BS, Dietetics and Nutrition
Most people reach for a bottle of supplement to re-energize their bodies before, during, and after a workout. But do you know that there are plenty of homemade natural drinks that you could consider to boost your workouts?
Homemade drinks with natural ingredients are believed to be good for consumption, because no preservatives or other chemicals are added to them. These drinks are easy to make, and you don’t have to spend ages or a fortune to make one.
To get started, here’s a list of simple homemade drinks that may boost your workout. Read on to get more helpful hints:
1. Cherry Juice
Generally, cherry juice is an excellent drink that can refresh your body. It’s also a good workout drink that’s believed to support post-workout recovery. Cherry juice has high levels of minerals like potassium which helps remove sodium’s effects on your blood pressure and keep your heartbeat normal.
It also contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant which may help your body fight infections and improve your immune system, allowing your body to perform more efficiently, especially during workouts.
To make cherry juice at home, start by washing and stemming the cherries. Put them in a blender, and to every one cup of cherry, add a quarter cup of water. Blend them until they’re loose from the pits. Sieve to separate the juice from the pits, then drink.
2. Green Tea
You know that green tea is believed to be one of the best beverages for weight loss and good metabolism. Did you also know it may boost your workout? Green tea may help your body endure for many hours, thus allowing you to work out more.
Green tea isn’t prepared like other teas, which requires just chucking the tea in a cup and adding boiling water. If you don’t follow the right procedure, you may end up with a bitter beverage. However, green tea can be a very wonderful drink when prepared in the right way.
To prepare green tea, you need green tea leaves, water, and sweetener. Heat water to about 85 degrees Celsius, which is the optimal green tea temperature that can reduce the bitterness of the tea. Pour the hot water into a cup and add the green tea leaves to it. Depending on how strong you want your tea to taste, steep the tea for three to five minutes. Add the sweetener to your tea to make it taste good and serve it.
3. Green Banana Smoothie
Like cherry, banana is also very rich in potassium, which may help your body fight off fatigue and keep your heart’s regular rhythm. Apart from being rich in potassium, banana is a great source of magnesium and vitamin B. While magnesium nourishes your nerves and muscles, vitamins B may help improve your body’s physical endurance and could also reduce tiredness after a workout.
Prepare the banana smoothie by blending green bananas with lettuce. Lettuce is a vegetable that’s also rich in potassium. Pour water into a food processor and add chopped lettuce and ice. Blend for two minutes, add the green bananas, and blend again until they mix well.
4. Beetroot Juice
Beetroot is a healthy vegetable rich in lots of nutrients. Nitrate is one of the nutrients found in beetroot which could help improve your workout performance. Your body converts nitrates into nitric oxide, which is known to make your blood vessels increase in size, thus improving your blood flow during workouts.
To make beetroot juice, peel your beetroots and blend them. To add flavor, pour some lime juice, stir well, then drink.
5. Lemon Lime Coconut Drink With Ginger
Coconuts have a lot of electrolytes that nourish your tired body, especially after an extensive workout. It’s also very rich in vitamin B, magnesium, potassium, and antioxidants.
On the other hand, lime contains antioxidants that are believed to boost the body’s immune system. Ginger is rich in manganese and potassium that could help your body maintain electrolyte balance.
Like all the other beverages discussed above, lemon lime coconut beverage is simple to make. Just add the lemon and lime juice to a pitcher, add water, coconut juice, and ginger, then blend. You can add a teaspoon of honey to make the taste sweet.
6. Pineapple And Ginger Juice
Pineapple contains a lot of carbohydrates that are believed to provide the energy required in a vigorous workout. These help ensure that you won’t get tired so easily. How about pineapple with ginger? How can this combo improve your workout routine? Ginger has been found to have components that may boost your muscle recovery after an intensive workout.
Always drink pineapple and ginger juice or any other pre-workout beverage 60 -120 minutes before workout. They might help you get the most benefits out of your workout since they’re believed to improve workout performance and efficiency.
Pineapple and ginger juice may also improve how your body’s response to workout, thus helping you get the best results. Prepare your pineapple and ginger juice by simply pouring your pineapple juice into a cup and add a tablespoon of ginger juice. You can whisk it in cinnamon if you like.
7. Chia Berry Juice
Berries are rich in natural sugar and they also contain antioxidants. They’re believed to suppress post-workout muscle fatigue; supplementing your diet with berries may help increase your workout performance. On the other hand, chia seeds are excellent sources of fiber and proteins. Fiber and proteins may help you repair your damaged muscles due to an extensive workout.
To make chia berry juice, put berries and mint leaves in a food processor and blend them well. Add chia seeds and honey, stir well, and drink.
Takeaway
The above homemade beverages are believed to boost workout performance, just like any other workout supplement. Drinking these homemade beverages may help nourish your body and improve your general immune system and keep you from being exposed to toxic chemicals.
If you work out for longer hours than usual, always choose a beverage rich in proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins may help rebuild the lost muscle tissues while carbohydrates might replenish glucose stores and refuel the body cells. You may try these drinks and find out for yourself which workout beverage suits you best.
