Are you thirsty? Really thirsty? You probably are if a healthy run, a training circuit, marathon or leisurely jog are on today's calendar page. Staying hydrated competes with having the right shoes in terms of necessities for runners. Allow your thirst to go unattended and you could expose your body to debilitating dehydration that can impact your general health now and in the future. To make sure you stay hydrated, we've compiled a list of healthy drinks to benefit your general health and keep you hydrated when you run. Pick one as your go-to beverage. If you already have a favourite, try a new one. Try them all. Cheers!
1. Soy-Lit Collagen
Available from HerbalPharm, Soy-Lit Collagen does double duty as a health and beauty aid. It's been called the runner's go-to beverage. Made of organic soybean extract and premium fish collagen peptides, this powder is crammed with nourishment that will not just keep you running in top form, but give your digestive and cardiovascular system a boost, too. You may already know that youth-inducing collagen re-densifies skin, restores elasticity and firmness, so even mature runners can expect to improvements in joint health. With zero cholesterol and enough unsaturated fat to promote cardiovascular health, Soy-Lit can help you race into the future with a strengthened immune system, too.
Recommend drinking: Pre- and post-run
2. Yakult
Yakult has been called "the world's premium probiotic drink," but it might also earn the honour of being the beverage that keeps your body running so smoothly, you never have to worry about stomach upsets interfering with running, training and marathon schedules. One bottle of Yakult is packed with 10 billion+ Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota bacteria to promote gastrointestinal health. The cultured milk drink was developed by Dr. Minoru Shirota and has developed a big following with runners along the Pacific Rim. Yakult's formulation is a simple one: It consists of fermented skim milk powder, sucrose and glucose. Every little bottle of Yakult contains just 70 calories and every dose is cholesterol-, preservative- and stabilizer-free. If you are concerned about your GI system, especially while preparing for a marathon, adding Yakult to your pre- and post-event diet could get you to that finish line feeling as good as your performance.
Recommend drinking: Pre-run
3. Milo
Milo has its own Facebook page and if you already know about the drink Singapore runners are already familiar with, you may be one of this brand's loyal followers. Milo has probably been around longer than you have! The company was launched in 1934 so if you prefer brands with a track record, this could be your best beverage choice. Taste good? It's yummy—a mix of malt, milk, cocoa, vitamins and minerals that is so popular on the running scene, it's the Official Energy Drink Partner of the 2015 SEA Games. By the way, Runner's World magazine suggests a mix of chocolate and milk ingested after a long run or speed work to help runners recover faster. If you haven't yet tried Milo, put some into your backpack next time you undertake a training run. It won't take long to understand why this drink remains a favourite among runners over the last 75 years!
Recommend drinking: Post-run
4. Verve ReMix
Marketers introduced Verve ReMix to Singapore's health and fitness community with the tag line, "Insanely healthy energy" and that slogan alone is enough to convert runners! Debuting on Singapore's health and fitness scene in 2013, Verve ReMix has biological credentials that make it the health drink of the future. Scientists at the Verve ReMix lab conducted clinical research to verify the effects this healthy drink has on athletes and found that it surpasses ultra-premium nutrition drink competitors in both price and taste categories. The doctor-formulated blend includes 12 full-spectrum vitamins, plant-sourced minerals, mangosteen extract, caffeine and no artificial ingredients. According to Runner's World magazine, indulge in an energy drink that's made with coffee 45 minutes before running and expect a boost of energy plus a kick of amino acid that protects against cellular damage. A drink that delivers insane results? This may be it.
Recommend drinking: Pre-run
5. Zhi
Zhi not only sounds exotic but it is! This power cocktail supports, boosts and pampers the immune system in addition to providing a one-shot energy boost. Zhi is the sole energy drink on the Singapore market made with traditional Chinese herbs like Lingzhi, but there's nothing ancient about the state-of-the-art process that produces a healthy beverage: Once the fermentation process is complete, the highest grade of polysaccharides, Cordyceps sinensis and Lingzhi polysaccharides—mixed with vitamins and minerals (B-Complex, Vitamin C, Taurine and Beta Carotene)—combine to produce a health drink that's so concentrated and powerful, a single shot can revive the most exhausted runner. If you are fond of herbals and recipes that rely upon ancient ingredients to keep you healthy and robust in the future, Zhi can strengthen and rehabilitate your lungs and respiratory system, too. Some say that physical and mental performance can be boosted with a single shot of this herb-infused product, so give it a try to see if it's true.
Recommend drinking: Pre- and post-run
6. Gatorade
It is hard to remember a time that Gatorade did not exist. One of the first premium brand sports drinks formulated exclusively for athletes, Gatorade has plenty of competitors these days, but as the premier brand in its beverage niche, it will always be the most highly recognized by runners who are brand loyal and wouldn't think of switching drinks to rehydrate and re-energize. New types of Gatorade have been introduced of late to broaden the line: One is marketed as a fast hydrator while others promote the replenishment of electrolytes and carbs—critical fixes to regulate the body's fluid balance when pushed to extremes. Runner's World magazine advises runners to indulge in Gatorade-type energy drinks whenever they undertake a run that lasts for 60 minutes or more. Editors of Offshewent.com agree, so audition any of the new Gatorade products next time you take an endurance run.
Recommend drinking: Pre-run and during a run
7. Pocari Sweat
The name of this product may not be idyllic—after all, who wants to drink sweat—but this health drink's producers had the best intentions when developing their electrolyte replenishing drink. Pocari Sweat quenches one's thirst and protects the body from dehydration, replacing fluids on the fly. Available as a bottled drink and a powder, boiling water is not required to reconstitute ingredients; as a matter-of-fact, boiling water can dilute the product's vitamin C, so make that water infusion a tepid or cool one if you use the powder. Once mixed, Pocari Sweat only stays fresh for a few days before nutrients dissipate, so many runners prepare fresh running drinks as needed from packets to keep things fresh. By the way, this product is recommended by Japan's Anti-Doping Agency; it doesn't contain anything race officials would consider performance enhancers.
Recommend drinking: During a run and post-run
8. CocoWater
If you swear by all-natural energy products bottled in Singapore, your search for the right "drinking companion" could end with refreshing coconut water that isn't compromised by a single additive. Sure, the CocoWater premium brand was conceived in New York City, but it's bottled here at home and even the coconuts travel a very short distance from neighbouring Thailand before they're used to produce this elixir. Only low-sugar, green coconuts are selected and processed at bottling plants so this is perhaps the single most valuable source of pure electrolytes and nutrients on the market for fast rehydration. Also known as "nature's sports drink," 100-percent pure coconut water is free of sugars, additives and artificial ingredients, so purists are treated to an all-natural aid if they choose CocoWater over many of the drinks profiled in this article. Runner's World magazine calls coconut water the best post-run beverage a runner can choose. It's trendy and has barely any calories.
Recommend drinking: Post-run
9. Three Legs Cooling Water
Three Legs Cooling Water is a popular choice for runners in Malaysia, India and Singapore because it's a healthy mix of traditional Chinese ingredients wrapped around a 60-year-old brand name that's a household name to millions of people living in this region. Known primarily as a body cooling elixir, Three Legs is a simple combination of purified water and Shi Gao, a botanical. It's been proven to cool down bodies, so if you indulge in marathons and races or tend to overhead easily, this product can be a lifesaver. Marathon and race organisers have recommended Three Legs Cooling Water for decades, but if your event doesn't happen to be one of them, bring along a bottle to keep your body temperature from spiking when undertaking long and arduous events. Not competing? No worries. Three Legs is a terrific training circuit companion when things steam up in the heat of a Singapore summer.
Recommend drinking: During a run
10. Infussa
Not many products have a personal story behind them, but Infussa does. In 2013, the entrepreneur behind the brand worked as a fitness professional and noticed how many of his clients dragged bottles of sports drinks with them. Some experienced stomach problems; others depended upon drinks to replace carbs and electrolytes. But none of these products, he decided, was beneficial to his clients. He decided to fill the void. After lots of experiments, he began to cold brew teas and infusions from fruit and herbs, perfected the process of dehydrating the essence of the ingredients and a brand was born. Like other packets of powder designed to be mixed with water, Infussa satisfies the goal of the inventor: "drink hydration and eat calories." These days, he's building an empire one powder at a time and sells to fitness souls throughout Singapore.
Recommend drinking: During a run
11. ok.-
There's not a lot to tell you about this energy drink because it's brand new and has just arrived on the Singapore market a few months ago, but if you're curious about a new product launch that claims to be taking the fitness scene by storm, ok.- energy drink could be your new favourite pick-me-up. All five ok.- flavours—energy drink, energy drink light, energy drink strawberry-kiwi, blueberry and mango—are formulated with an amazingly high amalgam of niacin, vitamins, pantothenic acid, caffeine and flavour enhancers to get you moving when the last thing you want to do is take that training run. Made in Austria and packaged in cans designed with an exotic techno-vibe, this energy drink is best when chilled, but the last thing you will want to do after drinking a can is to chill out!
Recommend drinking: Pre-run and during a run
12. VitaminWater
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Next to Gatorade, which makes no apologies for packing glucose into its formula to revive and re-hydrate athletes when they run out of steam, VitaminWater has become a highly-recognized flavoured water brand. Sold as the ultimate electrolyte enhanced beverage, it was originally available only in the U.S., but it's gone international, expanding to UK, Australia, France and Argentina. Parent company Coca-Cola brought it to Singapore a few years ago. While VitaminWater has been plagued by lawsuits in the U.S. for making unsubstantiated claims, the product remains a popular seller because it tastes good, has only 10 calories per bottle and it's packed with vitamins, minerals, glucose and potassium. Some fans love it simply because it comes in so many flavours. Runners who wouldn't put on their shoes without a bottle on hand can attest to their love of this product!
Recommend drinking: Pre-run and during a run
13. Erdinger Alkoholfrie
Erdinger Alkoholfrie looks like beer but it's actually a "refreshing isotonic recovery drink" that pumps folic acid and vitamin B12 into your system so you recover from physical endeavours fast. Get an immune system boost when you imbibe in this recovery drink brewed in Bavaria and now distributed in the Singapore market. Since Erdinger Alkoholfrie has only 0.5-percent alcohol by volume, the only high you can expect to get is the one you receive after finishing a particularly difficult race! Keep tabs on this beer-like beverage, so you are the first in your crowd to learn it's arrived at Singapore bars.
Recommend drinking: Post-run
14. Lean Machine
If you have a hard time winding down because you run as hard as you work and play, you may have reservations about compromising your healthy lifestyle by indulging in spirits—even when everyone around you is celebrating a successful marathon. These days, you can indulge in post-event beverages that have all of the flavour of a premium beer and none of the guilt because these beverages are good for you. For example, Lean Machine keeps your eating and drinking promises on track, but unlike most alcoholic beverages, Lean Machine replenishes lost fluids, races vitamins through your system, and the flavours are delicious: Lager, Lemon Ale, Honey Ale and Pepper Ale. Lean Machine is made with L-glutamine for muscle recovery, sodium and potassium for electrolyte replacement and protein to build and repair muscles and at 77 calories. This popular drink is not yet available in Singapore, but keep asking for it and popular demand may be all it takes to get cans of this brew into your local pub's inventory.
Recommend drinking: Post-run
Fourteen drinks. Each is a boon to runners who pride themselves on staying fit while protecting their bodies, but this doesn't mean there aren't other health-boosting beverages on the Singapore scene. Help readers build their libraries of thirst-quenchers by answering our question: What beverage do you credit with improving your run? Allow us to introduce other Singapore runners to your secret health drink favourites!