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Unleash Your Potential: Top Energy Drinks for Workouts

Unleash Your Potential: Top Energy Drinks for Workouts

We all know that energy drinks and workouts go hand-in-hand because they energize us and improve our physical performance.

But not all energy drinks contain the same components and ingredients, resulting in varying effects for consumers. If you’re wondering what a good pre-workout energy drink should contain, here’s the short answer:

The best energy drinks you should drink before a workout are those that contain significant amounts of caffeine, vitamins, and minerals—BCAAs and creatine components are a big bonus.

The consumption of high-caffeinated energy drinks before working out is becoming more and more popular nowadays because they indeed go well together with your training. On the other hand, energy drinks may cause dehydration if you don’t drink enough fluids together with them. 

Nevertheless, if you want to discover the best and most efficient energy drinks you can enjoy before hitting the gym, read on!

Do Energy Drinks Help You In Your Workout?

Yes. Most energy drinks contain caffeine and other stimulants, such as guarana and ginseng, that improve your performance in the gym.

Taurine, found in most energy drinks, is an amino acid that helps in muscle activation and improves productivity during workouts.

However, the carbonation in some of these energy drinks may cause you to experience burping, nausea, or even a bloated sensation after working out, so drink with caution.

Energy drinks also don’t just hydrate you; they also contain a good amount of electrolytes that are essential to keep your body running. When you’re working out, your body burns through your electrolyte supply quickly, hence the importance of replenishing them. Electrolyte imbalance can cause symptoms like fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.

Ingredients In Energy Drinks That Can Help You In Your Workout

Since it has been recognized that energy drinks may also be used as a pre-workout drink, below are the main ingredients that make it suitable as a before-gym-session beverage.

Caffeine

While caffeine mainly provides a source of energy, it also helps you concentrate more, shortening your reaction time.

Also, drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages less than two hours before your workout sessions can increase your energy to help you get the most out of your time in the gym.

Sugar

In addition to caffeine, certain energy drinks include sugars, which will provide you with an increased source of carbohydrates to generate more energy throughout your exercise.

I’d contend that energy drinks help you improve your energy production while also increasing your motivation to get you through your sets and reps.

However, sugar also comes with certain downsides like obesity, heart disease, and increased cholesterol. To address this, many energy drink brands go sugar-free by using calorie-free sweeteners like Splenda and Stevia.

If you have diabetes, you can still consume energy drinks for your workouts, specifically some sugar-free brands that I talk about here.

A spoonful of sugar.
Energy drinks usually contain sugars that increase your carbohydrate intake, but they also come with downsides.

BCAAs

BCAAs, an acronym for branched-chain amino acids, is a supplement that is always present in pre-workout drinks. It is composed of three amino acids, valine, leucine, and isoleucine, that are believed to help increase endurance and strengthen muscles.

These three amino acids work together to help you remain active throughout your exercise routine. Valine enhances the movement of glucose in the muscles to make them work efficiently. Leucine acts as an energy source in case your body’s glucose reserves get depleted, while isoleucine inhibits the breakdown of proteins in the muscles.

Reign and Xtend energy drinks are just some of the brands marketed as pre-workout energy drinks because of their BCAA components.

How Does Caffeine Affect Your Performance In The Gym?

Considering that caffeine can boost your strength and mental concentration, it does help you get productive in the gym and lets you stay engaged during your day-to-day activities.

However, I recommend that you start with around 50 to 100mg of caffeine and work your way up if you’re new to it.

According to some websites and consumers’ reviews, larger dosages of caffeine (500mg+) may result in increased strength. Still, I would advise gradually increasing the amount to get there or avoid high doses altogether because they can cause some side effects such as:

  • Headaches
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Increased heart rate

The video below discusses in length caffeine’s effects on your body.

Having caffeinated energy drinks too often can cause caffeine overdose.

Is It Safe To Drink Energy Drinks Before Workout?

Yes. In fact, having an energy drink in the morning, after breakfast, of course, is regarded to be safe.

Having the appropriate quantities of caffeine increases your strength and stamina to help you perform better during endurance activities such as running, cycling, rowing, and swimming.

A can of energy drink, on the other hand, may cause you to consume more caffeine than the daily recommended amount, especially if you have already had a cup or two of coffee in the morning. Furthermore, it would be ideal if you consume caffeinated beverages in moderation.

Although many gym-goers prefer their energy drinks high on caffeine, they can often toe the line of the daily caffeine limit. Hence, you must monitor your daily intake and know your limits when it comes to caffeinated beverages.

When Should I Drink My Energy Drink Before Workout?

Based on my experience, taking them 45 minutes before an intense workout is ideal. It is not too late that the effects already kicked in before my first routine, and not too early that the effects wear off before I finish my last exercise; in my opinion, it’s the perfect window.

There is no formula or even official studies conducted to calculate how much water or sports drink you need to consume to avoid dehydration when working out. It would be best to listen to your body and drink enough not to feel thirsty and enough not to get bloated.

Is Reign A Preworkout Drink?

Yes, you can take Reign before your workouts.

With CoQ10, BCAAs, 300 mg of organic caffeine and electrolytes, Reign Total Body Fuel is a fitness-focused beverage that has been specifically formulated for those who want to work out.

Each can of Reign contains 1,000mg of BCAAs and electrolytes, which are essential for muscle growth and hydration during workouts.

Electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, assist in maintaining fluids in your body. With this, they contribute to the absorption of water and nutrients in your cells.

Reign energy drinks nutrition facts printed on the side of the can.
Reign Nutrition Facts

Is It Okay To Drink Red Bull Before Workout?

Without a doubt, the answer is yes. It’s an ideal pre-workout energy drink with 110 calories, 80 milligrams of caffeine, and 27 grams of sugar in a single can of Red Bull.

Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine per can, which is relatively lower than other energy drink brands. You can expect an energy boost after drinking Red Bull, but nothing too crazy. Red Bull is a good choice if you’re caffeine-sensitive or generally just not fond of too much caffeine.

It also has B Vitamins and 28g of carbohydrates, which are ideal for workouts.

What Energy Drinks Can You Drink Before Workout?

Here are my top favorite energy drinks to consume before a workout!

5 Hour Energy

5-Hour Energy is named after the fact that the apparent effects of caffeine last as long as five to six hours in your system.

It’s carb-free and sugar-free, with 200mg of caffeine. Again, not that strong, but considerable enough to power you through your regimen.

Celsius

Celsius is an enjoyable, sparkling energy drink that contains 2,000 mg of L-citrulline and 300 mg of caffeine, in addition to other ingredients that make it an ideal pre-workout drink.

When it comes to providing vast amounts of energy, this drink is well-known for providing the extra boost you may find yourself in need of before an intense exercise.

There is also a Celsius BCAA +Energy variant that is developed specifically as a pre-workout energy drink.

G Fuel 

Gamma Labs developed G Fuel, a natural energy drink formulation available in a variety of flavors. With its multi-purpose features, it serves as a mental focus and pre-workout booster in one convenient package.

You can do anything from late-night gaming to crazy gym exercises with the energy, concentration, and motivation G Fuel provides. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of all the contents of the energy drink brands I just mentioned.

ENERGY DRINKSCALORIESCAFFEINEOTHER INGREDIENTS
Red Bull110 cal80mgNiacin, sugars, B Vitamins, Pantothenic Acid
5 Hour Energy4 cal200mgTaurine, Glucuronic Acid, Malic Acid, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine
Celsius10 cal200-300mgVitamin C, Riboflavin, Niacin, Biotin, Chromium
G Fuel25 cal150mgTaurine, L-Citrulline Malate, Glucuronolactone, N-Acetyl-L-Carnitine
All energy drinks come with advantages and disadvantages.

REIZE (10 out of 10)

I definitely saved the best for last. REIZE is the best energy drink you could have before your workout.

What sets REIZE apart from the rest is that it gives you everything you need without risking caffeine’s side effects. It has 50mg of caffeine that can power you through your daily workouts.

It also contains nutrients like B Vitamins, Taurine, and Ginseng, which enhance your cognitive and physical performance. Sounds perfect, right?

And for those on a diet, you don’t have to be concerned about having excessive calories that will interfere with your meal plans and exercise regimens because it only has 11 calories per drink and is sugar-free!

You can also easily tuck the 4g REIZE sachets into your gym bag and add them to your water bottle anytime! Hassle-free and efficient, I’ll say.

REIZE is priced at around $1, and you can even have it shipped straight to your door at a click of a button. Try REIZE today!

A pack and a glass of REIZE energy drink
Reize Energy Drink

Bottomline

Whether marketed as a pre-workout drink or not, energy drinks can help you achieve your fitness goals. They jack up your energy levels and help you keep hydrated as you go through your daily workout routines.

These energy drinks have been linked to increased stamina and performance during intense workouts because of their components such as caffeine, sugar, and BCAAs.

However, no matter how much caffeine is in them, you should only drink energy drinks in moderation. Take one or two cans 45 to 60 minutes before you hit the gym for optimal effectiveness, depending on your caffeine tolerance.

So, have you picked your gym buddy yet? So many options out there, so make sure you pick the right energy drink for you.

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