A few afternoons a week I am a little tired before a workout and something with a little caffeine in it gives me enough of a boost, physical and mental to turn an OK workout in a good one. So please don’t tell me I should eat some hemp grass smoothie or something like that. My diet is very good, and a couple times a week I like to have one of these.
So what am I better off drinking? A 12oz cup of coffee with a few flavored creamers or a Diet Coke? Don’t say coffee without the creamers as that isn’t one of the choices. And don’t tell me about your imported Malaysian coffee beans that are so good you don’t need any cream, yada, yada, yada.
Obviously, the Diet Coke has no calories, but is the artificial stuff worse than the calories of the coffee?
Without risking turning you into a hippie have you thought about green tea? There are a lot of health benefits and it has quite a bit less caffeine. I usually drink a green tea in the afternoon which gives me a bit of caffeine but not enough to keep me up at night…
Diet Coke (Diet Pepsi for me) is nectar of the gods!! I know there is more healthy alternatives, but when I need a quick boost before a workout a few gulps of it helps (probably more psychological than physiological)(n=1)…I guess if this is my worst vice it could be worse.
HAHA, no one around here likes to answer the actual question asked I thought I covered all of the “other” options that people might throw out that don’t answer my question, haha.
Seriously, thanks for the tip, I do like green tea. Just not in this instance. I like to sip it and enjoy it. A quick small cup of coffee or can of diet coke in the afternoon is what I go for and I am wondering which is better…or less bad. Neither one keeps me up at night.
That depends on your definition of ‘bad’. Calorie-wise, diet coke is zero compared to however many calories are in your creamer. Chemical-wise, diet sodas (and the flavored creamers, probably) have tons of ingredients that aren’t exactly ‘healthy’, but not proven ‘unhealthy’ either. Caffeine-wise, as Tim said, coffee is king.
Personally, I vote for coffee. It’s a lot more natural (tho I drink it black), and since I’ve been off diet soda for the last two months, I’ve lost weight without changing anything else in my diet or training. YMMV.
I’ve heard that diet coke actually has 4 calories/can…anyone know if this is true?
According to snopes, it’s less than 1:
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If there is the tiniest bit of truth to this rumor, it’s that even though sodas such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi are advertised as having zero calories, they do have some caloric content from ingredients such as artificial sweeteners, citric acid, and caramel coloring. However, the number of calories per can is still less than one, and FDA regulations allow any food product that contains fewer than five calories per serving to be advertised as calorie-free.
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Coffee is the more healthy choice. It is natural and although I would recommend against the creamer if you want a positive spin on that it is some dairy and a little protein, versus the diet coke which gives you nothing but chemicals. Also, the carbonation is bad for your teeth.
What kind of a softy loser are you such that you need creamers, etc??? Toughen up and enjoy the brew!
My answer… Neither. Power up to the espresso bar and take a single shot. Delightful. And it is just about the caffeine equal of a 6oz coffee or 12oz+ of diet coke/pepsi. Many think it’s stronger, but in reality it’s concentrated but such a small amount that it’s still less.
Diet Coke (Diet Pepsi for me) is nectar of the gods!! I know there is more healthy alternatives, but when I need a quick boost before a workout a few gulps of it helps (probably more psychological than physiological)(n=1)…I guess if this is my worst vice it could be worse.
Dude - Nothing, and I mean nothing beats Coke for a pre/post/during workout pickme up. I’ve had a water bottle of coke pick me up from near bonking on my long ride, to rolling in strong.
And when you’re talking in races, Coke (Cola) is my drink of choice on the run.
Although I use Soymilk in mine. But those flavored creamers are wonderful. They are what makes staying at Holiday Inn Express such a delight! (It’s actually the only time I use them, but I practically drain the hotel out of coffee when I’m there)
I thought I covered all of the “other” options that people might throw out that don’t answer my question, haha.
