes before any physical workout or training.
This is because it takes about 45 minutes for the caffeine and other ingredients in energy drinks to be fully absorbed into your bloodstream.
In other words, you’ll be feeling the maximum effects after about 45 minutes.
This study also notes that there is no evidence to support the theory that caffeine causes dehydration, despite that being a widely held misconception.
Is sugar-free Red Bull good to drink before training?
Yes, sugar-free Red Bull sounds perfect to drink before training.
Each sugar-free Red Bull has 80mg of caffeine per regular 8.4 fl. oz can and, as the name suggests, no sugar.
No sugar means no sugar crash and avoiding a lot of potential health issues.
If you want to know if it’s safe to drink Red Bull every day, check out my other article.
Before deciding to make sugar-free Red Bull your go-to training drink of choice, make sure you check out (and try) a couple of the other brands I recommend below to see which one works best for you.
Is Gatorade good during training?
Yes, Gatorade is good during training.
Gatorade can help restore electrolytes keeping you hydrated during training and workout. It also contains electrolytes that help you when you’re sick or when suffering from a bad stomach.
It is believed that Gatorade helps serious athletes perform better. However, there is no research to prove such a bold claim.
Best Energy Drink for Training
I’ve listed these brands in no particular order, but they are all pretty good choices to add to your training regimen to improve your results.
| Brand | Caffeine | Sugar | Calories |
| Rockstar | 160mg | 31g | 130 |
| Monster | 160mg | 54g | 110 |
| Celsius | 200mg | 0g | 10 |
| REIZE | 50mg | 0g | 11 |
Rockstar
For caffeine addicts, this drink might be your favorite energy drink for training as it not only has a high amount of caffeine but also 31g of sugar per can as well.
Personally, that’s a bit more of both of those ingredients than I would like to see in a can, but if you’re doing a lot of training maybe you don’t mind the extra sugar.
Rockstar is one of the most popular brands of energy drinks on the planet. I suggest you give it a try and see if it works for your training needs.
Monster
Monster Energy contains the same amount of caffeine as Rockstar, but even more, sugar to boost your energy and taste buds.
Again, I’m not a fan of the sugar content and I don’t really fancy having a sugar crash mid-way through a training session.
However, similar to Rockstar, Monster is also one of the most famous brands of energy drinks on the planet, so it obviously works for a lot of people.
I sometimes hit this drink when I crave a little more sugar, but I don’t make it a regular habit.
Celsius
Another option that has a little more caffeine is Celsius, weighing in with a hefty 200mg of caffeine per can.
Celsius has gone to a lot of effort to earn a reputation as a fitness drink, but personally, I think it has so much caffeine that it’s almost reaching pre-workout territory.
Still, the drink is clearly popular for many gym-goers, perhaps as an alternative to pre-workouts, so it might also work for you.
Celsius has just 10 calories and zero sugar.
Make sure you check out my comprehensive Celsius energy drink review to get the full story before diving in.
REIZE (10 out of 10)
Finally, here comes my favorite REIZE energy drink for training and the only one on this list that I really stand behind and recommend for all athletes in training.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine and a good mix of taurine, ginseng, and B-group vitamins, REIZE gives you a perfect and long-lasting energy boost without the sugar crash.
Oh, did I mention it’s sugar-free yet?
Well, it is.
With only 11 calories, it won’t weigh you down during your next training session.
Perhaps best of all, REIZE ships right to your door for only around $1 per drink.
Talk about incredible value.
Give REIZE a try today and you might also soon find that it’s the best energy drink for training too.