Staying hydrated during your workouts is an important thing. You lose a lot of body fluids in the form of sweat while you are exercising. If you do not take care of the problem on time, you can suffer from excessive dehydration. Hence to avoid this confusion, ensure that you sip liquid throughout your exercise.
While water is the best drink for hydration, trying other options won't hurt. Along with body fluids, you also lose your body's minerals, such as potassium, sodium, and chloride. These minerals contribute to multiple body processes and must be adequately replenished.
The mineral loss can also impact your cellular processes and muscle movement. It is particularly concerning for those working out for long hours, trying to build muscle, and following intense exercises. Also, athletes must continuously work on this mineral loss, or their overall activity gets significantly compromised.
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Given the significance of the minerals in the body, water alone cannot help you in this. That is why trying electrolytes drinks, energy drinks, and intra-workout supplements are the best option. Such drinks also provide minerals and help you recover from the loss quickly.
But often, these energy drinks contain a lot of sugar or other harmful substances that can interrupt your goals. That is why using homemade energy drinks to fuel your workout is essential. With the use of natural ingredients, these energy drinks help in recovering the electrolytes lost during exercise and give you the necessary boost to excel in your workouts.
You can also enjoy the health benefits of the natural ingredients present in these energy drinks. It is essential to stay hydrated during workouts, as it can overall affect your performance. These six homemade energy drinks will be a great option to use in your workouts.
1. Banana Wheat Grass
Wheatgrass, in all these years, has acquired a lot of fame due to its excellent benefits. There are multiple benefits of wheatgrass that are also backed by science. Wheatgrass has almost 70% chlorophyll, which is also abundantly found in haemoglobin. It can support your overall health in many ways, so it is best to take it every day.
It has a strong and profound taste, and so many prefer to have it in liquid form. You can mix it with bananas in smoothies to make it palatable and delicious. This banana wheatgrass smoothie is also a great option to have during or before your workout, as it provides the right fuel that keeps you going.
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You can use wheatgrass powder or green powder, which is the easiest way to use in smoothies.
Total calories: 140 Kcal, Carbs: 33 grams, Fats: 0 grams, Protein: 2 grams
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, frozen
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 tbsp of wheatgrass powder
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Wait for your desired consistency and enjoy.
Best Time to Enjoy:
Take this wheatgrass and banana smoothie before your workout as a pre-workout drink. If you are an early morning workout person, you can have this as a pre-breakfast snack 30 minutes before your workout empty stomach.
2. Spinach, Pineapple, and Apple Energy Drink
You can never go wrong with spinach, pineapple, and apple energy drink. It is always the right choice to fuel your workout because of its deliciousness and amazing health benefits. The smoothie provides the perfect dose of vitamins and minerals because of the quality ingredients used.
You can use other ingredients like chia seeds as a topping on this smoothie. It will add the right amount of healthy fats to make you energetic and keep your heart healthy. With the combined benefits of apple, spinach, and pineapple, you will get a delicious taste with balanced sweetness and green colour, making it highly refreshing, with many added benefits.
You can also add some celery to this smoothie. Celery has calming effects and can provide you with a wide range of nutrients.
Total calories: 172 Kcal, Carbs: 41 grams, Fats: 0 grams, Protein: 2 grams
Ingredients:
- Spinach 1 cup
- 1 medium-sized apple
- Half cup pineapple
- 2 glasses water
- Ice, as needed
- 1 squeezed lemon
Directions:
- Mix all the ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until there is a thick consistency.
- Enjoy.
Best Time to Enjoy:
It is best to have this smoothie before your workout. You can also have this after your workout ends, as it will completely replenish the fluid and mineral loss and provide the energy to sustain the day.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar Drink
Apple cider vinegar has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. It has countless health benefits, such as assisting in weight loss, managing cholesterol levels and diabetes, and boosting skin health. Apple cider vinegar also helps to balance your pH levels and is an ideal choice to have before workouts.
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It provides the nutrients and minerals to your muscles that keep steady energy levels, and hence you survive long hours of workouts. It has a naturally occurring compound, acetic acid, which gives your system the correct dose of electrolytes so that you don't have to take frequent breaks in your workouts. It is also considered a great choice for runners before their training starts.
It is recommended to dilute it with water to avoid harmful effects.
Total calories: 112 Kcal, Carbs: 28 grams, Fats: 0 grams, Protein: 0 grams
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon raw and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
- 2 glasses of cold water
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup (in case of diabetes, replace it with 4 drops of stevia)
Directions:
- Combine everything in a bottle, and shake well.
Best Time to Enjoy:
You can have this refreshing apple cider drink before your workout. Besides, having it early in the morning before breakfast has also shown promising results.
4. Green Banana Smoothie
During or after your workout, you usually encounter a lot of mineral loss, which in most cases includes potassium. It is best to replenish it as soon as your workout ends to keep your cellular processes intact and avoid excessive muscle cramping. That is why bananas are the best choice after your workout, as they are packed with potassium.
The right dose of potassium at the end of your workout also helps overcome fatigue and cramps. Bananas also have a sufficient amount of B vitamins, phosphorus, and magnesium that provide you energy, improve your physical endurance, and regulate the function of your nerves, respectively.
You can also add spinach to reap even more benefits.
Total calories: 189 Kcal, Carbs:42 grams, Fats: 1 grams, Protein: 3 grams
Ingredients:
- 1.5 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of spinach
- 3 cups of cold water
- Ice, if needed
Directions:
- Add 2 cups of water to the blender and some ice.
- After that, add your spinach and blend them for some time.
- Ensure you have achieved the desired consistency and that it's not too thick.
- Now put 1.5 peeled, chopped bananas in the blender.
- Blend all ingredients until thick.
Best Time to Enjoy:
It is best to have a green banana smoothie when your workout ends. You can also have it before your workout if needed.
Related Article: Pre-Workout Versus Post-Workout: What’s the Difference?
5. Orange Flax Smoothie
Oranges are one of the most popular fruits. Adding them to smoothies gives them a delicious taste, and their health benefits are numerous—from hydrating you with their 86% water content to providing vitamins, minerals and fibre.
On the other hand, adding flaxseeds to the smoothie will help slow down the blood sugar rise. The low glycemic index of flaxseeds slows the amount of fruit sugar in the bloodstream. And this way, you can enjoy your workout for long hours, as the energy supply would be constant.
You can use flax oil or hemp seed oil for this smoothie.
Total calories: 258 Kcal, Carbs: 31 grams, Fats: 14 grams, Protein: 2 grams
Ingredients:
2 oranges
1 tbsp. cold-pressed flax oil
1 cup cold water
Directions:
Add peeled, seedless oranges to the blender, and add flax oil.
Add 1 cup of water, and blend thoroughly.
Best Time to Enjoy:
You can have this smoothie before your workout, as it is an energy-packed drink.
6. The Cocolina — A Coconut Spirulina Energy Drink
The name cocolina comes from the combination of coconut water and spirulina powder. Both these ingredients are great to have as they have multiple health benefits to offer. Coconut water hydrates thoroughly and has sufficient potassium that helps in recovering the mineral loss.
On the other hand, Spirulina is rich in protein and contains many essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. It also contains B vitamins, a significant energy source, and magnesium. It is the perfect ingredient you can have before or after your workout.
The best option to have Spirulina is in powder form.
Total calories: 68 Kcal, Carbs: 15 grams, Fats: 0 gram, Protein: 2 grams
Ingredients:
- 8oz Coconut water
- 1 tsp spirulina powder
Directions:
- Add coconut water and mix Spirulina to it.
- Mix well and enjoy.
Best Time to Enjoy:
It is a nutritious and healthy drink that works well for you before, during, and after your workouts.
Related Article: Why Athletes Should Take Intra Workout Supplements
Benefits of Homemade Natural Energy Drinks for Workout
Homemade natural energy drinks offer you much more than recovering fluid or mineral loss. Some of the additional benefits include:
- Bananas are rich in nutrients like potassium, B vitamins, vitamin C, and magnesium and keep your blood sugar levels in check, as they have fibre. They also aid in weight loss, contain antioxidants, support exercise recovery, and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Wheatgrass contains a lot of antioxidants like vitamins A & C. It fights free radicals and protects against neurodegenerative disorders and cancer.
- Spinach boosts hydration and plays a protective role against iron deficiency anaemia. It has anti- inflammatory properties and helps strengthen the immune system.
- Pineapple contains various nutrients and vitamins that help lose weight, speed up recovery after exercise, fight free radicals, and reduce inflammation.
- Apples, as per research, have shown a protective role against CVD, diabetes, ageing, weight management, and bone health.
- Apple cider vinegar has healthy substances that kill the harmful bacteria in your gut, lower your blood sugar levels, boosts your skin health, fights oxidative stress, and manage weight.
- Oranges are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that prevents cell damage. They also contain calcium and fibre.
- Flaxseeds are healthy fats, rich in a variety of nutrients. They lower your cholesterol levels, provide the correct dose of fibre, and help manage diabetes, obesity, and CVD.
- Coconut water is low in calories and an excellent choice to hydrate. It is high in potassium and protects against skin diseases due to its antimicrobial properties.
- Spirulina is high in nutrients, contains antioxidants, and can help lower your LDL. It also has an anti-allergic and anti-microbial role.
FAQS
1. Do homemade energy drinks fuel our workout?
Yes, homemade energy drinks have the natural ingredients necessary to pump up your workouts and provide energy.
2. Which fruits give you energy?
Bananas should be your go-to choice if you want good energy levels throughout your workouts.
3. Can I add lemon juice to water during my workouts?
Yes, lemon juice added to water will help you to stay energetic throughout your workout.
4. Should I take a protein shake after a workout?
Proteins are building blocks of muscles that help repair, develop muscle, and recover. You can have a protein shake right after your workout ends.
Final Words
Rather than going for packaged and processed energy drinks, opting for natural and healthy energy drinks is better. Not only do they taste heavenly, but they also provide multiple benefits that boost your workout performance. Each ingredient in these drinks works for recovery and replenishes the mineral and fluid loss.
These homemade energy drinks' nutritional value is higher than other energy drinks. They also give you healthy nutrients that optimise your overall health. Homemade, healthy energy drinks also keep your sugar intake in check and save you from many harmful ingredients. They are also a great choice to start your day, and you can have these before, during, or even after your workouts.
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