After the boys’ varsity soccer team moved up to the Division 1 De Anza League this year, the team began lifting every day before daily soccer practices an an effort to remain competitive against the other, stronger Division 1 teams.
These workouts were exhausting, often leaving me feeling dizzy and light-headed afterward. After one particularly tiring workout, I went home and asked my father if he knew anything I could do to help me feel better.
He told me to try Soylent, a high-calorie drink that he occasionally drank when he was late to work in the morning. The label mentioned that it acted as a meal replacement as well as a nutritious drink. Initially, I was skeptical about Soylent and the claims it made. But to my surprise, once I started drinking it, I found myself liking it.
Released in 2014 after a crowdfunding campaign, Soylent is essentially customizable powders mixed with water. Due to its relatively recent release, the product isn’t very well known, but it serves the same purpose as energy drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, albeit being more supplemental.
What pushed me to try Soylent is that the drink contains 400 calories and meets all the daily recommendations of the National Academy of Medicine. Not only that, but it also includes all of the elements of a healthy diet, without excessive amounts of sugar, saturated fat or cholesterol. Soylent can be purchased from Amazon and costs about $2.69 to $3.25 per bottle, depending on the quantity of the drink.
The drink contains many nutrients and also has a pleasant taste. There are a plethora of different Soylent flavors, but I personally buy the cacao flavor, which has a chocolate flavor.
During my soccer season, I usually drink Soylent in addition to water after an extreme workout because it’s hard for me to stay in good condition just by eating regular meals and water. Despite the extra cost of buying the drink, Soylent significantly improves my athletic performance and at this point, has become a staple item for me.
Unlike other sports drinks and protein shakes containing electrolytes with proteins, Soylent not only contains 26 micronutrients or vitamins and minerals but also has 20 grams of protein and 26 grams of fats, which can fill the energy gap after an intense workout.
For me, I don't eat much before I play sports or work out to make sure I don’t throw up during the workout. Having said that, drinking Soylent when I need more energy during a workout helps me to put 100% of my effort into it.
Additionally, sports drinks only help athletes during games or practices, but Soylent has the unique ability to improve my life outside of sports as well since Soylent can also be used as a meal replacement. Sometimes on school days I wake up too late and barely have time to eat breakfast. But after discovering Soylent, I replaced my breakfast with the drink. It helps me stay focused during my morning classes.
Soylent has minerals, just like any other sports drinks, but it also has meal-like nutritions, such as fats and proteins, which are two of the main macronutrients. Drinking Soylent helps me to stay energized after workouts and practices, and to top it off, it helps me a lot not only during sports season but also outside of sports. Ultimately, Soylent has been an essential product that helps me to maintain my daily energy.
