The Best Energy Drinks For Running

Many runners are looking for a way to improve their times or reduce fatigue. Training, nutrition and fitness can only get you so far if you are not ingesting the right thing during your workout. Staying hydrated and maintaining electrolytes and carbohydrates can help increase your energy and may mean the difference between a first- or fourth-place finish.

Gatorade G Series Pro 02 Perform

This line of energy drinks from Gatorade features drinks for training, performance and recovery. The performance energy drink G Series Pro 02 Perform, is an endurance formula that touts itself as having twice the sodium and three times the potassium of regular Gatorade. This is important because sodium and potassium are electrolytes that help your cells maintain their functions. Most cells work on a basis of depolarization in which electrolytic ions are negatively or positively charged and can maintain a cell's homeostasis. If your electrolytes become depleted, functions like blood pH or heart rate can be negatively affected. If heart rate is unusually high or pH is wrong, your body must work harder and can become fatigued faster. According to a study published in "Trends in Food Science and Technology" in 1997 by the Novartis Nutrition Research Unit, energy drinks should contain sodium to enhance athletic performance.

Hammer Nutrition: HEED Energy Drink

HEED Energy Drink by Hammer Nutrition provides a carbohydrate blend that is made to keep a steady rise in blood glucose. Its mix of carbohydrates helps keep your energy up. The right blend of carbohydrates during running can help improve performance and stave off fatigue. According to Asker Jeukendrup, PhD, FACSM, in a study published in the "Sports Science Library" in 2008, carbohydrates should be ingested during exercise. Jeukendrup believes that a carbohydrate cocktail of glucose and fructose is ideal for digestion by the body during exercise. This combination can improve performance during prolonged bouts of exercise, especially running as it can be quite fatiguing. He goes on to suggest taking carbohydrates in a solution, because highly concentrated amounts can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, which is counterproductive to exercise enhancement.

Cytomax Performance Plus

Cytosport's Cytomax Performance Plus drink has 80 percent less sugar than the average sports drink. Less sugar means more sustained energy over a longer period of time. In a study published in Plos One in 2007 by John Azevedo Jr. and colleagues, the effects of Cytomax on exercise were analyzed. In this study, one cyclist drank Cytomax during and after exercise and another cyclist drank an unnamed sports drink. The results showed that the athlete who drank Cytomax had a higher exercise capacity, performed high-intensity exercise better and recovered more readily than the other athlete.