How to Choose the Best Post Workout Drinks to Reach Your Goals

Food is fuel and the body is a machine. The way you decide what type of fuel to put into your car is the same way that you should decide what type of fuel to put into your body. Inferior fuel will impede the machine's ability to perform. Quality is one determining factor when deciding what post workout drink best suits your needs.

Unlike fuel for machines though, your stomach does not function like the gas tank of a car. The fuel you put into your body doesn't just sit there waiting to be used when you are not working out. Your body is constantly running, breaking down the fuel that you've consumed and either using the energy that has been released into your bloodstream or storing it as body fat when you've consumed more calories than what you will be using at that time.

Another way to determine the best workout drink is by identifying the proper caloric macronutrient breakdown that you will need to achieve your specific goal. Do you want to build lean mass? Do you want to burn excess body fat? Do you want to enhance athletic performance?

One element key element in your decision regarding which post workout drink works best for you will be for you to know and adjust the macro-breakdown to suit your specific goal. Preservation of lean mass should always be paramount. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be even at rest.

There are four basic categories of post workout drinks.

1. Gym juice bar post workout drink:

If they can't provide you with specific nutrient information then choose a different option. Many of these shakes are loaded with calories that you may not need or want regardless of how healthy the individual ingredients may be. Blindly choosing this option sets you up for sabotage. If you are unsure which specific ingredients yield what specific calories then ask the attendant for guidance. If they can't offer intelligent product information, err on the side of caution and chose one of the three following options.

2. Pre-packaged ready-to-drink post workout drink:

There are many on the market available through retailers and online distributors. This is the only post workout drink whose macros can't be manipulated because it is ready-to-drink. As long as a product's macro breakdown suits your specific goal and your pocket book can handle it, that post workout drink can be beneficial.

3. Pre-packaged powdered post workout drink:

Some brands are better than others due to quality of their contents and value based on servings per container. One excellent manufacturer is Vi-Shape from Visualus Sciences. Vi-shape can only be bought through independent distributors. To purchase this excellent fitness and weight loss post workout drink please contact agnesvigh@gmail.com

4. Home-made post workout drink:

1/2 C frozen strawberries
8 oz soy milk
1 C cottage cheese
8 oz water

Macro breakdown: Fat 10 G, Carbohydrate 46 G, Protein 37 G
Total caloric yield: 412