Red Bull & Other Energy Drinks?

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Starcraftmazter

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Here in Australia Coca-Cola has launched a massive TV ad campaign for the new energy drink "Mother", and to keep their market share here, so has the company which makes "Red Bull". I swear I see like 10 ads a day for those products!

Well I just did some research on them, and found out some interesting stuff, especially in relation to a substance in them called taurine.

So I was wondering what everyone here thinks of them, and if anyone has any positive or negative experiences to share?

Where I personally would find these energy drinks useful is in bike riding, because I go on long rides & it's important to have a good average speed on these rides, and as I understand it, these energy drinks can provide the means to do exercise without getting fatigued for longer?

I suppose seeing as how they're so cheap it wouldn't hurt to try it, but nevertheless, perhaps we can have some discussion about them.

And also, where the crap do they get so much money for all of these TV ads? I just checked, a can of Red Bull costs $2.50 or so here in Australia, which isn't all that much at all. Is it a case of extreme overpricing and profiteering with these drinks? Or do they really work? Or both?

And more importantly, for how long do they work?
 
all i know is they are good with VODKA and minging with Sambuca!

but, they are full of sugars and caffine.
if want to run harder etc try caffine or some suppliement, but u have to know what your going for in term of out come and dont loose sight of it.

I dont know about in auzzie, but in the UK we have a thing called PROPLUS and its pure caffine in a tablet. that gives you energy you never knew u had, but as will all things you get used to them.... and to stop them and leave them alone for a while before going back to them.

mate redbull is drunk on a night out... its the highest selling beverage over here... this company owns TWO F1 teams... and sponsors stuff only if it added to the image of the company not to sell more. it only does stuff to make to appeal to young people.
there budget on advertisement is 700million a year.
K
 
energy drinks are not healthy, nor a smart way to get workout energy. if you don't have energy to workout, you're not sleeping or eating enough (or both) or you are over-training.

I've seen studies saying too much taurine will easily lead to kidney stones. I'd rather give birth than pass a kidney stone.
 
Agreed about checking your sleep and diet. If you need those weak ass, over priced drinks for energy, you've got some nutrition and/or sleep issues to fix first. I don't know about you, but paying nothing for water is a lot better than 2 bucks for 10 ounces of Bullpiss.
 
malkore said:
energy drinks are not healthy, nor a smart way to get workout energy. if you don't have energy to workout, you're not sleeping or eating enough (or both) or you are over-training.
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MarkMyWords said:
Agreed about checking your sleep and diet. If you need those weak ass, over priced drinks for energy, you've got some nutrition and/or sleep issues to fix first.
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It's not a matter of not having "enough" energy for something, it's a matter of, "is it possible to have more energy, than you would otherwise?".

malkore said:
I've seen studies saying too much taurine will easily lead to kidney stones. I'd rather give birth than pass a kidney stone.
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Of course if you drink too much that would happen, I don't know why anyone would drink too much of these drinks.

MarkMyWords said:
I don't know about you, but paying nothing for water is a lot better than 2 bucks for 10 ounces of Bullpiss.
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Well if you look at the ingredients, you'll immediately realise that it's not just water....

Yeh - it's easy to criticise, but I'm looking for first hand experience, not "I only know what the popular consensus is".
 
MarkMyWords said:
You are missing my point. I'm saying a good diet and water and plenty of sleep will give you more than enough energy...
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Well if I'm missing your point, then you're missing mine.
There will always be "enough" energy for something.

I have a good diet...I sleep....sometimes :p

But say I have to go for a 50k bike ride, and I complete it in 3 hours.
IF I drink Red Bull before the ride, how much quicker is it possible to finish the ride?

Do you see what I am getting at? How much does it boost your performance, over the top of what it currently is, regardless or regarding everything else.
 
Your energy levels will have decreased more rapidly if you were to take a 50k bike ride for 3 hours on an energy drink. It may give you that initial spurt, but after that, its all downhill from there. Personally, for short time things, I occasionally take a swig or two. But note that, as the others have said, that it isn't the best thing for you and shouldn't really be had on a regular basis. That being said, one every so often isn't going to kill you, just make sure that you have all the fundamental forms of getting your energy in into check. :)
 
Starcraftmazter said:
Well if I'm missing your point, then you're missing mine.
There will always be "enough" energy for something.

I have a good diet...I sleep....sometimes :p

But say I have to go for a 50k bike ride, and I complete it in 3 hours.
IF I drink Red Bull before the ride, how much quicker is it possible to finish the ride?

Do you see what I am getting at? How much does it boost your performance, over the top of what it currently is, regardless or regarding everything else.
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I agree with Malkore. Come on, this is sounding a bit like "apple core" on the simpsons.

As for anyone having experience i think thats pointless, the "added energy" would be so small, if any, that you wouldnt be able to distinguish it as a result from the "energy drink"

As far as im concerned these things are loaded in sugar (which isnt complex and therefore not ideal for a long run for example. As well as caffeeine which would make you dehydrated, and which makes you alert and i assume some people would relate this to the "energy from the drink".

If you want the best. Have yourself a good diet and training programme.
 
redbull for exersize no. there are much better sports drink! that have better stuff in them.
red-bull is an image thing.

it will help purely because of the caffine and sugar. i take them when i am at work night, it does keep you awake and your heart beat a little harder. but these effects are got from other ways like caffine tablets.

my suggestion is look for a more sports drink if u want to take something. i mean for a 50k bike ride, you will need something with more than turine and caffine. ur going to need a whole heap of other minerals etc.

but hey, try it out mate, its not going to hurt giving it a try! best experince is ur own experince!
K
 
i love monster enegery drinks! im addicted to them, and i have to drink one before i workout lol , even tho im sure they aint healthy, and whoever said kidney stones up there! now im paranoid lol
 
my buddy loved the Rock Star juice (me too) but he only drank that, and soda, and coffee...like no water ever.

one night he had 2, the next day he was in agony, and the day after that he passed a kidney stone.

So i'm sure its more of an issue when you don't keep the kidneys flushed out with plain water.
But when mike79 says "I think I'm addicted...I have to have one before I workout..." that's no fun mike..you don't really want to HAVE to drink one just to feel like you're getting a good workout do you?

Subconsciously, you're gonna associate Monster as a way to prepare to train...part of psyching up.
and then when you can't drink one, your brain will not shift gears, and you'll have a ****ty workout.
Our bodies and brains are creatures of habit and repetition whether we like it and are aware of it or not.
 
I've been hearing things about athletes drinking energy drinks and passing out, going into cardiac arrest, or dying. Energy drinks are banned from a lot of athletic events such as swimming and running, I think...
 
I have always found energy bars a signifigantly better source of energy during a long bike ride than the energy drinks I have tried. Some of the guys I ride with fill one of their water bottles with watered down coffee and some sort of sugar, but Im pretty sure that would just make me need to piss a lot more and not provide a whole lot of extra benefit.
Some people have a hard time eating and riding, but if you go on long enough rides its an absolute neccessity.
 
aharris84 said:
I have always found energy bars a signifigantly better source of energy during a long bike ride than the energy drinks I have tried.
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Which bars would you recommend?
 
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