We’re Buzzing Over This Locally Made Energy Drink

While it's tempting to want to grab a coffee before — or after — a workout, it's no secret that the dehydrating effects will leave you feeling less than stellar. After all, you've been told by everyone from your fitness instructor to your aesthetician that it's water all the way — yet sometimes, even that isn't enough. But with the myriad of energy drinks promising to convert you into Superwoman, it's hard to decipher the difference between truth and fiction. While we can't testify for some of the big boys on campus, there's a locally made 100% all-natural sports drink that definitely has your best interests (and palate!) in mind.

Greater Than is the brainchild of Chicago brothers Jon and Mark Sider, who discovered a void in the energy drink marketplace via their own extremely active and athletic lifestyles. Their goal was to create a sports drink that fueled performance, tasted great, and that was made with only natural ingredients. Well, it's safe to say they succeeded. Starting with a coconut water base and natural electrolytes, an entire bottle of Greater Than has half of the sugar of some other energy drinks, less sugar than natural coconut water, double the electrolytes (hello, hydration boost!), and only comes in at 80 calories.

One of the most important aspects the boys want you to keep in mind when trying their refreshing bev is that it's BVO- (a flame retardant) free. Not sure if you remember a gal by the name of Sarah Kavanagh that was in the news recently, but the Mississippi teen started an online petition to remove BVO from Gatorade that ended up with more than 250,000 signatures, resulting in PepsiCo (owners of Gatorade) pulling the potentially harmful chemical from their drinks.

So, are you ready to fuel up for your next workout? Greater Than is available nationwide, but sold locally at stores like Fox & Obel, Treasure Island, Whole Foods, Mariano's, and many more. Check out the website for the complete list.