We investigate the health and fitness trends that are all over social media to determine whether they are worth trying.
“Optimizing your workout” is a phrase that sums up making the most of exercise, whether that means running faster or more efficiently to target a specific muscle group
Pre-workout energy drinks from brands like Celsius and C4 Energy, which claim to be healthier than regular energy drinks and help you have your best workout after drinking them, are one way that some people try to improve their fitness regimen. Celsius says it can accelerate metabolism and burn body fat. People use them to feel more focused and alert during exercise.
Is a drink really capable of this? Are the changes in your body and mind due to the workout itself? Do these drinks have any drawbacks?
What to know and some of the dangers associated with experts are shared here.
According to Emma Laing, the director of dietetics at the University of Georgia, these workout drinks are popular among fitness enthusiasts and elite athletes who are seeking to improve their strength, power, agility or speed.
While this is the traditional use of these drinks, they are also consumed as a thirst quencher by people who enjoy the taste and boost of energy they get after a few sips.
The exact makeup of these workout energy drinks varies by brand, but Dr. Scott Jerome of the University of Maryland Medical Center said that they often contain some mix of caffeine, green tea extract and guarana.
Most of these drinks advertise that they have about 200 milligrams of caffeine, but the amount of each Additive is not spelled out on the label. An eight-ounce cup of coffee has up to 100 milligrams of caffeine. After drinking one of these you will get more of an energy boost.
Laing said that workout energy drinks claim to deliver a competitive edge that leads to improved energy levels, metabolism and athletic performance. They say it makes you a better athlete during your workouts.
People who use them to get a workout boost usually drink them 30 to 60 minutes before exercising to give the ingredients time to kick in.
Any claims of increased weight loss are probably not true, since the high caffeine content may mean you have a little more energy during a run or a weightlifting session. It’s not the drink that’s causing the weight loss, it’s the workout.
Laing said that while many of the ingredients found in these beverages are linked to improvements in athletic performance in adults, the quantities of these ingredients vary widely among products and will not offer much benefit beyond what an overall
She said that you can get your daily supply of these ingredients by eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eating a balanced diet will help fuel your workouts.
Pre-workout drinks can be expensive and they are not necessarily more beneficial than whole foods when it comes to supporting athletic performance.
There are no risk factors for those whole foods, which is unfortunate for workout drinks.
These energy workout energy drinks increase heart rate and blood pressure, which makes them a risky beverage for people with high blood pressure or a history of heart problems.
Dysrhythmia can be caused by increased heart rate and blood pressure, and can cause blood clot in the heart, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Older people with heart problems are not the only ones who suffer from these problems. Some young people have reported issues after drinking these beverages. A few years ago, a young man had a heart attack after drinking a lot of energy drinks in one day and people have reported on TikTok that they have experienced heart issues after drinking them for a long period of time.
“From a heart standpoint, these aren’t very good.”
These drinks are linked to other issues too.
Adverse effects of pre-workout drinks could occur among those who consume more than the suggested amount, if they take other performance-Enhancing supplements or if the ingredients in the pre-workout drink interact negatively with their medications, according to Laing. It is important to keep this in mind before consuming a drink.
If you are going to drink one, stick to the serving size, and take a minute to consider if any medicine you are taking could be adversely impacted by this drink.
Laing said that you should keep the caffeine contents in mind when deciding to drink one of these drinks. According to Laing, most adults should have a limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine a day. Half of your daily caffeine intake is made up of one drink.
Laing said you could deal with disrupted sleep and heightened stress if you take in too much caffeine.
You can get the vitamins these drinks say they provide through vegetables, whole grains, fruit and more, even as you weigh the risk factors.
The best way to achieve what energy workout drinks promise is by diet and exercise. Some of his patients do use these drinks, but he doesn’t recommend them.
