Non-alcoholic beer has moved well past Dry January. We have already covered the wider category in our guides to the best non-alcoholic beers, the best European non-alcoholic beers and the newest non-alcoholic beers to try, but one corner of that market is aimed squarely at the gym: beers brewed or fortified specifically to fit around a workout, whether that means real added protein, BCAAs and amino acids, or simply a light enough beer that it will not undo an hour on the treadmill. If you have heard the old claim that beer itself builds muscle or puts hair on your chest, here is what the actual research says.
The newest and highest-profile entry is Optimum Nutrition’s own ChampionSips, launched September 2026 with 10g of protein per can. Read our full Optimum Nutrition beer review for taste notes, nutrition facts and where to buy it.
We split this guide into three groups. First, the actual protein beers, brews built around a specific nutrition claim on the label. Second, functional beers with electrolytes or isotonic recovery credentials rather than protein. Third, a handful of easy-drinking, low-calorie beers that are not marketed as fitness beers at all but that nutrition writers keep coming back to as sensible post-workout picks.
The actual protein and functional fitness beers
These two beers are built for the gym crowd from the ground up, one with amino acids and BCAAs, the other with a genuinely high protein count.
Gym Beer by Iguana
| Style | Non-alcoholic lager |
| ABV | 0.0% |
| Calories | About 36 kcal per 330ml can (11 kcal per 100ml) |
| Protein | About 1.65g per can, plus a 1,000mg BCAA complex and 20 amino acids from brewer’s yeast |
| Brewery | Drink ID, Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland |
Gym Beer is a Polish 0.0% lager built around a patented process that extracts free amino acids straight from brewer’s yeast. The can lists all 20 essential and non-essential amino acids, a 1,000mg BCAA complex (L-leucine, L-valine and L-isoleucine), added dietary fibre, 43mg of natural caffeine from guarana and a white mulberry fruit infusion. According to the nutrition panel it comes in at roughly 11 kcal per 100ml, which puts a full 330ml can under 40 calories, with about 1.5g of fibre and 1.65g of protein.
It will not replace a protein shake, the protein number is modest next to a proper supplement, but the amino acid and BCAA profile is a genuine point of difference from a normal 0.0% lager, and the caffeine hit from guarana gives it a bit of a lift that most alcohol-free beers do not have.
- Genuinely low calorie for a full-flavoured lager
- 1,000mg BCAA complex plus all 20 amino acids, not just a marketing line
- 43mg of natural caffeine gives it an edge normal 0.0% beers do not have
- Vegan and gluten-free
- Protein content itself is low, this is an amino acid and BCAA beer, not a protein shake
- Not widely stocked in the US, easiest to find through UK retailers or importers
Stocked in the UK through Morrisons and via importer Wild Rock USA in the States. It has picked up early tasting notes and drinker check-ins on Untappd.
Barbell Brew by Muscle Food
| Style | Wheat beer |
| ABV | 3.6% |
| Calories | 92.4 kcal per 330ml bottle |
| Protein | 21.8g per bottle, about the same as a sirloin steak |
| Brewery | Muscle Food Brewery, UK |
Barbell Brew is the beer that made headlines for actually putting real protein in the bottle. UK sports nutrition retailer Muscle Food built it as a 3.6% wheat beer with tropical fruit and light caramel notes, and the standout number is 21.8g of protein per 330ml bottle, roughly what you would get from three extra-large eggs or a portion of sirloin steak. Muscle Food also claims 85% fewer carbs and about a third fewer calories than a typical lager, with only 92.4 calories and 1.65g of carbs per bottle.
This one does contain alcohol, unlike Gym Beer, so it sits closer to a normal post-workout pint than a functional 0.0% beer. Availability has been UK-only and has come and gone since its 2016 launch, so treat it as a novelty worth tracking down rather than a beer you can always find on a shelf, and check current stock before you go looking for it.
- 21.8g of protein per bottle is a real, verifiable number, not a rounding-error claim
- Low calorie and low carb for a beer with alcohol in it
- Notes of tropical fruit and caramel rather than tasting like a supplement
- 3.6% ABV, so it is not a non-alcoholic option
- UK-only and stock has been inconsistent since launch
Originally sold direct through Muscle Food in the UK. Drinker check-ins and availability history are tracked on Untappd.
JoyBräu Protein Beer
| Style | Non-alcoholic lager (Lemon, Grapefruit and Lager variants) |
| ABV | <0.5% (older cans) / 0.0% (current official spec) |
| Calories | 135 kcal per 0.33L can (original/grapefruit, as independently tested) |
| Protein | Up to 21g per can, from fermented pea amino acids — varies by flavour and formula era |
| Brewery | OeTTINGER GETRÄNKE, Germany (acquired the brand in 2024) |
JoyBräu is the pioneer of this category, launched in Germany in 2016 and picked up by OeTTINGER GETRÄNKE, one of the country's biggest breweries, in 2024. It uses vegan amino acids fermented from yellow peas rather than whey, and independently tested cans have carried as much as 21g of protein, on par with Barbell Brew and roughly double Optimum Nutrition's ChampionSips. Read our full JoyBräu review for the taste-test verdict.
The catch is taste. We go into the full sip-by-sip breakdown in our review, but the short version is flat, sweet and missing the bitterness a normal beer needs, even though it has picked up FIBO and International Taste Institute awards along the way. It is also genuinely hard to buy outside Germany right now.
- Up to 21g of plant-based protein, one of the highest counts in the category
- Vegan and lactose-free, unlike whey-based competitors
- Consistently poor independent taste reviews since 2018
- Ships within Germany only; both Indian retail listings we found are currently unavailable
Read the full JoyBräu protein beer review for the nutrition breakdown, taste-test verdict and where it is (and is not) currently in stock, or see how it stacks up in our beer and muscle research roundup.
Functional beers built for recovery, not protein
Not every fitness-friendly beer is chasing a protein number. Some brewers go after electrolytes and isotonic credentials instead, the same territory covered in our piece on non-alcoholic beer’s next wave of functional wellness ingredients.
Erdinger Alkoholfrei
Erdinger Alkoholfrei is the beer German and Austrian athletes have been reaching for after training for years. It is marketed as an isotonic recovery drink, replacing fluids and electrolytes lost through sweat, and it has sponsored professional cycling and running teams on that exact claim. Read our full Erdinger Alkoholfrei review.
WellBeing Brewing Victory Wheat (+ Electrolytes)
A US non-alcoholic citrus wheat beer from a brewery that only makes NA beer, fortified with the electrolyte formula Buoy plus B vitamins. At 85 calories and 3g of protein per 16oz can, it actually edges past several beers marketed harder as protein beers. Read our full WellBeing Brewing Victory Wheat review.
Good beers for after a workout that are not protein beers
Muscle & Fitness has rounded up a set of lighter, lower-carb beers that are not marketed as protein beers at all, but that fit reasonably well into a fitness routine on calories and ABV alone. We have already reviewed three beers in that same low-calorie, easy-drinking lane, and they are worth a look if Gym Beer and Barbell Brew are too niche or hard to find near you.
Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA
A sessionable non-alcoholic IPA at just 65 calories and under 1g of protein per can, brewed with a blend of five Northwest hops for real IPA bitterness without the calorie load. Read our full Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA review.
Samuel Adams Just the Haze Non-Alcoholic IPA
A hazy, full-bodied non-alcoholic IPA at 98 calories with a genuinely juicy citrus and stone fruit profile. Read our full Samuel Adams Just the Haze review.
Corona Non-Alcoholic Cero
A 0.0% lager at around 60 calories per bottle, built for exactly the kind of easy-drinking, low-stakes session you want after training rather than before. Read our full Corona Non-Alcoholic Cero review.
Two more worth knowing if you are counting calories rather than protein: our Michelob Ultra review covers the original low-calorie lager, and our Lucky Saint Lime & Sea Salt review looks at a newer NA lager built for the same after-training slot. For the full lineup, see our roundup of the best low-calorie beers.
Curious how non-alcoholic beer is actually made?
If you want to understand how brewers strip out the alcohol while keeping the flavour (and how that differs from a beer like Gym Beer that is brewed to 0.0% from the start), read our guide on how non-alcoholic beer is made.
Best fitness beers compared
| Beer | Style | ABV | Calories | Protein | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gym Beer by Iguana | 0.0% lager | 0.0% | ~36 kcal | ~1.65g + BCAA/amino acids | Not confirmed on Saucey |
| Barbell Brew | Wheat beer | 3.6% | 92.4 kcal | 21.8g | Not confirmed on Saucey |
| JoyBräu Protein Beer | 0.0% lager | <0.5% / 0.0% | 135 kcal | Up to 21g | Read review |
| Erdinger Alkoholfrei | 0.0% wheat beer | <0.5% | 125 kcal per 500ml | Negligible, isotonic electrolytes/vitamins | Read review |
| WellBeing Victory Wheat | NA wheat + electrolytes | 0.0% | 85 kcal per 16oz | 3g, plus electrolytes and B vitamins | Read review |
| Athletic Brewing Run Wild IPA | NA IPA | 0.5% | 65 kcal | <1g | Read review |
| Samuel Adams Just the Haze | NA Hazy IPA | <0.5% | 98 kcal | 3g | Read review |
| Corona Non-Alcoholic Cero | 0.0% lager | 0.0% | ~60 kcal | ~1g | Read review |
Calorie and protein figures are per can or bottle as listed by each brand, based on the standard serving size sold in that market. Always check the label on the pack in front of you, formulas and serving sizes can change.
Protein beer FAQs
Is there such a thing as a real protein beer?
Yes. Barbell Brew, made by UK retailer Muscle Food, contains 21.8g of protein per 330ml bottle, roughly the same as a sirloin steak, and it is a genuine, lab-verifiable number rather than a marketing exaggeration.
What is Gym Beer by Iguana?
Gym Beer is a Polish 0.0% ABV lager brewed with added fibre, a 1,000mg BCAA complex and all 20 essential and non-essential amino acids extracted from brewer’s yeast, plus 43mg of natural caffeine from guarana.
Are there non-alcoholic beers with electrolytes?
Yes. Erdinger Alkoholfrei is marketed as an isotonic recovery drink and has sponsored professional athletes on that claim, and WellBeing Brewing Victory Wheat is fortified with the electrolyte formula Buoy plus B vitamins.
Can you drink beer after a workout?
In moderation, yes. Beer contains carbohydrates your muscles can use for recovery, and a low-calorie or non-alcoholic option avoids undoing the work you just put in. It is not a substitute for water, electrolytes or a real protein source.
What is the healthiest beer to drink after the gym?
Non-alcoholic and low-calorie options like Athletic Brewing Run Wild, Samuel Adams Just the Haze and Corona Non-Alcoholic Cero are sensible post-workout picks, all under 100 calories with little to no alcohol.
