This is how much better your life can get without Energy Drinks
- Maya Kirl
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
I stopped drinking energy drinks, and this is what happened.
I have been drinking pre-workout energy drinks since I was 15 and now I’m 25. That is 10 years of my life drinking pre-workout every single day right when I wake up. When I tell you that this routine has been completely ingrained in my life, that would be an understatement. I grew to love the routine and enjoyed drinking my pre-workout drink, knowing that I would have energy and feel awake in the morning. It was my ritual- one that my body knew well.
When I decided to try and stop taking pre-workout, I was nervous. How else was I going to be awake and motivated for my workouts? This was something that not only woke me up, but gave me something to do in the minutes after I woke up. I would eat a small snack and drink my pre workout. You don’t understand, this is my life.
The way that I did it was simple. Stop buying pre-workout. That’s easy when I buy it from my grocery store, so there’s not any kind of auto ship I have to cancel. The hard part is passing the aisle and continuing to walk. I feel the pull to grab some and keep my ritual. I like my ritual. It’s hard to stop.
When I tell you that my life got significantly better when I stopped taking it, I am not exaggerating. I always felt like I was in a never ending cycle of not sleeping well, being sleepy throughout the day, taking a nap and not sleeping well. I was afraid I would have a large decrease in energy, but I was wrong. In turn, I actually felt better all day long. There was no caffeine crash. I will say that I continued to drink coffee, with cream and sugar. I replaced my pre workout with having 2 total cups of coffee a day.
Either way, the second night after I stopped taking pre-workout was the best sleep I have had in years. I didn’t wake up every 45 minutes. The night went by fast because I wasn’t up for half of it.
I started to feel better throughout the entire day, and didn’t feel like I constantly needed a nap. This was crazy! I was terrified I was going to be so tired, but I was so wrong.
There was a little intermission of buying another tub of pre workout after 2-3 weeks, however, when that one ran out, I still have not bought another one and it has been another 2-3 weeks. I will say, there are still the withdrawal effects because I am still wanting to buy more. This may have to do with my parents coffee at home that is nowhere near to my taste, so I would rather drink pre workout than coffee to get some caffeine in me. That being said, i am persevering through because i do believe that coffee is better than pre workout.
I realize a lot of pre-workouts have some added vitamins and minerals that are really good for your health like B vitamins and other nutrients. Though this may be true, it can still be harmful, and I want to review the Pros and Cons of Pre-Workout
The dangerous truth of energy drinks
A lot of pre workout powders and energy have 200+ mg of caffeine in each serving. That is 50% of our daily maximum of caffeine. Having that much caffeine in one go can be harmful to our heart health because it speeds up our resting heart rate. Your heart can feel like its pumping when you’re hardly doing anything.
Many people drink energy drinks even when they are not about to workout or go do something active so there is nothing that is going to burn up the caffeine faster than normally. This means that it can take longer and will stay in your system. And a lot of people end up having another energy drink or serving before the end of the day. No regular person needs that much caffeine.
Drinking caffeine late in the day
Don’t get me started with drinking caffeine late in the day. When you drink caffeine late in the day, it can mess up your circadian rhythm and sleeping habits. When people say that caffeine doesnt affect them and they can stil sleep, that means thair body is seriously messed up. You may be sleeping, but it is not quality sleep. And then you wonder why you are so tired throughout the day and need TWO energy drinks. There is a correlation here!
Pro’s of Pre-workout
A Boost of energy
A tasty drink before a workout (this is purely for fun)
Improved Focus (If there is
Increased Endurance
Cons of Pre-Workout
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Irregular Heart Rate
Dehydration
Digestive Issues
Overall, pre-workout can be a dangerous habit and addiction. Please take cautiously and sparingly. I believe the cons outweigh the pros and pre-workout should not be a regular supplement in anyone’s life.
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