What are your thoughts on energy drinks?

[Heed]

I've seen some professional athletes sip on 12 ounces of Red Bull periodically throughout a 60 minute hockey game, And if you watch MotoGP (I don't), you probably notice riders are sponsored by brands like Monster and are seen carrying bottles of Red Bull, but I wonder if they actually drink it or if it's just a shameless plug.

Once you quit drinking soda cold turkey like I did, you don't really crave sugar or syrup any longer. However, I recently started drinking sugar free Red Bull which contains the artificial sweetener aspartame. I don't intend on consuming more than 24oz per month. And I don't see them much differently than a bottle of beer as far as responsibility is concerned. An 18-year-old Irish athlete, Ross Cooney, died within hours after playing a basketball game and consuming four cans of Red Bull. There's also other stupid stories of people mixing stimulants (energy drinks) with depressants (alcohol) which is like causing a tornado in your central nervous system.

I'm wondering how healthy it is. When I realized my 12oz sugar free Red Bull had only 15 calories, I thought that couldn't be normal. It does have a lot of B vitamins and in large quantities -- up to 360% of the RDA for vitamin B6 as well as taurine. But my understanding is that it's all synthetic, meaning your body can't make much out (if anything?) of it and you piss your money away if I'm not mistaken.


I find that they make me slightly jittery. But I don't experience a crash afterwards perhaps because it's sugarless. I also feel like it slightly improves my concentration/reaction time, and maybe even suppresses my appetite, but I don't know how much of that is all in my head.

[Jono]

I think they are stupid and a waste of money. And I am pretty sure they are not good for you. I don't drink soda either. I quit that like 4 years ago. I used to drink like 3 cans a day. I still have one every now and then though.

No I mainly drink tea and water. And a cup of coffee every morning to get me going.

Anywho. I get my energy from healthy-ish food and sleep.

[lamchops]

I drink energy drinks one weekend a month, two weeks a year
Some replace that w/ 'smoke'. YMMV.

[Heed]

A friend of mine drinks Monsters like water. He'll be diabetic someday. I've been told the citric acid is also just as bad for your teeth as sugar is.

I wonder the same thing about sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, too. It's mostly water and sugar, but it at least has electrolytes and potassium. Again, probably synthetic and not the real thing you'd get out of a banana.

/shrug

[Jiggles]

I drink 2-3 monsters per day and have recurring shipments from amazon.

This is my broken leg recovery center

[gfloyd2002]

Interesting recovery center. Lotion at your right hand and the paper towels at your left. to physical therapy.

On topic, something about companies marketing an addictive substance for cash gives me the willies. You drink a Red Bull/Monster or two a day, and then stop, you get caffeine headaches. Also, caffeine dehydrates you, giving you an incentive to drink . . . more Red Bull/Monster. Genius. Built in need to drink everyday and chemically designed to get you into a feedback loop. Reminds me of cigarette company internal memos talking about the bonus of nicotine addiction, particularly in combination with Red Bull and Monster's tobacco-like marketing budget in the sports world.

[Jiggles]

Lmao but seriously, I use a sock, or a shirt

I don't think caffeine is addictive, at least for me. When I crave a monster other caffeinated drinks just won't do and if I don't have caffeine I don't get a headache. Also what's strange is that the more monsters I drink in a day, the worse they taste. The first one is amazing, I'm always sure to pair it up with a delicious meal like subway. The second one is pretty good, it's a hard choice to drink it in the afternoon or save it till dinner. The 3rd one is just meh and I usually won't even finish it because it just doesn't taste great anymore. If monsters continued to taste as good as the first one I'd have no problem drinking 7 in a day. Another interesting fact is that the earlier in the day it is the better they taste, pre 7am monsters are goddamn orgasmic. Oh and a monster while you are on IV heroin is the most delicious thing in the world. Last meal on death row will be one monster and an IV of heroin.

Now if you can explain this phenomenon that I'm experiencing whether it's related to addiction or caffeine or just my amazingly ****ed up super brain I am all ears, and other body parts

[GreenNinja]

Originally Posted by Heed

I've seen some professional athletes sip on 12 ounces of Red Bull periodically throughout a 60 minute hockey game, And if you watch MotoGP (I don't), you probably notice riders are sponsored by brands like Monster and are seen carrying bottles of Red Bull, but I wonder if they actually drink it or if it's just a shameless plug.

Once you quit drinking soda cold turkey like I did, you don't really crave sugar or syrup any longer. However, I recently started drinking sugar free Red Bull which contains the artificial sweetener aspartame. I don't intend on consuming more than 24oz per month. And I don't see them much differently than a bottle of beer as far as responsibility is concerned. An 18-year-old Irish athlete, Ross Cooney, died within hours after playing a basketball game and consuming four cans of Red Bull. There's also other stupid stories of people mixing stimulants (energy drinks) with depressants (alcohol) which is like causing a tornado in your central nervous system.

I'm wondering how healthy it is. When I realized my 12oz sugar free Red Bull had only 15 calories, I thought that couldn't be normal. It does have a lot of B vitamins and in large quantities -- up to 360% of the RDA for vitamin B6 as well as taurine. But my understanding is that it's all synthetic, meaning your body can't make much out (if anything?) of it and you piss your money away if I'm not mistaken.


I find that they make me slightly jittery. But I don't experience a crash afterwards perhaps because it's sugarless. I also feel like it slightly improves my concentration/reaction time, and maybe even suppresses my appetite, but I don't know how much of that is all in my head.

I drink a Monster to stay awake at work if I only had 5 hours of sleep. To fix that jittery feeling, make sure you eat something with protein like peanut butter right after you drink the energy drink.

[Heed]

I'm not sure if I feel addicted to the caffeine either. Well, everyone has different tolerance, especially with caffiene. The first RB I had in a long time was just a couple of days ago. I stopped at a gas station and grabbed one before a 2 hour drive. I didn't get the jitters then, probably because I was gradually drinking it. Couple days later at work my thought process was "maybe I'll have one today". And like an idiot, I put that 12oz can down in 5 minutes or so. That's when I felt jittery. I don't think you're supposed to drink so much so fast. Sustained release ftw.

I don't get headaches, but if I drink it too fast, I feel like my body is getting overworked almost like I'm getting sweaty.

[AznJoJo]

Caffeine can totally be addicting. My friend cannot not have at least 2 monsters a day. She knows she's addicted but isn't ready to quit yet.

[Jiggles]

^ I'm in love with your friend

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Heed

A friend of mine drinks Monsters like water. He'll be diabetic someday. I've been told the citric acid is also just as bad for your teeth as sugar is.

I wonder the same thing about sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade, too. It's mostly water and sugar, but it at least has electrolytes and potassium. Again, probably synthetic and not the real thing you'd get out of a banana.

/shrug

Funny you should mention the teeth thing. I used to also drink like a bottle of Gatorade once a day or so and when I went in to see my dentist he asked me if I drink soda and I told him no since I quit that and thought Gatorade would be a good replacement. But no. He told me not to drink so much Gatorade. That **** is bad for your teeth. He said if I want to drink Gatorade, I should water it down because it is so acidic. So now I rarely even drink it.

I don't even want to imagine what it was doing to the insides of my body.


Water is my go to drink when I am thirsty!

[Whiskey]

I can pretty much guarantee that the MotoGP riders & hockey players have water in the red bull cans, they're doing it for the publicity fee.

I drink the odd one, RB does a decent job of waking me up if I'm losing concentration at work.

[Heed]

Originally Posted by Jono

He told me not to drink so much Gatorade. That **** is bad for your teeth. He said if I want to drink Gatorade, I should water it down because it is so acidic. So now I rarely even drink it.

I don't even want to imagine what it was doing to the insides of my body.

using a straw might help lol. disclaimer: im not a dentist.

[Goom]

Moderation is the key. I have one once in a while. I was drinking at least one daily, but since nearly cutting them completely out, I feel better.

I can't say for sure, but I'd almost bet money that the athletes you see with them are drinking water. Either that, or I've noticed a lot of guys appear to just sip the drinks, so it's possible that they could be drinking the real deal then. I know for a fact that they have had special Monster cans for Warped Tour filled with water in the past.

[Stingray1000]

Good luck with your future liver problems to anyone who drinks these, and to anyone who drinks the sugar free versions good luck with your liver problems and your cancer!

[xSean13]

Red bull sucks.
Monster Nitrous is the best...any flavor.

[Heed]

Originally Posted by Stingray1000

Good luck with your future liver problems to anyone who drinks these, and to anyone who drinks the sugar free versions good luck with your liver problems and your cancer!

so no cancer if i drink the sugared versions? that logic

Originally Posted by xSean13

Red bull sucks.
Monster Nitrous is the best...any flavor.

they all taste the same to me. probably because carbonated water, sugar/aspartame, citric acid, taurine, sodium and inositol tastes the same no matter what can it's in.

[Apex]

<---- Tea, water, a daily coffee and juice. That is about it. I may have a Coke or something on occasion, but I can rarely down more than 8oz of it when I do.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Stingray1000

Good luck with your future liver problems to anyone who drinks these, and to anyone who drinks the sugar free versions good luck with your liver problems and your cancer!

Fine by me, I don't want to end up old like you

[xSean13]

Originally Posted by Heed

so no cancer if i drink the sugared versions? that logic



they all taste the same to me. probably because carbonated water, sugar/aspartame, citric acid, taurine, sodium and inositol tastes the same no matter what can it's in.

But it's infused with nitrous oxide, thus giving it a smooth 'texture' versus other energy drinks being sour/acidic.

[Boom King]

Even if they somehow managed to make these drinks not taste disgusting, the potential drawbacks far outweigh any perceived benefits you might gain from an energy drink, or even soda pop for that matter. Aside from possibly raising the risk of diabetes and obesity, you've got other harmful chemical reactions to worry about.

Most of these drinks contain citric acid to give flavour and fizz, and benzoic acid as a food preservative. The concern is when you combine these two chemicals, they form benzene, a carcinogenic molecule. Now, one can of pop contains a low enough amount that if you drink it occasionally, there's probably not too much to fuss about. On the other hand, if you're slamming 3 cans back per day over a long period of time, you might want to start thinking about cutting back.

The other concern is the pop can itself. There is a plastic lining on the inside that keeps the aluminum from leeching into the liquid and also to protect the can itself. Without it, the citric acid would actually eventually start to corrode and rust the can from the inside out. However, now you've got toxic BPA from the plastic leeching into your foods and drinks. Yummy stuff.

[Stingray1000]

Originally Posted by Heed

so no cancer if i drink the sugared versions? that logic

Aspartame or whatever is known to cause Cancer in lab rats, but so is anything else, your risk is just higher if you consume it...Not 100% verified but it did increase tumurs in Rats for sure.

[Monkeytofu]

All energy drinks taste disgusting, except Jolt Blue. It doesn't have that disgusting after taste that energy drinks have.


But I never drink them except when I occasionally find Jolt Blue.

[lamchops]

Originally Posted by xSean13

Red bull sucks.
Monster Nitrous is the best...any flavor.

3-serving can of , hands-down.
it's racist of them to make caps for all of their other 3-servings except that one.

[drac]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

I can pretty much guarantee that the MotoGP riders & hockey players have water in the red bull cans, they're doing it for the publicity fee.

This ^^^

I don't think any professional athlete actually drinks that crap. At least not on "game day". I have been in the pits at multiple pro races and have seen mechanics/wives/girlfriends open cans of monster/red bull just to dump it out and refill the can with water or gatoraide. They usually try to do it in the trailer but every now and then you can catch one.

[menikmati]

I never really got into the whole energy drink craze, I operate just fine when they weren't a big thing and still don't need them now.

If I need an energy boost, I either exercise a little bit or drink tea.

[TnNinjaGirl]

Originally Posted by Stingray1000

Aspartame or whatever is known to cause Cancer in lab rats, but so is anything else, your risk is just higher if you consume it...Not 100% verified but it did increase tumurs in Rats for sure.

Only in California. So just don't be in California when you drink it and you will be fine.

[Kygirl]

I ride with a Dr. Philippe Georgel on Sundays who teaches at Marshall University's Medical School in Huntington West Virginia. He's not a fan of red bull as some of his research has examined the carcinogenic effects of caffeine and taurine. However, he is also not a fan of coffee or caffeine at all so *shrug*.

[dirty nasty]

My thoughts on energy drinks (or anything other than water) when you're doing anything remotely physical is a big, fat NO. Have you ever drank one and tried to work/work-out/run/bike/play sports? You feel horrible! Water only. I won't drink Gatorade when I'm getting physical, but I will have some mixed in with even more water when I'm hydrating the day prior. So usually when I get off of work. When I'm at work I'll only drink water.

I believe the cans you see on TV are filled with water.

I'll only drink energy drinks if I'm driving my car. That's about the only time I can think of when I do that. I'll drink soda too if I'm just relaxing or don't plan on doing anything too strenuous for a while.

None of my methods are backed up by anything whatsoever other than me. I work outside all day building/installing fence in the 85+ degree heat and humidity. The nastier out it gets the more I thrive off of it. I love the weather that has others passing out, throwing up and heading to the hospital. I'm a complete sissy when the temps drop below 55 degrees.

I will add another story about energy drinks. The only time I ever drank one when doing something strenuous was when actually my first time trying one. I was at the BMX racing nationals. I had mad it to the main event and was waiting for my moto to be called. When it got called, a friend stopped me and recommend that I try a Red Bull before my moto. It gave me wings! I pedaled my 11 year old ass off to a first place victory by a long stretch. That was the first and last time though. Even then I could feel that they were bad for you.

[xSean13]

Originally Posted by dirty nasty

My thoughts on energy drinks (or anything other than water) when you're doing anything remotely physical is a big, fat NO. Have you ever drank one and tried to work/work-out/run/bike/play sports? You feel horrible! Water only. I won't drink Gatorade when I'm getting physical, but I will have some mixed in with even more water when I'm hydrating the day prior. So usually when I get off of work. When I'm at work I'll only drink water.

I believe the cans you see on TV are filled with water.

I'll only drink energy drinks if I'm driving my car. That's about the only time I can think of when I do that. I'll drink soda too if I'm just relaxing or don't plan on doing anything too strenuous for a while.

None of my methods are backed up by anything whatsoever other than me. I work outside all day building/installing fence in the 85+ degree heat and humidity. The nastier out it gets the more I thrive off of it. I love the weather that has others passing out, throwing up and heading to the hospital. I'm a complete sissy when the temps drop below 55 degrees.

I will add another story about energy drinks. The only time I ever drank one when doing something strenuous was when actually my first time trying one. I was at the BMX racing nationals. I had mad it to the main event and was waiting for my moto to be called. When it got called, a friend stopped me and recommend that I try a Red Bull before my moto. It gave me wings! I pedaled my 11 year old ass off to a first place victory by a long stretch. That was the first and last time though. Even then I could feel that they were bad for you.

I concur, though I only drink them when I need to stay awake.

When I took the MSF, my mom was taking it with me and drank a 5-hour energy before hand. Her hands were shaking and she was so jittery...she couldn't control the bike very well and eventually failed from dropping the bike a couple times.

I drank a monster at one of our breaks & noticed that I had a lot more trouble doing the small things that require precision (like the tight turns and figure 8).

[Heed]

Originally Posted by lamchops

3-serving can of , :

it should say 'dehydrate' instead of rehydrate on the can since they are diuretics, especially with tea and cafiene. you think they could get in trouble for that, but i doubt it.

i always have a water with my red bull and I don't chug it down in 5 mins like a moron. I think if you're smart about energy drinks and strictly take them in moderation, you'll be okay.

[dark_beaverezt]

That's pure marketing crap. Nothing beats the original. Water,,nothing comes close,,,I shy away from those energy drinks,,

[AznJoJo]

What about MINERAL water? That's water with MINERALS! That's got to mean it's better right?!

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by dark_beaverezt

That's pure marketing crap. Nothing beats the original. Water,,nothing comes close,,,I shy away from those energy drinks,,

Alcohol

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by dark_beaverezt

That's pure marketing crap. Nothing beats the original. Water,,nothing comes close,,,I shy away from those energy drinks,,

I'll see your water & raise you milk...

protein, sugars, fat, water, vitamins & minerals... what more can you ask for?

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

I'll see your water & raise you milk...

protein, sugars, fat, water, vitamins & minerals... what more can you ask for?

Something that doesn't taste like ass?

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Something that doesn't taste like ass?

Drink it ice cold & not from a plastic bottle, it tastes ok or non pasteurized straight from the chiller tank on a dairy farm

and we're talking energy drinks here, they're not exactly bought for their light refreshing flavours (you ever taste pure caffeine how bitter do you want it? )

[Jiggles]

Milk (except for when mixed with other ingrediants) tastes like donkey farts. And actually I do drink monsters for the flavor, not for caffiene, taurine, etc. blah blah

[Heed]

milk tastes ok, kind of gives me a nasty aftertaste. but i'll fart like a cannon if it touches my lips anyway.

that lactose free stuff doesn't do anything either.


bagged tea doesn't really taste good unless you dump a gallon of honey in it.

black coffee works for me somehow.