Why Intra-Workout Nutrition Is Making a Comeback in 2026: Do You Actually Need It?

Intra-workout drinks are worth it for long, hot, sweaty or very demanding sessions, but for a typical 45 to 60 minute gym workout, water is usually all you need. As sessions get longer, an electrolyte drink and then a carbohydrate drink or gel become more useful, while EAAs and BCAAs matter much less if you already eat enough protein.

For years, the typical gym routine was simple: pre-workout before training, protein shake afterwards. During the workout? Usually just water. In 2026, electrolytes, carb powders, gels and amino drinks are showing up in more gym bags. So do you actually need nutrition during your workout, or is it just another supplement trend? It depends on what your training looks like. A 45-minute weights session in an air-conditioned gym is very different from a 90-minute HYROX session, endurance training in the Australian heat, or two hard sessions in one day.

Intra-workout drinks at a glance: a simple guide by session

This is not a rigid rule, but it is a useful way to think about what you need.

Prices are at the time of writing. Individual needs vary, so use this as a starting point, not a prescription.

What does intra-workout nutrition mean, and why is it popular again?

"Intra-workout" simply means something you have during your training session. That can be water, electrolytes, carbohydrates (sports drinks, powders or gels), essential amino acids (EAAs) or branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

The purpose is not to make you feel stimulated. Intra-workout nutrition is about supporting hydration, fuel and performance during longer or harder training. Do not expect the rush of a high-stim pre-workout. A good intra-workout plan may simply help you stay fuelled and hydrated as the session goes on.

Training has changed. Fewer people just do six bodybuilding exercises and go home. We are seeing more HYROX-style training, running clubs, functional and hybrid training, long endurance sessions, high-volume bodybuilding and double training days. There is also more awareness of hydration and electrolytes. The conversation has shifted from "what gives me the biggest buzz?" to "how do I keep performing as the session gets harder?"

Water, electrolytes and carbs: what each one does

1. Water: still the foundation

Before worrying about carbs or amino acids, start with the obvious: hydration matters. Water helps regulate body temperature, and exercise increases fluid losses through sweat. The harder and longer you train, especially in warm conditions, the bigger those losses can be. Sports nutrition guidelines from the ACSM, Dietitians of Canada and the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggest aiming to avoid losing more than about 2% of your body weight through sweat during a session.

That does not mean everyone needs a complicated hydration formula. For a short workout where you are not sweating heavily, water may be perfectly adequate.

2. Electrolytes: when water is not the whole story

Sweat is not just water. It also contains electrolytes, mainly sodium, which helps with normal fluid balance, nerve signalling and muscle function. How much you lose varies a lot with your sweat rate, how salty your sweat is, session length, intensity, heat and humidity, clothing and how used to the heat you are.

You have probably seen someone finish a hard session with white salt marks on their shirt. That is a visible reminder that sweat contains more than water. For a long, sweaty session, the same guidelines say drinks containing sodium can help, so an electrolyte drink may make more sense than drinking large amounts of plain water. That does not mean more sodium is always better. Match your electrolytes to the session.

For example, Dr. Hydrate Electrolytes, one of our best-selling hydration products over the last six months, lists 250 mg of sodium, 160 mg of potassium, 160 mg of calcium and 63 mg of magnesium per scoop, with no added sugar, and the brand says every batch is HASTA tested. R1 Lytes+ lists 200 mg of sodium and 220 mg of potassium per scoop for 20 Calories. See more in our hydration and electrolytes range.

3. Carbohydrates: fuel for longer sessions

During higher-intensity exercise, carbohydrate is a key fuel. Your body stores it as glycogen, mostly in your muscles, but those stores are limited. That is why endurance athletes have used sports drinks, gels and carb powders for years, and why the same idea is now spreading to HYROX, hybrid training, long bodybuilding sessions and big leg days.

The ACSM guidelines suggest that during sustained exercise of about one to two and a half hours, around 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour can help, with more for longer events, while sessions under about 45 minutes do not need any. For these athletes, intra-workout carbs are not about "getting a pump". They are an easy source of fuel while training.

Do you need carbs during a 45-minute workout?

Probably not. If you ate well before training and you are doing a standard 45 to 60 minute weights session, there is little reason to drink lots of carbohydrate during it. Compare:

• Person A: 45-minute chest workout, air-conditioned gym, normal sweat rate, ate a meal two hours earlier
• Person B: 90+ minute HYROX session with running, sleds, rowing and high-rep work, heavy sweating, hot conditions

Their needs are not the same. Do not turn a simple workout into a complicated nutrition plan when it does not need to be one.

What about EAAs and BCAAs in intra-workout drinks?

EAAs

Essential amino acids are the nine amino acids your body cannot make in enough amounts, so you need them from food. They are common in intra-workout products because they are the building blocks for muscle protein synthesis. But if you already eat enough high-quality protein through the day, you are probably getting plenty of EAAs. That does not make EAA drinks useless. They can be a convenient, light option when you train for a long time, have gone a long time without eating, or simply prefer something light during training. They just should not replace a good diet.

BCAAs

BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine and valine) were once almost the definition of intra-workout nutrition. The conversation has moved on. BCAAs are only three of the nine essential amino acids, and a review on BCAAs and muscle protein synthesis concluded that BCAAs alone cannot support a full muscle-building response, because the body needs all the EAAs. So if your protein intake is already good, extra BCAAs are not going to transform your results. You do not need to throw your tub away, but look at your total protein first. Compare options in our best BCAA and EAA guide.

Intra-workout for HYROX, hybrid and long sessions

This is where intra-workout drinks get interesting in 2026. HYROX and hybrid training combine running with demanding functional movements, so you are moving between very different efforts while fatigue builds. For longer sessions, it makes sense to pay closer attention to fluids, sodium and carbohydrate, and possibly amino acids depending on your overall nutrition. The same thinking applies to long rides, distance running and other extended training. Gels such as SiS GO Energy + Electrolyte (22 g of carbohydrate and 118 mg of sodium per 60 ml gel) are easy to carry when a shaker is not practical.

Should you drink electrolytes every workout?

Not necessarily. You probably do not need a special hydration plan just because you walked into a gym. Ask yourself: How long am I training? How much am I sweating? Is it hot? Did I start the session well hydrated? Am I training twice today? Is my performance dropping as the session goes on? Someone training for 40 minutes has very different needs from someone doing two hours of conditioning in summer. Match the strategy to the demand.

How to choose an intra-workout drink

Rather than choosing the tub with the most ingredients, decide what problem you are trying to solve:

• If hydration is the priority: look at the electrolyte profile, especially sodium, and how much you sweat
• If fuel is the priority: a carbohydrate drink, powder or gel suits long, demanding exercise. Redcon1 Cluster Bomb gives 25 g of carbohydrate from Cluster Dextrin per scoop. Browse our carbohydrate range
• If you want amino acids: check your total daily protein before assuming you need them
• If you want everything in one: some formulas combine carbs, electrolytes and amino acids. Convenient, but more ingredients do not automatically mean a better product

Pre-workout, intra-workout and post-workout: do you need all three?

No. Pre-workout is optional support for energy, focus and pump. Intra-workout is hydration and fuel during training. Post-workout is nutrition and recovery afterwards. One person might benefit from all three. Another might simply have coffee, water and a normal meal and be perfectly fine. And do not forget what you eat before training. If you keep running out of energy halfway through, ask whether you ate enough beforehand. A meal with carbohydrate and protein, and starting the session hydrated, often makes a bigger difference than any intra-workout product. If you are weighing up your caffeine before training, see our guide to pre-workout vs coffee.

So, do you actually need an intra-workout drink?

For many recreational gym-goers, not necessarily. If you train for 45 to 60 minutes, you have eaten beforehand and you are well hydrated, water may be all you need. As training gets longer, hotter, sweatier or harder, electrolytes and carbohydrates become genuinely useful rather than just another colourful drink in your shaker.

The key question is not "what's the best intra-workout?" It is "what am I actually losing or using during this workout?" Losing a lot of fluid and sodium? Think electrolytes. Doing long, demanding exercise? Think carbohydrate. Considering amino acids? Check your protein intake first.

Our pick: a simple electrolyte drink like Dr. Hydrate Electrolytes for long or sweaty sessions, adding a carb source like Cluster Bomb or SiS gels once sessions run past about an hour of hard work. Do not supplement the trend. Supplement the need.

How our price compares

Here is what the same products cost at other Australian supplement stores, so you can check the difference yourself.

Supps247 prices come from our website. Other prices were checked on the websites of Nutrition Warehouse, Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN), Elite Supps and Supplement Mart on 29 October 2026 (same product and size, price for one unit) and can change at any time. Sale means it was on sale that day. Out of stock means it was listed but not available that day. Not listed means we could not find that exact product on their site. Supps247 members can use our Price Match Guarantee against Nutrition Warehouse, ASN, Elite Supps and Supplement Mart: we beat their full price by 5% or match their sale price (conditions apply).

Shop the products in this guide

Dr. Hydrate Electrolytes 30 serves$49.95R1 Lytes+ 40 serves$39.95Redcon1 Cluster Bomb 30 serves$79.95SiS GO Energy + Electrolyte gel$4.99

Browse all hydration and electrolytes and carbohydrate powders.

FAQs

Do I need an intra-workout drink for a 1-hour gym session?

Usually not. If you ate a meal a few hours before and started the session hydrated, water is enough for most 45 to 60 minute weights sessions. An electrolyte drink can help if you sweat heavily or train in the heat. Carbohydrate drinks become more useful once hard training runs past about an hour.

What should I drink during a HYROX session?

For long HYROX training, think fluids, sodium and carbohydrate. Many athletes sip an electrolyte drink and add a carb drink or gel once the session runs past about an hour. Practise your plan in training rather than trying something new on race day, and adjust it for the heat and how much you sweat.

Are EAAs better than BCAAs during a workout?

If you are choosing between the two, EAAs make more sense, because muscle protein synthesis needs all nine essential amino acids and BCAAs are only three of them. For most people, though, total daily protein matters far more than either. If you already eat enough protein, an amino drink during training is optional.

Can I just use a sports drink instead of an intra-workout powder?

Yes, for many people. A regular sports drink gives you fluid, some sodium and carbohydrate, which covers the basics for long sessions. Intra-workout powders let you control the dose, choose sugar-free electrolytes for shorter sessions, or use a bigger carb dose for long training. Pick based on how long and how hard you train.

How much carbohydrate should I have during training?

Sports nutrition guidelines suggest none is needed for sessions under about 45 minutes. For sustained hard exercise of about one to two and a half hours, around 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour is a common target, with more for longer events. One scoop of Cluster Bomb gives 25 g and one SiS GO gel gives 22 g.

Sources: Thomas, Erdman and Burke 2016, ACSM, AND and Dietitians of Canada joint position: Nutrition and athletic performance (MSSE); ISSN position stand: nutrient timing (2017); Wolfe 2017, Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality? (JISSN); product labels and brand nutrition panels, checked October 2026.

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Prices and stock were checked on 29 October 2026 and can change at any time. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor first.

Shop related at Supps247: Recovery, Hydration & Electrolytes and Carbohydrates, online or at your nearest Supps247 store.