Best Intra-Workout Supplements

1. Who Needs an Intra-Workout Drink?

• Sessions longer than 60 to 90 minutes
• Endurance athletes and team sport players
• Twice-a-day training
• Hot environments and heavy sweaters
• People training fasted

2. Common Intra-Workout Ingredients

3. Intra-Workout for Strength vs Endurance

Strength athletes training for long sessions may benefit from carbs and electrolytes to maintain performance across many sets. Endurance athletes in sessions longer than 60 to 90 minutes rely heavily on carbs and sodium. Short, moderate gym sessions rarely need anything beyond water. Match your intra-workout drink to the length and intensity of your training.

Sipping consistently throughout the workout works better than drinking large amounts at once.

4. DIY Intra-Workout Drink

Mix water with 20 to 30 grams of cyclic dextrin or maltodextrin, a pinch of salt and an EAA scoop if desired. This simple drink provides carbs, electrolytes and amino acids for long sessions.

5. Common Mistakes

Using intra-workout carbs for short workouts can add unnecessary calories.

6. Our Recommendation

For workouts under an hour, stick with water. For longer, intense or hot sessions, use a drink with 20 to 60 grams of carbs per hour and electrolytes. Add EAAs only if training fasted or protein intake is low.

Keep intra-workout drinks simple and match them to your training needs.

7. Intra-Workout for Bodybuilders

Bodybuilders training for long, high-volume sessions sometimes use intra-workout carbs and EAAs to maintain energy and pump. This can be useful during bulking phases or long training days. During cutting phases, many skip intra-workout carbs to save calories for meals.

Adjust intra-workout use to match your phase and goals.

8. Intra-Workout for Fasted Training

If you train fasted, an intra-workout drink with EAAs can provide amino acids without a full meal, while electrolytes support hydration. For longer fasted sessions, some athletes add a small amount of carbohydrates to maintain performance. Eat a balanced meal after training.

Adding carbs technically breaks a fast, so decide based on your goals.

9. Who Benefits Most From Intra-Workout Drinks

Intra-workout supplements make the most sense for long sessions over ninety minutes, two-a-day training, endurance athletes, people training fasted and anyone exercising in hot, humid conditions. For a typical one-hour lifting session after a decent meal, plain water is usually enough. If you do use an intra-workout drink, a simple mix of fast-digesting carbohydrates and electrolytes covers most needs at a lower cost than branded blends.