When you lift heavy weights or spend 30 or more minutes on cardiovascular training, you’re going to become thirsty. Here are some beverages to consume – or avoid – the next time you’re in the gym!
Water
What else is there to say? Your muscles are made of it, it’s extremely cheap, and it’s the most widely used gym beverage in the country and the world. You should be drinking one-half to one full gallon each day, plus a few cups while you train.
Gatorade
For many years, Gatorade was the beverage of choice for many athletes in many arenas, including bodybuilding. In recent years, however, many athletes have moved away from Gatorade due to its high sugar content. Even though it still has less than half the calories (and sugar) of drink like soda and juice, drinking a half gallon of it during the course of a tough workout or cardio session can lead to adding way more calories than you are burning. For this reason, many bodybuilders either water down their Gatorade with a mix of one part water to one part Gatorade, or they opt for…
G2
This drink arrived two years back and has taken the sporting world by storm. It contains half of the sugar you’ll find in Gatorade, and therefore half the calories. It doesn’t lead to that bloat that comes with drinking a great deal of sugar and water. G2 is very popular in professional sports because athletes enjoy getting re-hydrated and reaping all of the benefits of Gatorade, without the worries of the high sugar content.
Bodybuilding energy drinks
Your gym counted likely offers a wide variety of beverages containing caffeine and many other substances. There are designed to give you a very quick boost which will benefit your training. What the makers of these drinks don’t tell you is that these drinks also cause caffeine addiction rather quickly. Avoid them except on maximum effort days, up to twice per week.
Red Bull
This beverage is full of vitamin B, sugar, and caffeine. Many bodybuilders live on it. When they go to the bar, it’s always Red bull and vodka in their glass. The reality is that despite its ability to give you “wings”, Gatorade isn’t that great of an option for you. It’s true that it will give you a short bust of energy in the gym. The down side, however, is that the crash will ruin whatever great workout (or day) that you are having.
Nothing – or the water fountain
Many trainers just show up in the gym when they’re out and about and don’t get a drink. They will hit the water fountain or they will wait until they get home. If you’ve seen recent studies on the amounts of chemicals and drugs in our drinking water, you might think twice about depending on the water fountain. You just don’t know what’s in there! Instead, opt for bottled water. It’s worth spending that buck!
“Other”
This list is dedicated to those people who show up in the gym with a can of soda or other drink. Juice, soda, and most other drinks just don’t have a place in the gym. Enjoy them before you go, or with your big meal afterwards. Don’t ruin your workout with carbonation and sugar you just don’t need.