FitSugar

Wake Up! Pre-Workout Beverages to Boost Your Energy

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:39:43 PDT

Whether they're working out first thing in the morning or after work, many people may feel a little drowsy and sluggish. Rather than heading to the gym with only one eye open, prepare by drinking one of these energy-boosting beverages to help you feel more focused, energized, and ready to push your body to do more.

Coffee or Green Tea
Caffeine increases your endurance because it changes how your body uses fat. Caffeine helps your body convert fat into readily accessible energy, so you can work out for longer. As an added bonus, studies have also shown that caffeine consumption helps reduce postworkout DOMS.

Green Juice
Rich in natural sugars, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, a homemade green juice is a glass full of easily absorbable nutrients, especially iron, which can combat your sleepy slump. And because green juice recipes are high in carbs but low in fiber, it helps give the body energy while also being easy to digest. Perfect if you need something on the way into the gym.

Apple Cider Vinegar
If you are a fan of kombucha, then you'll love the tart flavor of apple cider vinegar, which is rich in minerals, vitamins, and beneficial acids. For an energy booster sans caffeine, mix a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and drink prior to a workout. Look for raw and unfiltered varieties to get the most nutrients possible. A small study also links apple cider vinegar to improved weight loss.

Preworkout Sports Beverages
Gatorade, Vega Sport, and Biosteel High Performance offer sports drinks that are developed specifically for before workouts. Each drink is formulated with ingredients to help stimulate and energize the body. We recommend these drinks for more intense or longer workouts.

The Lowdown on Hydrating Recovery Drinks

Heather Dale — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:51:54 PDT

Use this nutritional comparison chart the next time you go grab a thirst-quenching low-cal drink, and you'll be better informed about what selection to make. I've pitted the biggest brands against one another to see how they deliver in the nutrients and low-cal department. Labels can often be confusing, so hopefully this chart will help!

More and More People Reaching For Relaxation Drinks

Heather Dale — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:34:17 PDT

Energy drinks have created quite a buzz over the last few years, but as it turns out, energy drinks have a little competition from the chill-out section. According to Lynn Dornblaser, from the global consumer product and market research company Mintel, relaxation drinks are the new trendy bevvie. The majority of the US population is stressed out, so people have been turning to drinks claiming to offer relaxation perks.

That's right, more than 70 of these kinds of stress-reducing drinks - including Be Happy, Unwind, and iChill - have debuted in the past three years. Active ingredients include everything from melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone, to amino acids, which is thought to reduce stress. But the effects of the drinks are highly subjective and not thoroughly researched.

One international food and drink consulting firm projected the growth rate for this new group of drinks in 2011 alone is a staggering 38 percent. I'll be sticking to my herbal teas and deep breathing techniques to reduce my stress levels. What about you?

Blood Energy Potion: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:14 PDT

I consider myself a big fan of True Blood and Twilight, but I'm beginning to think the whole vampire craze has gone too far. I recently came across a blood energy drink and I've been creeped out ever since.

Blood Energy Potion ($6) is the same color and consistency of blood and it comes packaged in an IV bag. Besides an four-hour energy complex, it contains iron, protein, and electrolytes. It's suppose to mimic blood right down to its nutritional value.

This drink lets you play blood-thirsty vampire except you don't have to go out and kill anyone, and your blood is fruit punch flavored. I can't see myself sipping on synthetic blood, but it might be kind of hilarious to see someone drinking this at the gym. What do you think of this latest gimmick in energy drinks?

D-Mix Energy Elixir: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:00:54 PDT

There's a ton of energy boosting stuff out there - drinks, bars, gels, and chews, to name a few. Now there's D-Mix, an energy elixir that tries to set itself apart by billing itself as the "world's first customizable energy elixir." D-Mix comes in coffee and mint flavors and is a concentrated liquid serum, which, according to the website, you can pump into just about anything. They even provide non-alcoholic cocktail recipes that they think D-Mix will complement.

Each one-ounce bottle of D-Mix contains:

400 mg of energy (caffeine and guarana)
14 vitamins and minerals
5,000 mg of antioxidants
50,000 percent of vitamin B12
21 amino acids
23 fruits and herbs including acai and goji berries

We tried the mixes in our office, first on their own and then in water. Given all the stuff they're made of, I was surprised they weren't too medicinal tasting. Instead, they were similar to children's chewable vitamins, but with a fake-sugar aftertaste that sits on your tongue for a while. I think if diluted enough you'd probably not taste much of the flavor at all.

There's a little chart on the back of the bottle for the amount of liquid you should pump into your drink depending on your weight, but the idea is you can take in as little or as much as you want depending on your needs.

I can see how this product might take off, since the needs of a six-foot-tall bodybuilder are probably different than my own. But the slick marketing campaign and flashy packaging has me wondering if this is bad media hype. Would you use D-Mix?

Product of the Day: Vegas in a Can

GiggleSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 10:00:00 PDT

This is one odd name for an energy drink. (Yes, another one! Just what we need.) I don't know about you, but I want to feel like I just blew my life savings playing craps, did a pile of cocaine, and partied with hookers all weekend. I know - weird, right?

Source

Energy Drinks: Real or Fake? Take Two!

GiggleSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:00:00 PST

Ah, energy drinks. They quench your thirst, they wake you up, and - in the case of Steven Seagal's energy drink - they may even offer an "Asian experience." Since my last Energy Drinks: Real or Fake? quiz was such a success, I've decided to hit you up with part two. Can you tell the real ridiculous energy drinks from the really made-up ones? Take my quiz to find out.

Take the Quiz

Do You Drink Energy Drinks?

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:30:01 PST

Energy Drinks: Real or Fake?

GiggleSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:00:00 PST

Though I've been known to knock back a couple cans of Tab Energy drink, I'm still astounded by the variety of highly caffeinated beverages in stores nowadays. From Nelly's Pimp Juice to Steven Seagal's Lightning Bolt Energy Drink, there truly is something for everyone. But can you tell the totally unbelievable real names from the fake energy drinks? Take my quiz and see.

Source

Take the Quiz

Taste Test: POMx Iced Coffee

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:00:17 PDT

Pomegranates may have been around for thousands of years, but it wasn't until a few years ago that the fruit took off with the launch of pomegranate drinks such as POM Wonderful. Suddenly, the ubernutritious specimen became the world's hottest fruit. Its tart, brambly flavor began appearing in everything from cocktails to salad dressing. When I heard POM had developed a coffee drink, I had to find out what the hype was about. Did this beverage have pomegranate juice mixed in with its coffee? As it turns out, POMx Iced Coffee contains pomegranate extract for its antioxidant benefits, but no actual pomegranate juice. The 10-ounce drink, which is currently only available on the East Coast, comes in two flavors, café au lait and chocolate, and costs $2.99. The drink contains Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee, fat-free milk, and organic cane sugar. To find out my impressions of the drink,

Drinking the chocolate flavor made me feel like a kid again. It resembled chocolate milk, but with subtle coffee undertones. The café au lait flavor had a creamy consistency, a more pronounced coffee flavor, and was significantly less sweet. I almost fell out of my chair, however, when I learned that each bottle contains 170 to 190 calories - at least 20 calories more than a can of regular Coke!

Although POMx Iced Coffee possesses little complexity like a real coffee, the healthy factor makes up for the straightforward coffee flavors. When I learned that it's being marketed as a "sophisticated energy drink" with a focus on health, the flavors seemed to make more sense.

Bottom line: The beverage contains all-natural ingredients, a stimulating 175 mg of natural caffeine, and enough antioxidants to equal an eight-ounce serving of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. If you don't mind the calories and you need an energy boost, it might be a good drink for you.