REDLINE

[wolfen]

As a student athletic trainer, I have discovered this marvel of the modern man. I have two varsity football players using it (I'm trying to find out who so that I can talk to them about what is clearly labelled on th back of the bottles). As this also is an athletic community, what have you heard about it and have you seen any real benefits?

[bushido_man96]

I generally don't use any energy drinks, aside from an occasional Gatorade.

[Shotokan-kez]

I don't drink it either, it's too expensive for starters. I just have sports drinks for training.

[wolfen]

yeah but gatorade is not an energy drink... it's a sports drink.

plus it has the backing of GSSI (aka - GOD).

[Sohan]

yeah but gatorade is not an energy drink... it's a sports drink.

plus it has the backing of GSSI (aka - GOD).

Gatorade is indeed an energy drink because it contains an energy substrate--sugar, which is what your muscles and brain need to operate. Juice has sugar (calories), so does milk. They are all "energy" drinks.

The other drinks you refer to are nothing more than glorified caffeine drinks with other irrelevant ingredients that are overpriced and overhyped. Manufacturers have taken over the name "energy drink" in order to market their products, so the term is much misunderstood.

What makes an energy drink an energy drink is one that provides energy, which is in the form of calories. Caffeine provides no calories, thus a drink with just caffeine would not be considered an "energy" drink. Caffeine is a stimulant, a drug that stimulates the CNS and causes the release of sugar into the blood stream, sugar that was already stored as glycogen in muscle. The added sugar that your drinks provide is the only thing that can be considered "energy" providing. The worst part of these drinks is that they cause a brief surge in blood sugar along with a stimulated CNS, but they cause a blood sugar and energy crash later on. It's like robbing from Peter to pay Paul---the energy released from these drinks comes from somewhere, and the debt to be repaid is a monster.

I wouldn't waste my money on them. Eat right, sleep well, train hard. If you need a little boost before a race or event, save your money and drink a diet coke, but don't depend on "energy" drinks for sustaining daily energy.

With respect,

Sohan

[Zapatista]

I've tried some of the energy drinks (my favorite being xyience) but the ones that are expensive and just caffeine (although I thought Taurine did something to boost energy), they have a reverse effect on me, I get sleepy. There's no way I'm gonna pay over $2 for 8 oz. of a drink that will make me sleepy.

I personally don't see value in the expensive energy drinks, I rather just have Gatorade or even Crystal Light.

[Havoc88]

I like bullit, another equivalent of red bull. It's cheap so that will do it. BUT, I do not depend on it to give me energy or somethink like it. I drink it because I like it. Some drink cola when they are home, I drink bullit. Nothing wrong with it I think.

Zapatista, the sleepyness you are referring to has to do with your bloodsugarlevels. Sohan already referred to it.

The added sugar that your drinks provide is the only thing that can be considered "energy" providing. The worst part of these drinks is that they cause a brief surge in blood sugar along with a stimulated CNS, but they cause a blood sugar and energy crash later on.

This is what I think causes the sleepy feeling you get. Food like macaroni produces a constant, altough lower, increas in your blood sugar. This is because it takes longer to break down the nutritions in macaroni to tiny little molecules.

[MizuRyu]

I find that a small pot of protein noodles with a bit of prego over top is all the energy you need before an event.

Never been a fan of energy drinks...

[cathal]

yeah but gatorade is not an energy drink... it's a sports drink.

plus it has the backing of GSSI (aka - GOD).

Gatorade is indeed an energy drink because it contains an energy substrate--sugar, which is what your muscles and brain need to operate. Juice has sugar (calories), so does milk. They are all "energy" drinks.

The other drinks you refer to are nothing more than glorified caffeine drinks with other irrelevant ingredients that are overpriced and overhyped. Manufacturers have taken over the name "energy drink" in order to market their products, so the term is much misunderstood.

What makes an energy drink an energy drink is one that provides energy, which is in the form of calories. Caffeine provides no calories, thus a drink with just caffeine would not be considered an "energy" drink. Caffeine is a stimulant, a drug that stimulates the CNS and causes the release of sugar into the blood stream, sugar that was already stored as glycogen in muscle. The added sugar that your drinks provide is the only thing that can be considered "energy" providing. The worst part of these drinks is that they cause a brief surge in blood sugar along with a stimulated CNS, but they cause a blood sugar and energy crash later on. It's like robbing from Peter to pay Paul---the energy released from these drinks comes from somewhere, and the debt to be repaid is a monster.

I wouldn't waste my money on them. Eat right, sleep well, train hard. If you need a little boost before a race or event, save your money and drink a diet coke, but don't depend on "energy" drinks for sustaining daily energy.

With respect,

Sohan

Could not have said it better.

[Syphax]

I don't like to drink energy drinks, but when I have several hours to train and I am dead-tired, I will sometimes drink a Sobe.