Energy drinks and weight lifting.

[Travalanche]

Hey, I go to the gym 3 times a week to lift weights and have noticed that when I drink 3-4 energy drinks I tend to do like 30-50% more repetitions than when I just drink water alone. Is this just a placebo affect or something?

I noticed that my body tends to get a bit warm and numb and I don't wear out as easy, is it the Niacin? I know this is probably the wrong forum to ask this but this is one of the only ones I haven't been banned from (serious lol).

[MARS]

So what's more important: ingesting more than double the sugar, caffeine, calories etc etc that you should be ingesting from anything daily just to lift some more or actually getting fit and healthy?

Stick to water bud, it's good for you.

[Musicman247]

Have to agree that water is best. The caffeine and sugar in those drinks makes your heart beat faster than normal. It also blocks the chemicals that tells your body it's tired. There are usually warnings on the sides of those drinks that say not to drink two or three of them in a 24 hour period. You're stressing your body more than you should be, especially working out after drinking those.

Water before and during workouts and fat free chocolate milk after is usually best (the chocolate milk gives your body the sugars and protein it needs to rebuild muscle tissue).

[Travalanche]

Okay thanks for the advice maybe I was overdoing it with 3, I think I'll stick to one before the workout because I did notice my heart was racing.

[leroybrown]

Hey, I go to the gym 3 times a week to lift weights and have noticed that when I drink 3-4 energy drinks I tend to do like 30-50% more repetitions than when I just drink water alone. Is this just a placebo affect or something?

I doubt it's a placebo but like Mars was saying you may be shooting yourself in the foot. If you have to drink energy drinks to gain the stamina needed for your workouts then something else is wrong. (Shoddy cardio, diet, sleep or all 3)

I noticed that my body tends to get a bit warm and numb and I don't wear out as easy, is it the Niacin? I know this is probably the wrong forum to ask this but this is one of the only ones I haven't been banned from (serious lol).

That's interesting I've never heard of that, definitely possible (possible as in your skin/extremetes will feel those affects as well as you may turn red, absolutely will not help workouts however). Some people take a niacin supplement but that's a before bed kinda thing. Those are the affects of a heavy niacin dose, which energy drinks are you drinking? I know most of them have 100% DV or more so it wouldn't be too surprising.

Okay thanks for the advice maybe I was overdoing it with 3, I think I'll stick to one before the workout because I did notice my heart was racing.

'Racing' is subjective. You should check it: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHe ... rticle.jsp Look into HIIT training

As for what to eat, pre and/or post workout meals, I'll leave that up to you. My cookie-cutter advice is to try different diets and see what works for you. I know you hear this all the time but it really isn't bs. Just look it up, the internet will bend over backwards to give advice, books are best though. If you live in the states you should check out Fat Politics, very very interesting and it will change the way you look at food. Or it won't, it did for me though.

[norse]

Hey, I go to the gym 3 times a week to lift weights and have noticed that when I drink 3-4 energy drinks I tend to do like 30-50% more repetitions than when I just drink water alone. Is this just a placebo affect or something?

I noticed that my body tends to get a bit warm and numb and I don't wear out as easy, is it the Niacin? I know this is probably the wrong forum to ask this but this is one of the only ones I haven't been banned from (serious lol).

Are you aware of what ingredients are in those energy drinks?

[DerangedPickle]

It's a very bad idea to drink energy drinks in general, the high sugar and caffeine content is a very unhealthy mix and drink so many of them daily while it will give you more energy will probably add a lot of fat to your body which for weightlifters isn't too good.

I would suggest instead drinking coffee or tea as a source of caffeine instead of energy drinks.

[Hardven]

Energy drinks contain caffeine and other ingredients, such as niacin, taurine, and sugar, that can potentially affect your performance in the gym. However, it's important to note that these effects can vary depending on the individual, their tolerance to caffeine and other ingredients, and their underlying health conditions.

Caffeine, for example, is a stimulant that can increase alertness, focus, and energy levels. This can result in improved performance during physical activity, such as lifting weights, by allowing you to do more repetitions or lift heavier weights.

Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin that helps your body convert food into energy. It's unclear how much niacin in energy drinks contributes to improved performance, but the levels in these drinks may not be enough to significantly impact your performance.

[legoless]

Thanks for the insights, ChatGPT; locking this.