If you are an athlete or a regular fitness seeker, you must drink energy drinks all the time. They have an allure to them that can’t be denied. They provide you with electrolytes lost during the workout, along with a host of other nutrients. Similarly, you must have also asked yourself, if these energy drinks are bad for you? Or if they are addictive? There is no definitive answer for this but taking the choice out of the matter and drinking natural energy drinks instead is the better alternative.
Now you must be wondering what qualifies as natural energy drinks? We don’t mean the smoothies or juice you can make at home. We mean drinks that nature provides all set to fulfill your energy needs; milk and coconut water to be specific.
Drink Coconut Water after Workouts
You can get out from underneath the evil, necessary in the case of high-performance athletes, by adding coconut water to your workouts. You can get coconut water from the source or buy it from your closest super market. The mild taste and refreshing nature of the drink will surprise you, to say the least.
And here is the kicker; almost as many electrolytes as your favorite energy drink, with none of the sugar. The worst thing about energy drinks is that they contain sugar in them, which is good for athletes that can burn it away during their workouts. But many individuals, who are trying to lose weight, cannot afford that extra bit of sugar. They continue to drink sports drinks, ignoring their adverse effects because they believe that these drinks are their only option.
The Natural Energy Drink
It is important that you don’t confuse coconut water with coconut milk. The latter has more calories than you would care to consume after your workout. Coconut water is the clear fluid found inside a coconut when you crack open the fruit. It has very few calories when compared to different energy drink brands. It also contains a healthy serving of potassium which is why it is excellent for post workout consumption. Aside from this, coconut water has many different health benefits.
The Downside
There is one downside of using coconut water after your workout, it has very low amounts of sodium. During intense workouts, your body loses more sodium than potassium.
The verdict on coconut water is this; it is ideal to drink coconut water when you are doing short, 1 hour or less, workouts. Pro level athletes require more nutrients that coconut water has and they should stick with energy drinks and water. Still, they should avoid drinks that have chemical contents and flavor additives.
Drink Milk after Exercising
There are many researchers and scientists that refer to milk as ‘nature’s energy drink’ and it is very obvious why. There have been many studies that prove that milk has all the nutrition you require to recover from cardio or strength training. It helps your muscles recover faster and it has enough water content to hydrate your body.
The Best Alternative
One look at the chemical makeup of milk will tell you that it contains every type of nutrient that you require post-workout. Without any of the added sugar or unnatural flavors. People who are trying to lose weight may be hesitant because of the fat content in the milk, not a problem, you can opt for low-fat milk instead that contains all the nutrients you need. High-intensity athletes will get protein, calcium, vitamins, sodium, phosphorus and other minerals from a glass of milk. Compare that to your favorite energy drink and you will find that milk is superior in every way.
Low Priced Option
The biggest benefit of choosing milk as a replacement for your energy drinks is that it is very affordable, more so than any sports drink in the market. High endurance athletes should make whole milk a part of their post-workout nutrition, especially after fitness and weight training at the gym. While people who are trying to lose weight should choose low-fat milk. There is no need to add anything else to the mix, the two drinks mentioned above are perfectly fine to drink the way they are. Doesn’t mean that you can’t add other ingredients to them.
Go off your energy drinks and try these natural energy drinks and see if they can make a difference for you. You can also give these mood boosters a try. When you have replaced your sports drinks, do let us know how it is going by leaving your comments below.
