Natural Pre workout drinks are vital for increasing energy levels and providing power and stamina when exercising. Post-workout drinks aid muscle recovery and refill glycogen reserves to feed the body.
Commercial exercise drinks include excessive quantities of caffeine and potentially toxic substances that might impact your health in the long term. As a result, choose homemade beverages.
Natural sugars, antioxidants, and dietary fiber included in homemade pre- and post-workout beverages can keep you energetic while improving your overall health. We’ve compiled a list of the 12 finest homemade pre- and post-workout drinks to boost your energy levels. Examine it.
12 Greatest Homemade Natural Pre Workout Drinks
All of these homemade juices are great pre-workout beverages. They enhance energy and activity performance. These juices may also be used as post-workout beverages using homemade roasted dal powder, pea protein powder, or oats powder to boost protein content and help in muscle rehabilitation.
“A pre-workout pill containing caffeine might be one approach to improve your energy for an exercise,” Taking this vitamin 30 minutes to an hour before exercising can help you maintain energy during your activity. You may also customize your pre-workout snacks to give you the necessary power. A fruit smoothie or sliced apple with peanut butter are beautiful choices for feeding your body while exercising.”
1. Beetroot Juice
Ingredients
- 1 peeled and chopped beetroot
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Pink Himalayan salt, a pinch
How to Get Ready
- Transfer the beetroot to a glass and blend.
- Mix in the lime juice and pink Himalayan salt.
- Drink after thoroughly stirring.
How Does It Work?
Beetroot is one of the healthiest and most nutrient-dense veggies. Nitrate in beetroot juice enhances workout performance. In the body, nitrate is transformed into nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide promotes vasodilation (increases the length and breadth of blood vessels), blood flow, and muscular contraction. When combined with lime juice and Himalayan salt, this sweet vegetable delivers energy and tastes delicious.
Read more About the health benefits of beetroot
2. A cup of coffee
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons instant coffee
- 1 cup warm water
How to Get Ready
- Pour boiling water into the cup with the coffee granules.
- Sip after thoroughly stirring.
How Does It Work?
Coffee is a high-caffeine, energizing beverage. Caffeine is not dangerous when used in moderation. Yet, it is found in high concentrations of energy drinks, which may harm your health. According to one research, consuming tea or coffee in moderation increases physical activity and energy levels while decreasing weariness.
3. Fresh Coconuts Water
Ingredients
- Coconut water (300 mL)
- 2 tbsp. coconut, chopped
How to Get Ready
- Stir in the chopped coconut to the coconut water.
- It should be refrigerated (if you have time and there is a perfect climate outside).
- After your workout, relax with a refreshing drink.
How Does It Work?
Coconut water is a natural electrolyte that replenishes lost salts and balances your body’s electrolyte content. Drinking coconut water might help the body rehydrate after exercise.
Read More About the Health Benefits of Coconut Water
4. Energizer Orange Juice
Ingredients
- 14 cups green grapes 1 cup chopped orange
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 12 teaspoon cumin seed powder
How to Get Ready
- In a blender, combine the chopped orange and green grapes. Mix well.
- Fill a glass halfway with it. Mix in the lime juice and toasted cumin seed powder.
- Drink after thoroughly stirring.
How Does It Work?
Vitamin C is abundant in oranges and lime juice. Grapes are high in natural sugars, giving your body the necessary glucose before exercising. Due to its significant antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, purple grape juice increased runner performance by boosting time-to-exhaustion. Drink this 30-60 minutes before going to the gym.
5. Pomegranate juice
Ingredients
- 12 cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tbsp. passionfruit pulp
- 1 tablespoon honey
How to Get Ready
- In a blender, combine the pomegranate and passionfruit.
- Fill a glass halfway with the mixture.
- Mix in the honey well.
How Does It Work?
According to review research, consuming pomegranate juice improves exercise performance and post-exercise recovery. To keep energetic and agile, drink it for 30 minutes before going to the gym.
6. Apple Banana Juice
Ingredients
- 2 large bananas
- 12 cups minced apple
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 12 cups milk/water (If lactose sensitive, use almond milk with cow milk.)
How to Get Ready
- Wash and pat dry the bananas and apple.
- Peel and cut the bananas into pieces. Peel the apple and chop it in half. One half should be cut into medium-sized pieces, while should store the other.
- Combine the banana chunks, apple bits, and honey in a blender jar.
- Pour in the milk. (You may also add water to produce a low-calorie juice).
- Mix all of the items until they form a creamy purée.
- Examine the consistency. If it’s too thick, add milk to thin it down and combine for another 5 seconds.
- Pour it into serving glasses and top with a banana wheel before serving.
How Does It Work?
The banana is a multipurpose fruit abundant in vitamins, minerals, and high-energy carbohydrates. One medium banana (around 118 g) contains 27 grams of carbohydrates, 3.1 grams of dietary fiber, and 105 calories. Consuming bananas before and during extended and intense exercise may improve performance.
7. Grapefruit Pre-Workout Drink
Ingredients
- 1 pomegranate
- 1 cup sweet lime, chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 12 tsp black salt
How to Get Ready
- Blend the diced sweet lime and grapefruit in a blender until smooth.
- Fill a glass halfway with the juice.
- Mix with honey and black salt.
- Before drinking, could you give it a good stir?
How Does It Work?
This beverage is high in water, electrolytes, and natural sugars. Exercising will keep you stimulated and hydrated (100 g of grapefruit includes 88 g of water). Eat it 60 minutes before exercising.
8. Coconut Spirulina Energy Drink
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon spirulina powder 1 glass delicate coconut water
How to Get Ready
- Combine spirulina powder with fresh tender coconut water in a glass.
- Stir thoroughly and enjoy.
How Does It Work?
The body and aid quickly absorb Spirulina’s polysaccharides and vital lipids in energy release. Spirulina also promotes the development of Lactobacillus bacteria (gut bacteria), which produce vitamin B6 and release energy. When coupled with coconut water, Spirulina restores hydration and maintains electrolyte balance.
9. Chia Berries juice
Ingredients
- 12 cups fresh strawberries
- 12 cups fresh blueberries
- a few mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon chia seeds
How to Get Ready
- Blend the berries and mint leaves in a blender until smooth.
- Fill a glass halfway with it.
- Mix with honey and chia seeds.
- Drink after thoroughly stirring.
How Does It Work?
Berries are high in antioxidants and natural carbohydrates. Blueberries’ polyphenolic content has antioxidative properties and helps to reduce post-exercise muscular tiredness. Research on runners in Korea found that supplementing with blueberries improved workout performance significantly. Chia seeds are high in protein and dietary fiber.
10. Green tea
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of green tea leaves
- 1 cup of water
How to Get Ready
- Fill a pot halfway with water and bring it to a boil.
- Turn off the burner and wait 3 minutes for the water to cool.
- Steep the green tea leaves for 3 minutes.
- Pour the tea into a cup.
How Does It Work?
Green tea is high in antioxidants and has a little caffeine. Consuming it an hour before going out can supply you with energy while keeping you from feeling tired and hungry. According to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, green tea extract boosts exercise performance and increases whole-body fat utilization during a workout.
Read More About the Benefits of Green tea
11. Cherry Lemonade
Ingredients
- 12 cups chopped cherries
- a 12 cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 14 tsp fennel seed powder
How to Get Ready
- Combine the chopped cherries and a little quantity of water in a blender. Mix well.
- Fill a glass halfway with honey, lime juice, and fennel seed powder.
- Before drinking, please give it a good stir.
How Does It Work?
A cup of cherries (138 g) contains various nutrients. According to research, cherries’ antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities may relieve post-exercise injuries and contribute to speedier muscle recovery. They are making it a DIY pre-workout drink by adding lemonade.
12. Watermelon Energizer
Ingredients
- 1 watermelon cup
- 1-liter coconut water
- Pink Himalayan salt, a pinch
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
How to Get Ready
- Fill a blender halfway with watermelon.
- Mix well and strain the seeds.
- Combine the coconut water, lime juice, and pink Himalayan salt in a mixing bowl.
- Stir thoroughly and enjoy.
How Does It Work?
This drink contains natural sugars and accessible chemicals such as lycopene and vitamins A and C. It also serves as an electrolyte balancer. A two-week trial of 20 male cyclists fed with watermelon puree found that it improved endurance exercise performance and boosted post-exercise antioxidant levels. Take it 45 minutes before or 5-10 minutes after exercising.
Tips To Consider
To boost your energy before an exercise, eat something simple that has a good combination of carbs and fat/protein. You could have a banana with a handful of nuts, a trail mix, a small fruit smoothie with nut butter and chia or powdered flax seeds, and so on, depending on the activity and when you do it. Just keep it light and include carbohydrates (for quick, rapid energy) as well as fat/protein (for long-lasting energy).”
These are the most incredible DIY energy drinks for refueling before and after a workout at the gym or home. So why should you prefer homemade energy drinks over commercially available ones?
Natural Energy Drinks vs. Ready-Made Energy Drinks
The market is inundated with prepackaged energy drinks, many of which promise to keep you energetic throughout your workout. Nevertheless, experts advise against purchasing them and instead producing your natural pre- and post-workout energy drinks at home. These are some of the reasons why you should pick natural energy drinks over ready-made ones:
- Natural energy drinks are lower in sugar (mainly fructose). Since they are handcrafted, you may adjust the sugar amount to meet your needs.
- They contain no more than 8% carbs, which benefits weight reduction.
- The salt level of these natural beverages is controlled, which is essential for hypertensive persons.
- As a result, making your exercise drink makes perfect sense. But there are a few things to bear in mind.
Considerations While Working Exercise
- During exercise, our bodies lose a significant quantity of water. Weighing oneself before and after exercise is recommended. For every pound lost after the activity, drink 16-24 ounces of water.
- Water is usually one of the better options available. It is much preferable to consume anything with electrolytes to replace the body’s water-electrolyte balance. While exercising for less than 90 minutes, drink plenty of water. While exercising moderately for more than 90 minutes, use zero to low-calorie electrolyte sports drinks.
- If you exercise longer than usual, choose a drink high in protein and carbohydrates within 2 hours after your activity. Carbohydrates help to refuel cells and replace glycogen reserves, while protein helps to repair muscle tissue.
- Avoid fruit juices if you have diabetes or are fat because they contain fructose or fruit sugar, which causes an insulin rise.
- Consume the pre-workout energy drink at least 45-120 minutes before exercising (this depends on the person). Experiment with pre-workout meal time to determine what works best for you.
Additional Resources
Impact of dietary nitrate on the physiological determinants of exercise performance: a comprehensive review, Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, National Institutes of Health, United States National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25068792/
Dietary nitrate (in green leafy vegetables and beetroot) has vasodilatory effects through the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22882425
Iranian Journal of Public Health, National Institutes of Health, and the National Library of Medicine in the United States Investigating the Effects of Blueberry Intake on Exercise Performance, TAS, and Inflammation Variables. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6124147/
Seed Nutritional Value, dried chia seeds, United States Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170554/nutrients
Association between Tea and Coffee Usage and Physical Activity, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine. A Daily Cup of Tea or Coffee May Keep You Moving.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163361/
Nordic Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Effect of green tea extract and endurance training on substrate metabolism during human exercise. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20459475
After exercise, rehydrate with fresh young coconut water, carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage, and plain water—National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Journal of Physiological Anthropology, and Applied Human Science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12056182
Cherries, sweet and raw, nutritional value, United States Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171719/nutrients
Eating of Cherries as a Strategy to Reduce Exercise-Induced Muscle Injury and Inflammation in Humans, Nutrición Hospitalaria, National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545642
Nutritive Value of Oranges, raw, navels, U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169917/nutrients
Nutritive Value of Lime Juice, raw, U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168156/nutrients
The possible ergogenic effect of grape juice in runners, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, National Institutes of Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26288392
Benefits of pomegranate supplementation on exercise performance and post-exercise recovery in healthy adults: a systematic study, British Journal of Nutrition, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30350760
Nutritive Value of Watermelon, raw, U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167765/nutrients
National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine of the United States Effects of Watermelon and Carbohydrate Beverages on Exercise-Induced Changes in Systemic Inflammation, Immune Dysfunction, and Plasma Antioxidant Capacity, Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4997430/
PLOS One, U.S. National Library of Medicine, U.S. Institutes of Health, Bananas as an Energy Source During Exercise: A Metabolomics Approach. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3355124/
United States Department of Agriculture, Raw, Pink, and Red Grapefruit Nutritional Value, All Regions. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174673/nutrients
