Finding The Best Energy Drink

The best energy drink for you is out there somewhere...hiding among the others on some shelf. How do you know which one is the best for you and your fitness needs? Here's some tips that you can use to help you make that decision.

How does the product create an energy boost?

Energy drinks use a variety of ways to generate energy boosts for the user. Understanding how each product generates the energy for the user is extremely important in making the right choice. Lets take a closer look at some tips to help you evaluate the best energy drink for you.

To B or not to B...Does the product use B vitamins?

B vitamins have been shown to increase metabolism and support the immune and nervous system functions. They are common ingredients in energy drinks and must be replenished on a daily basis.

All B vitamins are water soluble and excess amounts will be excreted through the user's kidneys. One consideration with B vitamins is the serving size of the drink and how often one can use the product. In other words if you are only supposed to ingest one drink in the morning, then the product is not something that can be used all day as needed to rehydrate yourself. Drinks that rely on B vitamins are best if used on a daily basis as they will not normally tend to produce energy on the spur of the moment.

Caffeine -- The hidden monster in energy drinks.

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. This acts to help ward off drowsiness and fatigue temporarily. Caffeine is a common ingredient in energy drinks as some studies have shown slight increases in athletic performance.

Caffeine has the tendency to last approximately three to four hours in the human body before it is metabolized away.

One should be aware that energy drinks that use caffeine have the tendency to be ingested above and beyond the recommended serving amounts.

Caffeine can give a relatively quick boost to the user but this is mainly from the stimulant effect. This boost will not last long and the user must re-ingest the product to obtain a further boost.

This is one of the problems to consider with caffeine based drinks as once again the user will tend to ingest the products in excess. (based on the recommended serving)

Excess Caffeine can lead to restlessness and and a jittery feeling which defeats the purpose of drinking the product. One should pay close attention to the recommended serving allowance and avoid overuse of these products.

Sugar...A short lived boost with a crash effect.

Energy drinks that rely on sugar to give the user a boost are not the best when the user is seeking a steady energy level.

The body tends to grab the sugar and convert it to quick energy, however the boost is short lived as the sugar runs out and the body is forced to look for other energy sources.

Sugar based energy drinks are also a problem for diabetics as they can not handle the excess sugar.

Excessively sweet drinks can be difficult for some users to drink while exerting themselves.

These types of drinks are not exactly favored for those that are watching their caloric intake as well. The products are usually ingested at a level above and beyond the suggested serving size.

One tends to drink the entire can of product and in most cases may actually be consuming twice the serving size and unknowingly getting twice the calories.

Finding the best energy drink for you is indeed a quest. Consider the way the product generates the energy boost. How long will that boost last? How much and when can you ingest the product to meet your energy needs?

Remember to look at the suggested serving size and take that into account when using energy drink products. Lastly...spend some time researching the key ingredients to make sure that you are getting the best energy drink for your needs.