You Should Never Drink Soda Before Exercising. Here's Why

There's nothing quite like the bubbly goodness of a cold soda. The sugary sweetness is especially good when paired with a delicious cheese burger and salty fries. However, it probably doesn't come as a surprise to you that these carbonated drinks aren't great for us. Healthline reports that it drastically increases belly fat, can contribute to fatty liver disease and cause you to gain weight. If this isn't enough reason to make you worry, fizzy sodas can also lead to tooth decay and heart disease. 

And apparently another thing you can add to the negative column — it's also not great to drink before a workout. Sports Dietitian, Leslie Bonci, told Eat This Not! that guzzling that Coke-Cola before you exercise is not a good idea. "The carbonation can slow 'gut emptying,' so you don't hydrate as efficiently," she said. "Drinking soda before exercise adversely affects hydration since it can take longer for fluid to make its way through the digestive tract to the exercising muscles." In other words, it makes you very dehydrated and will make your workout routine pretty challenging. 

Reaching for a Pepsi before going for a run can also cause your stomach to swell. Soft drinks contain carbon dioxide and cause gas bubbles to form in your stomach, according to Livestrong. Going on the elliptical with a bloated gut not only sounds uncomfortable, it could lead to some embarrassing consequences. Afterall, you'll need to release those gas bubbles somehow.

If that isn't reason enough to curb your carbonated soda habit — it also contains artificial sweeteners that can cause you issues while training, per Women's Health. Soft drinks contain aspartame, which has been linked to some negative side effects like migraines, dizziness and mood swings. Lifting weights can be tough enough, without the extra pain of having a headache to get through.

To make sure your next sweat session goes well, you may want to reach for a different beverage. Nutritionist, Angela Onsgard, suggests drinking an ice-cold green tea drink before you exercise. "It's naturally high in antioxidants and is shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer," she explained. Sounds like a refreshing and healthy choice to us!