Bookend your day and get a little pick-me-up in the middle with a delicious, healthy drink that offers a nutritional boost for your body. While I’m not an all-in fan of liquid diets, juice cleanses or drinking a bunch of calories (I’d rather chew!), I do think that the right beverage consumed at the right time can fill in any nutritional gaps to keep your body humming along.
Read on to get all these better-for-you “beverages with benefits” that are especially helpful to runners and athletes – cheers!
Watermelon Juice: How many times have I sung out the praises of watermelon juice in my life as an endurance athlete? Probably 1000, and today it’s 1001! Watermelon juice is a great source of vitamins A, B6 and C, lots of lycopene, antioxidants and amino acids. In particular, studies have shown that the amino acid L-citrulline found in watermelon may help you recover more quickly from workouts and runs by minimizing muscle soreness.
The flesh of watermelon is 92% water, so basically it translates very well into making juice – no extractor needed! We eat so much watermelon in my house that I just collect the prolific juice off my watermelon as I cut it, and also from excess that seeps out overnight in the bowl where it resides. You can also use the blender method (video below) if you need lots of juice up front. The juice stays good in a mason jar or other air-tight container for a couple days and I use it “straight up,” or as a mixer with one or more other ingredients like coconut water, lime juice, ginger kombucha, and more.
- Hot Spiced Watermelon Lemonade with Collagen
- Watermelon Coconut Cherry Sippers
- Watermelon Ginger Limeade
Tart Cherry Juice: Studies show that drinking tart cherry juice can significantly reduce discomfort cause by osteoarthritis and well as general inflammation throughout the body. It’s also been linked to better sleep. As a good source of potassium and iron, it’s a welcomed beverage for female runners often lacking in these nutrients – and everyone in general.
Mineral Water: I love mineral water, not just for its fizzy attitude that helps me stay away from soda, but also for the benefits from minerals found naturally (not added) in this effervescent water. Dependent on where the water is sourced, levels of minerals like magnesium, calcium, sodium, and zinc are found a plenty – your body can’t make these minerals on its own, they must come from your diet. These electrolytes can help keep hydration levels in check during high training cycles and hot weather. Also, the bicarbonates found in mineral water can help with digestion and settling an upset stomach – which I sometimes get in hot weather. Check out this past post I’ve shared about mineral water, athletes and healthy living.
Sparkling mineral water is also very versatile and ready to take on any flavor profile – it’s excellent for infusing or muddling with fresh fruit and herbs – or splashing with any 100% juice. 
Dairy Milk (regular or lactose-free): With so many “milks” flooding the market (and actually, I like them all from coconut to almond to macadamia nut and more), regular diary milk seems to have fallen a bit out of favor – even seen by some as not healthy, which is so NOT true. Cow milk is filled with important nutrients that benefit a runner, athlete or active person – especially protein to support muscle recovery and growth, racking up about 8g protein per 1 cup serving. Cow’s milk is also high in bone-strengthening calcium (30% DV) and vitamin D (25% DV). Various studies have reported that those who drink cow milk benefit from better bone mineral density and a lessened incidence of osteoporosis than those who do not. They also tend to have a healthier body weight and lower body fat. So, if your gut can tolerate it, drink cow’s milk or use it in recipes – many brands also make lactose-free options.
Turmeric and Ginger Juices: These nobby, gnarly roots (actually rhizomes) make potent juice that can be added to smoothies, sparkling waters and other beverages – and also to soups and other recipes. Both turmeric and ginger have significant health benefits, linked to reducing inflammation and also serving as natural anelgesix (pain releiver). To be efficient, I extract the juice from a big bunch of the of roots and then freeze in ice cube trays for “boosters” I can use as needed. Check out my post on How to Juice Ginger – the same exact methods can be used with turmeric root.
Coffee: I don’t know about you, but I think coffee is magic. It’s a unifier, bringing people together and also an expression of individuality – as it seems EVERYONE takes their coffee a different way. For athletes, coffee is the most common and socially acceptable performance aid around. And, you can’t get arrested or banned from your sport for using it (although please double check, standards are always changing). Even the Olympic committee now gives it the thumbs up, lifting the 1000mg limit of caffeine (about 8 cups) in 2004. When it comes to athletes, the caffeine in coffee has been linked to greater focus and alertness, higher energy levels, increased endurance, and quicker recovery.
One report says that in endurance sports, caffeine “mobilized fat stores and encourages working muscles to use fat as fuel.” This spares glycogen for later in the race, delaying depletion and keeping that feared “bonk” at bay. For more info, check out my post on Coffee & Athletes – Performance Perks & Consumption Timing
Water: And, finally, just good, old-fashioned water! Some people say drink 8 eight-ounce glasses (64 ounces), others say drink you body weight in ounces of water — so 120-pound person should drink 120 ounces. Really, monitoring the color of your urine output is the best way to tell if you need to drink water – check out my post 50 Shades of Pee post to see how you check out!
What are your go-to drinks for active living? Do you have different drinks for different activities? How many ounces of water do you drink a day? Love to hear your thoughts, please share in the comments — XOXO, Jennifer
Ginger tea is one my favorite things to have! And of course, I can’t start my day without coffee!
Agree! Coffee is a must!