Have you ever wondered why people carry energy drinks or bars to the gym for an hour of workout? Sometimes gyms also promote the sale of such products reinforcing the importance of these energy stimulants for the workouts. Does this habit help you burn more calories or add calories instead of burning them?
We also agree that when you exercise the body gets tired, dehydrated and requires fluid to replenish the ones lost through sweating. Being dehydrated can sap your energy and make you feel tired. Dehydration is what promotes fatigue, muscle weakness, dizziness and other symptoms.
But did you know that these symptoms can instantly be addressed by simply drinking plain water as well as adding some healthy drinks to your diet? And you don't need fancy drinks or juices to replenish the water loss.
Let us take you behind the scenes and make you understand why energy drink is important and what is the best energy drink to have during and after workout.
Why energy drink?
Energy drinks on which we will be focussing are mainly home prepared drinks. The focus won’t be on packaged stuff.
Let’s understand this with an example. An average mid-intensity workout in the gym for about 60 minutes can burn upto 300-400 calories with a combination of cardio & strength training. (Just for your knowledge a good mid-intensity workout should translate into 15 minutes of running, 30 minutes of strength training and 15 minutes of cool down & stretching.)
Every time you substitute water with energy drinks you can be setting yourself back by at least 200-300 calories per bottle. This impulsive energy drink intake while you are trying to lose weight can sometimes add more calories than actually burning them. This could also be the reason why you might not be losing weight in spite of being regular with your exercise routine.
Therefore, there are some reasons which would surely change your perception why energy drink is necessary and what are the drinks which we should consider as an energy drink.
During workout
When you are working out, you are more likely to lose water through sweat or through breath. And if you get dehydrated, your body starts responding in the following manner:
Dizziness
Lethargy
You get cramps easily
Your muscles won’t work efficiently
This is because water plays an important role in leading chemical reactions in our body. And once it's % goes down, our body quickly comes to dehydration mode and it starts affecting our muscles and lowers down the body's efficiency.
Therefore to get rid of all these symptoms, you can easily rely on this fluid for good energy. Now, the question arises, how much water should you drink, during and after your workout?
Make sure, you have enough of it before you start the workout. This doesn’t mean that you keep on drinking gallons of water. It could be just 2 to 3 cups (morning workout). Make sure you keep on sipping the water throughout the day.
Carry a bottle to keep yourself hydrated during the workout.
All through the day, you can just drink recommended level of water. Probably 8 to 10 glasses. You don't have to keep on drinking but just make sure you have a full water bottle handy and drink whenever you are thirsty.
You can even experiment with the water by adding lemon and basil leaves to restore vitamins and minerals in your body.
Post workout
We generally talk about water, when it comes to energy. Yes it's true, being a natural drink, it has numerous health benefits.
A combination of protein and carbs which not only gives you energy from intense workout, but also helps to repair your muscles. In short, these drinks would provide fuel to your muscles so that they can work more efficiently the entire day.
Fruit smoothie - It's a blend of fruits, curd, nuts and sometimes milk. Lots of antioxidants, fiber, protein, calcium - all in one. Read more to know about hidden calories in fruit smoothies.
Badam Milk - Either you can churn almonds and milk together or you can take a glass of milk with handful of almonds. Both work really well if you are looking for a healthy energy drink. It will give you immense fullness and most importantly - not too many calories.Know more about which is the healthiest Nut?
We have always insisted that for best weight loss results it is important to watch what you eat & exercise at the same time. Just by exercising and eating whatever comes your way will not help you achieve your desired weight. Probably that’s the reason why you see a lot of morning walkers even though regular with their daily routine, still look unfit simply because they forget to add healthy eating as a part of their daily routine.