Are you having trouble finding the energy to work out in the morning? Is coffee not working for you anymore? I never thought I could survive a day without coffee. If you are like me, you can get immune to caffeine pretty fast.
As a personal trainer, I am up at the crack of dawn almost every day! Have you ever realized how much money a year we spend on coffee? It is even worse if you go to Starbucks. You may be telling yourself:
How could I live without my coffee and energy drinks?
I used to love energy drinks, even knowing how bad they were for me! What is worse about energy drinks is that you feel worse than you did after it wears off. Energy drinks are not cheap either! You have 1 a day and that could be $15-20 a week. With there being so many energy drinks and pre-workout supplements out there, have you ever tried making your own energy drink? I have been around supplements and even tried just about every energy supplement that has been made. I could not tell you how much wasted money that I have spent over the years on crap that did not get the job done. If you know me, I am not a computer guy, I barely know how to turn the darn thing on. Until a couple of months ago, I have never been on Amazon before. People thought I was crazy! When I went on it for the 1st time, I was skeptical because I want be at the store to see what I am buying. Recently, I found this company called Bulk Supplements on Amazon and I fell in love from day 1. I was so sick of spending a ridiculous amount of money on supplements, but the worst thing was I had no idea if the ingredients were actually in that supplement. The best part was that each supplement was 100% pure and wasn’t very inexpensive.
Total Cost:
Cost per Drink per gram:
BCAA’s: (11 cents per gram): 1500 mg per day. 447 mg=.447 grams
Creatine Monohydrate (5 cents per gram): 2500 mg-5000 mg per day. 2500 mg=2.5 grams
Beta Alanine (11 cents per gram): 500 mg 3 times a day. 500 mg=.5 grams
L-Arginine(.04 cents per gram): 750 mg 3 times a day. 750 mg=.75 grams
Total Cost for Cheat Homemade Energy Drink:
How to make a Cheap Homemade Energy Drink
1. Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
I am sure most of you have heard the term branch chain amino acids before. Do you know what they are? The 3 main amino acids are Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. If you are someone who has a lower daily protein intake, BCAA’s can help satisfy those needs. Not only do they help with protein synthesis (helps build specific proteins) and aids in muscle recovery and growth, but it helps prevent fatigue. Research has shown that BCAA’s work to increase lactate threshold (in a nutshell is that burn in the muscles that you feel when working out and if increased can help you pick up the pace when lifting and/or running) and endurance training. Although the research says that BCAA’s benefit workouts, studies have shown that supplementing with a small amount of a carbohydrate source can improve exercise performance.
How many grams per day?
There are a number of ways you can manage your daily BCAA requirements. Many people may say that you need to take 3 grams if under 150 Lbs and 5 grams over 150 lbs prior, during or after exercise. What has worked out well for me is taking 443 mg (1/4 tsp) three times daily to feed my muscles throughout the day.
2. Beta-Alanine
Beta- Alanine has become a popular sports performance supplement in the past couple of years. Studies have shown that not only does beta-alanine improve aerobic endurance, it also can improve body composition and strength. Studies have also shown that supplementing creatine with beta-alanine together had the greatest effect on lean body mass and strength performance. What most studies have in common is that when examining fatigue, beta- alanine improved work out capacity. This means that you may not fatigue as fast as you would without supplementation.
How many grams per day?
Spreading out the supplement throughout the day is something that I have experimented with for the past month. Taking about 500 mg (1/8 tsp) 3 times a day is plenty to fuel your body throughout the day.
3. Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is probably the most widely researched sports performance supplement. If you ask somebody who is your average weightlifter, they may tell you that creatine monohydrate is used for just muscle mass and strength gains. Bet you did not know that it can improve your high intensity training such as weightlifting and sprinting? Studies have suggested that creatine monohydrate has little to no effect on cardiovascular endurance such as long distance, but it significantly improves power performance. When taking creatine monohydrate, it is suggested to drink plenty of water to make sure the chances of cramping can be limited!
How many grams per day?
Studies have suggested that taking 6 grams of creatine monohydrate is enough to improve high intensity training and it can be taken 1-2 hours before exercise or spread the 6 grams out to 2 g drinks 3 times a day.
4. L-Arginine
L-arginine is a very popular supplement in the bodybuilding for building mass while aiding in body composition. L-arginine is considered a non-essential amino acid meaning that your body produces it on its own. If you are someone who suffers from illness and injuries, supplementing L-arginine can help with recovery. Have you ever heard of nitric oxide? Nitric oxide opens up your veins and arteries which helps oxygen and nutrients flow better throughout your body. Studies have are mixed about the benefits of L-arginine alone. Many studies have suggested that supplementing L-arginine with other amino acids and antioxidants improve oxygen consumption meaning exercise may feel easier!
How many grams per day?
There have been a number of studies that have talked about different kinds of dosages. If you are just planning on taking them before exercise then in is recommended to take 3-5 g 1-2 hours before. If you want to spread them out then 2-3 g 3 times a day can help fuel the body throughout the day.
Conclusion
With all the research out there on supplements, being smart about what you put into your body is key! I have taken so many supplements out there and you never know if these supplements out there are even healthy for you. Going with supplements from Bulk Supplements has put my trust back into taking supplements. Going with 100% pure is the best way to go. Remember that just because you are taking supplements, this does not mean that you slack off on your diet. Having a healthy balanced diet combined with supplement intake can give you the energy that you need for the gym!
Reference:
- Riazi R, et al The total branched-chain amino acid requirement in young healthy adult men determined by indicator amino acid oxidation by use of L-{1-13C}phenylalanine . J Nutr. (2003)
- Hobson RM, Saunders B, Ball G, Harris RC, Sale C. Effects of β-alanine supplementation on exercise performance: a meta-analysis. Amino Acids. 2012 Jul;43(1):25-37. doi: 10.1007/s00726-011-1200-z. Epub 2012 Jan 24.
- Cooper R, Naclerio F, Allgrove J, Jimenez A. Creatine supplementation with specific view to exercise/sportsperformance: an update. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2012 Jul 20;9(1):33
- SJ. Bailey, JR Blackwell, T Lord, A Vanhatalo, PG Winyard and AM Jones L-citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans. J Appl Physiol 2015 May 28:jap.00192.2014. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00192.2014.