Intra Workout Nutrition

In this blog, I am going to explain about various Intra Workout Nutrition options and which one is suitable for you.

Ever seen someone drinking something colorful in gyms, well let’s talk about them.

Intra workout drinks are usually consumed during workout for a quick quiver of energy. They contain simple carbs(fast digesting) so that you won’t feel any heaviness in your stomach.

Simple carbohydrates like dextrose, fructose, glucose are broken down expeditiously by the body to be used as energy.

GOAL OF INTRA WORKOUT DRINKS

• HYDRATION: During workout you must stay properly hydrated because even 2 percent dehydration can affect your performance. Due to sweating, water loss happens and one of the primary goals of the intraworkout(I.W) drinks is hydration. That’s why water is a major component in I.W drinks.

• ENERGIZE: I.W drinks contain simple carbs to boost performance and amino acids to boost your recovery.

• ELECTROLYTE REPLENISHMENT: Most I.W drinks contain Na+ and K+ electrolytes because when we sweat, not only water loss takes place but it also leads to loss of electrolytes in our body.

1. Training time(duration of your workout)

1. Training intensity(how heavy or intense you’re lifting)

1. HOT CLIMATE: If you’re training in hot climate or in non air conditioned gyms and sweat rate is pretty high and you’re feeling weak during workout.

1. DURING FAT LOSS: If you’re on fat loss, you would be consuming less calories than you need which may be making you feel enervated during workouts, in that case I.W drinks can be a savior.

1. If your training time is more than 2 hours/day. Maybe you’re an endurance athlete or play sports along with training in the gym.

1. If you’re training early morning in fasted state and you’re feeling shit or groggy.

DO YOU REALLY NEED I.W DRINKS?

Intra workout nutrition depends on:

It is validated in researches that if your workout duration is less than or equal to 90 minutes, you don’t need any fancy I.W drinks.

Even most intense workouts deplete glycogen(it is a form of glucose which gives you energy during any intense activity) stores only by 35-40% and when it comes to amino acids, if you had taken a protein source before your workout, then amino acids are already present in your body which will aid you in recovery and performance. Even if you haven’t taken any protein source 1-2 hours before your workout but if you’re hitting your daily protein goal – no need to worry then.

Mostly endurance athletes need I.W drinks who continuously without any rest train for 2-3 hours like boxers, cricketers, footballers.

So, for the rest of the people who just go to gym, they don’t need any special drinks during workout and the best I.W drink for them is WATER, yes that’s it, nothing else.

One research was conducted in 2008 in which one group was given water and other group was given an I.W drink during their workout and the research concluded that there was no significant difference between the performance of both groups.

CASES WHERE I.W DRINKS CAN HELP

I.W drinks can be beneficial for you in following cases:

I.W DRINKS

Most common I.W drinks are BCAA’s(branch chain amino acids) and EAA’s(essential amino acids).

which of them is better?

BCAA’s were all the rage 5-6 years ago but nowadays EAA’s have outshined them because EAA’s in them contain BCAA’s along with other essential amino acids. So, in EAA’s, you will be getting a complete profile of amino acids.

Does I.W drinks consumption helps you in achieving your physique goal?

To put it bluntly, NO. These drinks are just to give you a quiver of energy you may need to perform optimally in the gym. Achieving your goal physique depends on your daily protein intake, overall diet and training.

So that’s all about today’s blog, I've explained you everything you need to know about Intra Workout Nutrition.

See you all in my next blog. Till then keep crushing you workouts, stay fit and be benevolent towards others.