Shocking! Drinks sabotage your muscle recovery by 90% – fighters, beware!

Okay, imagine this: you just finished a hard kickboxing or MMA training session. You feel exhausted, but also satisfied. And then you quickly grab an energy drink because, of course, that's good for your focus and recovery, right? Well... not really.

What really happens in your muscles

A new study appeared in Scientific Reports (May 2023) that really opened my eyes. Researchers examined eight popular energy drinks and what they do to muscle cells during recovery. Not in people, mind you, but in C2C12 myoblasts – that's a standard type of muscle cell for lab research.

What turned out? Those drinks – think of Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, Celsius, and the like – literally inhibit the genes that trigger muscle recovery. Yes, really. Genes like MyoG and MCK, which normally facilitate the fusion of muscle fibers after intense training, were simply... turned off. As if you say after your workout: 'Forget it, muscles, I don't need progress today.'

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-35338-7

But why do those drinks do that?

Many of those energy drinks are packed with caffeine, taurine, sugar, and several other substances that make you think: 'Sounds intense, but it's on the can, so it must be safe.' Well, not quite. Especially the high doses of caffeine in, for example, Celsius Heat are suspicious. Some formulas even caused cell damage to the muscle cells. Seriously, it’s like trying to build a house while someone is demolishing the foundation.

Attention fighters

If you do kickboxing, MMA, or Krav Maga – or actually any sport where you take muscle recovery seriously – then you really need to consider this. It’s not just about how hard you train. It's about what you do in those crucial 4-5 days afterward when your body is trying to rebuild your muscles. If you throw an energy drink at that? Then you’re literally sabotaging your own progress.

My experience (and a little confession)

I used to regularly drink a Monster after training. Nice and cold, gives a boost, you know how it goes. But I noticed after a while that my recovery lagged. Muscle soreness lasted longer, and I often felt drained. I first thought: maybe I'm training too hard? But since I skipped those drinks and just take water with some salt and lemon, I've felt so much better. Seriously.

What should you drink then?

Water. Seriously. Or coconut water if you like something sweet. Want to really step it up? Look for electrolytes without junk, or simple homemade sports drinks. Just avoid those flashy cans that claim you'll become a beast – because under the hood, they do the exact opposite.

Choose wisely, train hard

Your body is not a trash can. What you put into it determines how far you go in your sport. So if you're serious about martial arts like kickboxing, MMA, or Krav Maga, leave those energy drinks aside. Your muscles – and your future self – will thank you.

Want to learn more about how to optimize your recovery and truly get stronger? Check out our free e-book in the bio.

💥 Train smart. Recover smart. Grow hard.