Out with water, in with the post-workout beer

erdinger alkoholfreiYou've just run a breezy six miles, and you're looking for a little recharge. So you open your refrigerator and place your paws on a nice chilled bottle of beer, right?

Well, that's what one company is hoping for, anyway. Erdinger Alkoholfrei, a non-alcoholic brew from Germany, is being advertised as a "sports and fitness drink."

Nutritional information aside, maybe we should be a little realistic here, brew gods. When I think hydration after a long session in the gym, I think water; I think sports drinks. When I think of celebrating -- now that's when I think of beer.

In fact, beer would probably be my last choice after a workout, don't you agree?

First things first: Although the beer is called "alcohol-free," it still contains 0.5 percent alcohol. Honestly, who doesn't want to follow up a good workout with teensy bit of alcohol right? Wrong. Plain and simple, drinking a beer after working out is totally gross. You've just tried super hard to put a positive physical fitness foot forward, and I can't help but think that this beer -- or any beer really -- is a step back. Can the beer help hydrate you after your sweat session? Yes. But so can a cool glass of healthful water or a delicious sports drink.

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And while Erdinger Alkoholfrei is the No. 1 non-alcoholic beer in Germany, I doubt that means it will be successful over here in the United States. Think for a moment: When was the last time you actually picked out a solid non-alcoholic beer for sheer enjoyment? Non-alcoholic beers remind me of my underage years, and even back then they had little-to-no appeal. I have no shame in my opinion that beer without the alcohol ... well, it's just not as good.

Also, a look at the facts shows that non-alcoholic beer sales have been declining for more than a decade. Combine the availability of other sports drink options with a general lack of interest in non-alcoholic beer, and it seems to me like this is a trend worth passing on.

Would I drink one? For kicks, sure I'd try it. But other than that, I'll stick to my strawberry Powerade Zero, with 0 percent alcohol content.

Would you trade in water or sports drinks for a beer post-workout?

Image via Erdinger

Written by Emily Abbate for CafeMom's blog, The Stir.

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