Active Living involves a lot of efforts towards maintaining your Fitness Levels as well as your Health. When it comes this combination of building fitness and maintaining health, people involved in playing sports, often come across Energy drinks. As their name implies , Energy Drinks -- giving you an additional and instant burst of energy. Generally the additional burst of energy comes essentially from the addition of caffeine and other ingredients which increases the stamina and boosts overall performance. Energy drinks are generally used by athletes and/or anyone else who needs an extra kick of energy.
People generally get confused between Sports Drink and Energy Drinks. While Sports drink is used by sport enthusiast or any other individual to get necessary electrolyte in form of sodium, magnesium and potassium which one looses in form of sweat. Sports drink generally provide carbohydrates in a form that can help sport enthusiast to work out extensively.
Energy Drinks should be considered for the benefit that they provide – Instant Energy. They help in gaining attention and quick reaction. They come in different forms which may be or may not be carbonated and may also contain sugar.
Energy drinks on the other hand can be a good source of instant burst of energy. Experts suggest that a sustainable small quantity of caffeine before any sport can enhance ability to work out. The ingredients that one should watch out for while buying an energy drink is –
- Caffaine: Caffaine as a element can have positive effect as well as negetive effect. While caffaine intake helps in increasing alertness, reduce drowsiness and improvise cognitive performance, high intake of caffaine can result in sleep distruptions and anxiety. It is a vital components used by sports players as it helps improve muscular strength and power.
- Sugar: Energy Drinks come in form of addition of sugar or in Sugar Free mode.
- Taurine: Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid that occurs naturally in your body. It is particularly concentrated in your brain, eyes, heart and muscles. It’s found naturally in meat, seafood and milk. Taurine is generally categorized as an essential amino acid. Because the form of taurine used in supplements and energy drinks is usually made synthetically — not derived from animals — it is suitable for vegans. Taurine found in our organs generally help in maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte balance in your cells, Regulating minerals such as calcium within your cells and supporting functions of nervous system.
- B Vitamins and other Additives: B-vitamins have the ability to improve mood and even fight heart disease and cancer (subject to Doctor’s prescription), but the amount contained in energy drink isn’t enough to have any meaningful effect.
Because of Caffaine Content, it is not advisable to give Energy Drinks to kids. Also intake of Energy Drinks should be limited as high intake of Caffaine and Sugar can result in health problems.
Do not mix any Energy Drink with Alcohol as the mix of the two can cause risk of dehydration, as energy drink can mask the influence that of consumed alcohol. As per ESFA (European Food Safety Authority), caffaine intake upto 400 mg per day does not raise safety concerns in adults. We advice seeking help of Sports Trainers as well as Doctor incase of additional consumption of energy drink and also to check Nutrition Label behind every can or bottle of energy drink.
We hope this article will help you choose the right energy drink for your sport and your health and look forward to further inputs and insights based on your experience.
By - 360activeliving.