Energy drinks help cyclists go farther and longer by maintaining their blood sugar levels at a top standard while on the road. Thus, whether you are in training or during the actual competition, maintaining proper hydration is essential for any cyclist to improve health and performance.
Therefore it is important to choose the right energy drink for you whether you’re in training, in the competition, or just riding your bike casually.
If you would like to go cycling for more than an hour at least, you should consider consuming energy drinks such as REIZE, Emerge, or Bing to have more strength and endurance on the road.
Continue reading if you want to learn more about road cycling and the beverages that you drink or bring with you.
Let’s get started!
How Can You Keep Your Energy Up When Cycling?
Initially, you need to know what are the things you need to consume right away to prepare you for your trip. Here are some recommendations:
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, rice, fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals, dried fruit, and oats are all excellent sources of energy.
Before going on a ride, it is vital to remember that the supply of energy from your body’s glycogen reserves is limited to 90 minutes, or even less if you are riding particularly hard. Meaning, it is critical to constantly replenish your glycogen throughout your ride by “Carb Loading” or by simply taking carbohydrates through snack bars or other carbohydrate-rich food.
Sports Drinks
Ss a popular option, sports drinks operate by restoring the nutrients and minerals that are used during intense physical activities.
Sports drinks also contain carbohydrates that your muscles can utilize as fuel when cycling long distances. Also, cycling and other extreme physical exertion deplete the body of water and different electrolytes, which sports drinks can easily replenish.
Energy Drinks
As the main topic for this article, energy drinks are primarily consumed in moderate portions to increase your vitality, lengthen your attention span, and improve focus.
Caffeine is a component included in almost all energy drinks, and it is used to boost brain activity and improve alertness and attention. Plus, you can also get more energy and improve mental performance by consuming energy drinks, which include nutrients such as vitamin B.
What Do Pro Cyclists Drink While Cycling?
According to professional cyclists, nutrition may be difficult to manage while you are road since there are so many factors to take into consideration but their main recommendation is to take caffeinated beverages.
While you’re on the road, it might be difficult to look for the nutrition labels of your drinks, that’s why you need to bring the one you like. However, you need to explore various brands and various servings first before settling on one that suits you.
This means you should take a plastic bottle or a beverage that is high in electrolytes with you on the ride. Cycling enthusiasts should concentrate on carbohydrate replenishment during intermediate routes lasting between one and three hours.
If you want to drink anything other than water throughout the ride, bring along several bottles of energy drinks that will increase your endurance. However, take them 1 hour before the journey because if you consume the beverages too soon just before the ride, you may experience indigestion problems.
And so, if there’s one thing I want you to remember in this section is that, don’t expect to be able to pedal for too long just on freshwater as recommended by pro cyclists.
Benefits of Energy Drink for Road Cycling
Indeed, it is intended that energy drinks developed specifically for road cycling provide two main functions. One is that these drinks could provide carbohydrates to sustain endurance while also restoring important electrolytes that may be lost via perspiration.
Energy drinks developed specifically for endurance sports, including cycling, marathons, and swimming usually contain carbohydrates and electrolytes to sustain endurance while also restoring electrolytes lost via perspiration.
It is important to note that, energy drinks are allowed for road cyclists before and during the ride, yet not thereafter. It’s because, in the nighttime, caffeinated energy drinks are also considered a no for road cyclists since the stimulants may make it difficult for them to fall asleep.
Similarly, road cyclists need as much rest as they can get to recover as soon as possible and be ready for their next ride in the morning.
Can You Drink Energy Drinks Before Cycling?
Yes, but to avoid the chances of dehydrating yourself or any other unpleasant effects, you should only consume a moderate amount of energy drinks before a ride.
This is because energy beverages containing massive caffeine do not effectively relieve thirst and drinking a lot of them in one serving would give you unnecessary side effects instead. Also, it can make you go to the toilet more often, which means that your momentum will be hampered and since you will urinate more frequently you will have to take more fluids to rehydrate.
That’s why you need to make sure to consume the amount that your body can handle to enjoy completely the benefits of energy drinks in your road cycling trip with your friends.
Best Energy Drinks for Road Cycling
For the best choice of energy drinks for road cyclists, here are the brands that you should try out!
| BRANDS | CAFFEINE | CALORIES |
| Emerge | 75mg | 45 cal |
| Bing | 120mg | 40 cal |
| REIZE | 50mg | 11 cal |
Emerge
First up is Emerge Energy Drink. Taking it before you go on your road cycle trip would help you in a lot of ways.
Go and energize your body whenever you need it with Emerge for it is an invigorating energy drink with a wonderful taste. Pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and niacin are all included in this beverage, and they all work together to help you feel less tired.
Additionally, Emerge can also increase your overall physical performance, your sensation of freshness, and your ability to remain alert thanks to the 75mg of caffeine in its formulation.
Bing
Bing energy drinks claim to have satisfying flavors, help you concentrate better, improve endurance, and maintain your energy levels throughout the day by utilizing its vitamins B and C components.
Having just a little amount of sugar and only natural flavors and colors Bing is a healthier alternative to the excessively sugary, high-calorie beverages and sports drinks road cyclists usually buy.
Bing has only 40 calories and 120mg of caffeine, so it will not cause crashes or cause you to go above the recommended daily caffeine which is 400mg.
REIZE (My Favorite)
Among all the energy drinks I’ve tried, REIZE is the one that stands out to me and has become my personal favorite. And I believe that it can help you put the pedal to the metal for countless miles!
I can vouch for REIZE since I’ve drunk it myself and it helped me endure my early morning jogs. At 50mg, it falls within the appropriate limits of your maximum daily consumption of caffeine giving you that sustained and sufficient boost you just need.
Even if you’re following a low-calorie diet, it’s still excellent news for you. This 4g powdered energy drink has just 11 calories per drink, which is very minimal.
Apart from that, it’s completely 100% sugar-free! REIZE also has taurine, ginseng, and b-vitamins, which will give you enough advantages that will help you through the ups and downs in the road.
Go and get your dose of REIZE for only $1 per serving! This is could be your perfect companion that can make your cycling experience more enjoyable.
Alternative to these Energy Drinks
For more natural ways of getting energy than these energy drinks, here are some beverages you can try.
Water
I’m putting water under the alternative section because we’re mainly talking about energy drinks but water should be your primary drink whether you are cycling or not. Nothing beats water.
Professional cyclists drink water to refresh themselves but they also use it in other ways, namely pouring it on their heads or bodies to bring down their body temperature while cycling. No energy drink or sports drink can do that!
Electrolyte Drinks
There are some electrolyte drinks available in the market today that are designed to provide sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes with no to minimal carbs.
These drinks are also my recommended ones because their components are not harmful, instead, they could help you regain your worn-out self. Aside from that, electrolyte beverages are excellent when you have consumed the appropriate electrolytes to allow you to recover and restore from your journey.
Other notable mentions:
But just in case you want to check out other energy drink brands, here are a few others I like:
The Takeaway
Emerge, Bing, and REIZE are just some of the best brands you can have before going on your road cycling trip.
Still, whatever you decide to drink while riding, pay attention to its effect on your body. It is also important for you to develop a hydration strategy that will assist you in achieving your goals, you don’t just drink whatever you want and whenever you want.
Lastly, for a more refreshing and productive experience in cycling bring a pack of REIZE with you on your trip.