Color matters. Drinking pink drinks increases our exercise performance!

Most of us cannot imagine a successful workout without our favorite drink. We usually choose it based on its composition, not paying much attention to secondary aspects, such as color. However, British scientists have shown that the color of the liquid has a significant impact on the performance of our bodies during exercise!

A team of scientists from Loughborough College and the University of Westminster decided to study the influence of the color of the workout drink on the efficiency of exercise. The experiment came up with a surprising result – it was found that the sweet, non-caloric pink drinks can significantly increase our performance and enjoyment of exercise, compared to their colourless counterparts. The results were published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

It has previously been found that people who drink carbohydrate-rich liquids during exercise often perceive the exercise session as less intense. This is because when we anticipate a carbohydrate delivery, our body activates the reward areas of our brain, inhibiting fatigue and increasing motivation. And what about when we consume a drink without carbohydrates?

British researchers tested whether a sweet, colorful beverage containing no carbohydrates could have a similar effect. The color pink was chosen because it is usually associated with a sweet taste, and therefore with sugar. The authors invited a group of six healthy, active men and four women, ages 27-33, to participate in the study. The participants were engaged in a running activity during which they could choose to drink either a clear or pink beverage sweetened with sucralose. In reality, however, the beverages did not differ in composition.

After the activity, it turned out that those who consumed the pink drink outperformed those who supplemented with the clear liquid. The sweet drinkers ran a longer total distance and also rated their enjoyment of running higher. The study therefore shows how important it is to have processes running solely in your head during a workout. Positive emotions combined with the will to perform are the key to success in any sport!

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