Whether it be a long day at work or school, many can find it hard when they finally get to the gym to attack the weight with the intensity needed like mentioned in the last blog post. Many athletes face this problem when it comes game time as well. To combat this they will down an energy drink or two to "Wake themselves up." They do this without asking is it really doing them any good? Does it increase their performance?
According to a recent post at Mercola.com, "Energy drinks are beverages that contain massive doses of sugar and caffeine, along with other ingredients such as the herb guarana and the amino acid taurine. They are often marketed to athletes -- but they are not sports drinks. However, a recent survey found that 32 percent of American high-school athletes reported drinking energy beverages, many in an attempt to improve their sports performance."
The post at Mercola.com went on to address the results of recent studies reported in the New York Times as to whether or not energy drinks improve sport performance. According to the New Your Times, 'A study of collegiate runners found that a sugar-free version of Red Bull, while loaded with caffeine, did not improve the athletes’ run-to-exhaustion times, possibly because the athletes were so habituated to the stuff.' Please note the use of a sugar free version. The article goes on to state, "Meanwhile, because it is a diuretic, caffeine “can contribute to dehydration,” Dr. Higgins said. And the large amounts of sugar in energy drinks have been known to cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal upset, he said, “which is certainly not going to improve anyone’s performance."
The point to be taken away is that if your looking for improvement in sport and gym performance, stay away from energy drinks. Even if you elect a sugar free version, chronic use of caffeine can 'numb' your body to its effects as well as lead to sleeplessness, depression, dehydration, and headaches which obviously do nothing to make you better whether it be in the gym on in competition.
In a future post I will address an acceptable replacement for energy drinks in order to improve your energy levels and mental focus safely.
No Nonsense Energy,
Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com
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