7 Top Altitude Beverages to Refresh You On The Mountains
By: Beth Rush
Managing Editor at Body+Mind
If you live for elevation climbs or mountain trips, you know the right altitude beverages can keep you going as you near the summit. Many of these delicious drinks have health perks that improve your overall performance in daily life as well.
Are you seeking to expand your beverage horizons or maybe just lay off the diet soda? If so, let these top seven high-altitude beverages refresh you on the mountains.
What Is a High-Altitude Beverage?
Any peak taller than 8,000 feet is considered high altitude, an environment that places unique demands on the human body.¹ To fuel your way through, you need more than hydration. The right combination of nutrients and electrolytes provides your body with what it needs.
However, think about the demands of daily life. Despite technology’s promise to make life easier, people today work harder than medieval peasants, rarely enjoying the luxury of an afternoon nap or holiday like our ancestors did.² Regardless of who you blame for the increased stress and workload, the fact remains that all that labor requires fuel. The right high-altitude beverage is a healthy refreshment you can sip at your desk.
A High-Altitude Beverage for Every Purpose
What should you look for in a high-altitude beverage? The best ones address all five of the following factors.
1. Hydration
Staying hydrated is crucial to overall function, especially in hot weather. Heat-related illnesses send 67,512 Americans to the ER each year, and failure to drink enough water is often a contributing factor.³ However, some folks simply don’t like the taste of what comes from the tap. Adding a packet of a high-altitude beverage mix adds necessary flavor, encouraging more frequent sipping.
2. Altitude Sickness
It only makes sense that the best high-altitude beverages support altitude adjustment. Altitude sickness occurs when your body hasn’t had enough time to adjust to the thinner air at heights.⁴ Although nothing can cure it but time, giving your body the nourishment and hydration it needs helps you adapt.
3. Energy
The energy in the best high-altitude beverages doesn’t rely on caffeine alone. These drinks include the right blend of B vitamins to put more pep in your step without excess go-juice.⁵ While a little bit of caffeine can perk you up, too much can dehydrate you more quickly.⁶
4. Improved Focus
You need sharp wits around sheer ledges. Both dehydration and a poor diet can deplete your ability to concentrate.⁷ The nutrition and electrolytes in the best high-altitude beverages keep you on your toes, improving overall brain function without causing jitters.
5. A Sense of Calm
If you need another reason to avoid excess caffeine, remember, too much leaves you jittery, shaky and even a bit anxious. However, electrolytes such as magnesium in high-altitude beverages invokes a sense of calm without detracting from focus and energy.
When Should You Reach for a High-Altitude Beverage?
There’s no need to save the top high-altitude beverages for mountain peaks, although you can certainly use them for hydration on your next climb. They also come in handy to keep you hydrated and nourished through long work meetings. Although they aren’t a substitute for a healthy diet, those containing multiple vitamins and minerals can help fill nutritional gaps when you lack time for more than a quick snack.
7 Top High-Altitude Beverages to Try
Add the high-altitude beverages below to your shopping cart and discover your new favorite health drink for climbing — or anytime you need a mental and physical boost.
Here's the 7 Top High-Altitude Beverages to Try:
1. Brez Lion’s Mane Formula
Brez gained popularity because of its terpene blends containing THC and CBD from the cannabis plant. However, its lion’s mane formula contains no THC or CBD, is legal in all 50 states and uses the power of lion’s mane mushrooms to deliver focus and clarity. It also contains chicory root inulin to nurture your gut microbiome and limonene, a terpene that may reduce anxiety and promote calm.⁸
2. Altitude Mountain Beverage
Altitude has you covered morning and evening with two distinct, vegan and non-GMO beverage lines to enhance your wellness. Altitude oatmilk lattes are ideal fo starting your day, and their mocktails perfect for winding down in the evening without alcohol. They also use mushrooms and CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabis terpene that may help chronic pain and anxiety.⁹
3. Acli-Mate Mountain Sport Drink
Acli-Mate Mountain Sport Drink, as a powder to mix with water, is a great companion for mountain adventures. This specially formulated beverage supports optimal hydration and energy, helping you adapt quickly. Whether you're hiking, skiing, or mountain biking, Acli-Mate enhances your performance and reduces fatigue, so you can enjoy more.
4. Hi-Lyte
Hi-Lyte is available as a concentrate or a powder to mix with water. Their products offer a proprietary blend of sea nutrients to meet your electrolyte needs, including magnesium, zinc, chloride, sodium, potassium and sulfate. Their products promise to decrease heat stress, nausea, cramping and fatigue while improving energy and muscle function and supporting your immunity.
5. Nuun
Nuun electrolyte powders and tablets transform your ordinary, boring water bottle into a celebration. With great flavors like strawberry kiwi and pink lemonade, its easy to get even reluctant sippers to indulge in the deliciousness. Each serving has less than one gram of sugar, making it ideal for those watching their carb intake. It also contains five key electrolytes to keep you running strong.
6. Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel
Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel powers endurance athletes through tough workouts. With 25 grams of carbs per serving, it provides ready energy to muscle tissues. It’s also rich in vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium to help your bones and muscles recover after exertion.
7. Waterboy Weekend Recovery
Many high-altitude beverages are also great recovery fuel for the morning after one too many. It contains L-theanine, a calming amino acid that can help combat the dreaded “hangxiety.” Addtionally, it provides a hefty dose of vitamin B-12 for energy and vitamin C for immune function and comes in six fun flavors.
This concludes the top altitude beverages to prepare you for your next mountain adventure! High-altitude beverages come in various formulations so you can choose the best ones for your needs. These drinks promise to help you overcome elevation while improving focus, boosting your energy and promoting a sense of calm.
Better Than A Beverage, Altitude Chewables
Experience the ultimate solution for conquering elevation with Zaca’s chewables. More than just a beverage alternative, these berry-flavored chewables are convenient and portable to take anytime without the hassle of traveling with a beverage or mixing with water. This proprietary blend of powerful ingredients for hydration and recovery include japanese raisin tree, prickly pear, l-glutamine and l-glutathione. Each chewable works fast, simply eat 2-4 chewables for quick results and lasting effects. Try Zaca’s chewable supplement today and fortify your body during your next mountain journey.
SOURCES:
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https://backcountryfoodie.com/nutrition-and-hydration-for-high-altitude/2. Just a moment... (n.d.). Just a moment...
https://www.technology.org/how-and-why/do-we-work-more-than-medieval-peasants/3. Hot, hot, hot! How to stay safe in the summer heat :: PAM health. (n.d.). Acute Care Hospitals & Outpatient Therapy | PAM Health. https://pamhealth.com/company/company-updates/hot-hot-hot-how-stay-safe-summer-heat4. Zaca. (n.d.). 6 steps how to prepare for high altitude skiing. https://zacalife.com/blogs/blog/how-to-prepare-for-high-altitude-skiing5. Rush, B. (2023, November 1). Does vitamin B12 give you energy? 5 benefits to know. Body+Mind Magazine.
https://bodymind.com/benefits-of-vitamin-b/6. Does coffee actually dehydrate you? (2023, October 10). Verywell Health.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/does-coffee-dehydrate-you-82860577.Rush, B. (2023, November 1). Improve your mental clarity with these tips. Body+Mind Magazine.
https://bodymind.com/mental-clarity/8. Sabaghi, D. (2024, March 27). Limonene terpene reduces THC-induced anxiety, study finds. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2024/03/26/limonene-terpene-reduces-thc-induced-anxiety-study-finds/9. Cannabidiol (CBD): What we know and what we don't. (2021, September 24). Harvard Health.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-201808241447610. Zaca. (n.d.). Japanese raisin tree: Complete guide. https://zacalife.com/blogs/blog/japanese-raisin-tree
