Are Energy Drinks Good For Us?

Hi folks,

A pretty general question so ‘ill try to answer it from a few different angles.

Gym scenario: Last Tuesday I walked in to the gym & saw one of my clients working hard on the exercises that I’d given him. It was great to see him putting the time & effort in by himself but I was horrified when he glugged down an energy drink. This particular client’s goal was to lose weight (body-fat), however many people (especially beginners) don’t seem to realise these drinks give us energy because they are packed with calories, the very thing that most of us are trying to lose!

I would only suggest possibly using energy drinks in two cases:

1)  If you’re exercising to maintain / increase weight (body-fat) by focussing on other areas of fitness such as muscle size, strength or agility.

2)  If your exercising continuously hard for more than 90 minutes (your muscles will be almost empty of energy (glycogen) & you will need to replenish salts (electrolytes) lost during sweat.

Workplace Scenario: Many companies that are interested in workplace health want to increase the energy levels of their workers (not surprising as their productivity will likely increase!). Unfortunately they go for the ‘quick fix’ by handing out energy drinks as part of health packs. Workforce obesity rates are high especially among those in sedentary roles, so the last thing they need are more calories which will ultimately plummet workforce health. A much better & more responsible approach would be to focus on boosting hydration & activity levels of the workers, & getting them to understand how to fit a balanced nutrition with their working day.

Let me know your thoughts folks

james