After A Difficult Workout, Refuel With...A Beer?!
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – As any runner will tell you, many races or run club sessions end with a beer or two at the local bar.
But with the dehydrating effects of alcohol on top of exercise-induced dehydration, beer isn't the best post-workout drink.
Now, Canadian company Vampt is seeking to change that with Lean Machine Ale, a sports drink/beer hybrid that was reportedly created with the help of food scientists.
In addition to being "formulated with a proprietary blend of nutrients to support recovery" (think vitamin C, zinc, protein and potassium), the brew claims to be just 77 calories, with little sugar and no caffeine.
According to a website dedicated to the product, Lean Machine will also be available in multiple flavors, from the standard lager to lemon ale.
The only downfall is that in order to actually help exhausted athletes replenish in a healthy way, the alcohol content in one Lean Machine Ale is just 3.2%.
So, does it actually work?
Based on an NPR article on the beer that cites multiple studies, the answer appears to be yes.
While beer offers small amounts of electrolytes and carbohydrates (two things that help your body recover after exercise), the amounts are too miniscule to offer many post-workout benefits. A study did find, however, that the dehydrating effects of beer can be lessened by manipulating its electrolyte content.
Though Vampt doesn't specify a release date for its enhanced brew, it did tell NPR it's currently conducting consumer taste tests in Canada, so fitness buffs can look forward to grabbing a cold beer post-workout sometime in the relatively near future.
