Alkaline Water vs. Red Bull® for Energy

A functional beverage like Red Bull® can give you a boost of energy, but it can come at a price. Red bull®’s energy  comes from sugar and caffeine. You get a rush of energy, and a crash later, usually around 2 O’clock in the afternoon for people who make caffeinated beverages like Red Bull® part of their daily routine. Alkaline water supplies a gentle boost of energy with no crash. It is an excellent pick-me-up if you get drowsy at 2 O’Clock in the afternoon. In fact, alkaline water may be the perfect drink to follow a Red Bull® because it helps neutralize the acidity of drinks like Red Bull and maintains your hydration level.

The pH of Red Bull

Red bull has an acidic pH of about 2.80, a about the same as Coke. If you drink Red Bull, alkaline water can help balance out some of that acidity. In the lab, we found out that it takes about 9 eight ounce glasses of alkaline water with a pH of 10.8 to completely neutralize the acidity in one can of Red Bull to a neutral pH of 7.

Hydration – Red Bull vs. Alkaline Water

According to the Red Bull website, Red Bull contains 80 mg of caffeine, the same as in one cup of coffee. One can of Red Bull can’t dehydrate you – but it won’t re-hydrate you either. To maintain your hydration levels, you need to drink alkaline water.

Alkaline water rich in mineral hydrates does hydrate you. In fact, research shows that mineral hydrate-rich water hydrates better than plain water. Proper hydration is essential for maintaining your energy levels. It only takes 2% dehydration by body weight  to slow your metabolism down. So the reason alkaline water can help you feel energized is that hydration helps you keep your metabolism strong.

Click here to learn how to measure your hydration level by body weight

Should you drink Red Bull?

The FDA has recently become concerned because consumption of some energy drinks have lead to heart attacks. If a burst of energy is what you’re after, you are better off with coffee. In fact, health research has shown that coffee is actually good for you.

You can make coffee better with alkaline water. Made with plain water, coffee can become too acidic. High pH alkaline water from a water ionizer will make your coffee alkaline. I use level 4 alkaline water from my Life Ionizers and it makes a delicious cup of coffee with a pH of 9.

But if you do decide to go for that can of Red Bull, then alkaline mineral water can help you balance out the acidity and maintain your hydration.

Pros like Derek Lee choose Life Ionizers for the hydration they need to stay in the game. Call us today at 877-959-7977 to find out how alkaline water can help keep you at the top of your game.

Reference

Heil, P, and J Seifert. “Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Springerlink, n.d. Web. 8 Jul 2013. <http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf>.