Today’s bodybuilder is rarely seen in the gym without an energy drink. Packaged in sleek red or blue glossy containers, these beverages are packed with sugar, vitamin B, ginseng, and of course, lots of caffeine. They also contain a wide variety of proprietary ingredients from as extensive assortment of companies, each promising to do more than the last to help athletes perform better in the gym. Let’s check out some of the benefits and deficits of using such energy drinks.
Benefits
You will train with more intensity than you ever have before. You may discover you can do 1 to 3 additional reps of many movements. Your endurance will increase. Your energy will increase. You will feel terrific. You’ll outshine the former you, and you’ll be alert while you do it. Energy drinks will make you a better trainer in the gym.
Deficits
Energy drinks are a crutch. High blood pressure can result from long term use of caffeinated products. Bodybuilders who use such products often feel edgy or jittery. They are highly addictive. Once they have been used daily for 4 to 6 weeks, they will become a requirement and lose nearly the entire boost they once delivered.
Conclusion
Energy drinks can be useful tools in the gym, as long as one doesn’t become dependent upon them. Once an athlete needs an energy drink just to function in the gym, the benefits become nil and the athlete becomes an addict. Yes, caffeine is truly that addictive, and the other propriety ingredients included lead to a combination the body will continually crave. If you are training for a personal best on day, give them a shot. However, they shouldn’t be used every day in the gym. Perhaps limit their use to two times per week, on huge compound movement days such as chest, back, or legs.
Additional thoughts
If you do decide that additional energy in the gym through the use of a legal stimulant is the route you wish to take, consider one other thought. Are all of these fancy drinks necessary? Is it possible that the athlete would receive the same level of stimulation from a 10-cent yellow caffeine pill? Try the plain yellow caffeine pills and see if their results are pretty identical to the energy drinks, if not improved. Caffeine pills cost about $2.79 for a 16-pack, so cost is never an issue. If you need a gym stimulant, give them a shot!