Last updated on October 1st, 2020 at 03:33 pm
Wait a minute…
Are energy drinks even good for you?
That’s one of the questions that we covered previously on SHJ.
We’re all about energy drinks and caffeine here, actually. Mike runs primarily on Chipotle and caffeine and is even currently doing his own little guinea-pig testing with caffeine and nootropics!
But today’s article is mainly tied to the benefits of energy drinks which mainly comes from its caffeine content. It’s the one thing that energy drinks can be relied upon to provide.
In fact, the caffeine content in energy drinks is more than you’d usually get from a cup of coffee. So if you’re curious to see how these drinks can help you then dive right in…
Recover from Workouts
Yep. You heard that right.
Caffeine increases the rate of glycogen synthesis. Because glycogen is the main source of energy for your muscles. During workouts, you’re burning through your glycogen stores and they are then replenished after you consume carbohydrates.
So by consuming carbohydrate meals with caffeine, this can increase the recovery process by helping you achieve a faster glycogen compensation after the workout.
Boosts Your Metabolism
Studies show that caffeine can boost your resting metabolic rate by up to 12%. Considering the faster your resting metabolic rate is, the more fat you burn. This is actually an extra bonus considering the main focus for drinking energy drinks is usually to just get some energy.
It doesn’t stop there either. Because caffeine stimulates your nervous system it sends out signals to break down your fat cells. This broken-down fat is then released to your blood and can then be used as energy.
The only caveat to this is that your body can develop a tolerance against it so it doesn’t affect you anymore. That’s why it’s useful to cycle it in this case.
Less Calories
If you’re drinking mochas, lattes, or adding any kind of sugar or cream to your coffee then you’re most likely consuming more calories or sugar than some energy drinks.
Now sure some energy drinks do have more calories than some coffees but I’m specifically talking about the zero calorie energy drinks which have, well…zero calories. And they’re still sweet because of the artificial sweeteners in them.
That’s why you could even have them during your intermittent fasts if you wanted to. Compare that with coffee, which can only be had black for it to have 0 calories.
So if you don’t like the taste of black coffee and prefer something that has different kinds of flavors then energy drinks are for you.
Increases Physical Strength
A 2018 study showed that caffeine increased both strength and power in people. In earlier studies caffeine has been shown to also increase muscular endurance. So if you’re a power athlete or even plan to participate in an endurance based exercise then you may consider supplementing with caffeine.
Make sure to take it 30 minutes before your workout to allow the caffeine effects to kick in. But make sure not to fill up your stomach with liquids… you don’t want to hear sloshing sounds of the liquid jumping up and down in your stomach during exercise.
Improves Your Performance
Energy drinks can also improve your physical performance in sports due to the caffeine releasing adrenaline in your blood which heightens your reaction times and abilities.
Adrenaline is the flight or fight hormone so your body is ready for intense physical exertion. In fact, a study showed by PubMed shows that caffeine can improve physical performance by 12%.
Reduces Muscle Pain
Anybody who goes through extensive long training usually experiences muscle soreness. This condition is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It occurs when someone starts a new training program, increases the intensity of their workouts, or even changes their workout routine or… when you haven’t trained in a long time.
Your muscles can adapt to your workout routines if they’re not changed often and you stop feeling the soreness after training sessions. As we stated earlier, caffeine can help improve your performance and therefore allows you to increase the number of exercise sessions in a particular duration.
Also, training can cause oxidative stress and being that caffeine has antioxidants it can help to lower the risk of some serious diseases. This was even shown in a 2013 study where subjects went through a 15km run competition which concluded that caffeine induced the release of adrenaline which provided extensive anti-inflammatory function and enhanced the oxidative stress after a workout.
Improves Reaction Times
Several studies indicate that caffeine can improve mood and reaction times. In fact, a 1987 study published by Psychopharmacology indicated that caffeine can:
significantly improved auditory vigilance and visual reaction times
I’m sure you will agree with me that improved reaction times and alertness are important in many sports and even everyday life tasks.
Instant Energy Boost
That’s what energy drinks are supposed to do, right?
Well, this boost of energy mainly comes from the caffeine content.
When consumed, the caffeine goes to your bloodstream and then straight to your brain which then blocks a neurotransmitter called adenosine and that then causes a stimulant effect and a burst of energy.
Faster Caffeine Intake
Unlike coffee which is usually served hot, energy drinks are usually cold and have a fruity taste so it’s faster to drink compared to hot coffee which is usually sipped.
Granted, caffeine being cold or hot doesn’t mean it gets absorbed faster to your bloodstream or anything but nevertheless it’s still a perk of energy drinks… you don’t have to wait for them to cool down. You can just drink them and get on with your day.
I know one thing is for sure though: most people would rather drink something cool after a workout than something that’s hot.
Enhances Brain Function
A 2008 study showed that caffeine had an effect on cognitive function, particularly alertness and vigilance, mood, and perception of fatigue with doses between 38-400mg. The average energy drink has anywhere from 80-500mg of caffeine.
A better mood usually results in more productivity and happiness in everyday life. This isn’t to say that caffeine will get people out of depression but it does seem to elevate peoples moods in a positive way.
In fact, a 2002 study published by Psychopharmacology indicated that:
Caffeine led to increased alertness and anxiety and improved performance on simple and choice reactive tasks, a cognitive vigilance task, a task requiring sustained response and a dual-task involving tracking and target detection.
So if you’re looking to elevate your mood, get a bit smarter, and improve your alertness then you may consider consuming some caffeine.
Conclusion
Energy drinks have many health and life benefits mainly due to its caffeine content. And now that you’re aware of them I do have to state that energy drinks usually add vitamins and minerals to their blends so there are in fact other benefits apart from the ones mentioned above.
That said, since the blends differ it would be impossible to list all the benefits unless I did an article on each particular brand of energy drink. But personally, the above benefits alone are enough for me to have energy drinks.
And if you’re like me here in London and you’re looking to stock up and buy 3d energy drink in UK then check out those out because they have ingredients such as ginseng, L-Carnitine, and low carbonation which I particularly like.
Well, that’s all for today. Share your energy drink experience with me in the comments below.
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Zak Mustapha
The Guy Who Drinks Tea
SHJ Team Member STARK
Join The Superhero Academy and start unleashing your inner SuperHuman.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15657469/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7486839/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839013/
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00213-002-1175-2
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00665.x
https://superherojacked.com/2020/08/25/the-benefits-of-caffeine-in-pre-workout-supplements/
https://www.caffeineinformer.com/energy-drink-benefits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coffee-increase-metabolism
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-13-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-coffee
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00210835
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