Energy drinks

[fett]

Coffee. Just plain old black coffee. No cream. No sugar. No Starbucks. No lattes or fancy stuff. Brew it yourself and save enough to buy a cheap guitar.:ROTF: I have been drinking vast amounts of coffee for, at least, 35 years. And it hasn't messed up anything yet. If I were to stop ............ It's too late and I am too old.:ROTF:

[Wylde06]

Interesting thread. I need something to get me off my ass and get some shit done.

The problem with caffine (besides the health risk already mentioned) is you get used to it, so it takes more to get you going, and then when you decide to drop it, look out below.

Thats pretty much what happened to me. I drink Coffee almost every day, and an energy drink on the days I work. It seems that caffeine has little effect on me anymore.

[Big D]

Sugar free Red Bull is awesome and almost no calories. Too bad it's so damn expensive. I buy it by the case - about half of it gets drank straight, the other half gets mixed with Yager on the weekends. yummy, yummy, yummy

Oh and I drink about 10 cups of coffee per day also, but coffee just doesn't give me the energy that Red Bull does. With Red Bull, it is definitely a very noticeable difference.

[emperor_black]

hmm, I tried a redbull once. I thought it made no difference. I did not like the taste either. I just bought a Monster. Let me give it a shot. I found the java monster too, but couldn't find the 5 hour energy shot.

i drink 3 to 4 cups coffee a day and honestly cant stand any more of it. Caffeine in other forms, I am game.

[Freyr]

Honestly, Bawls and Jolt are where it's at. Redbull tastes mediocre, unless mixed with vodka... Monster tastes horrible, and has almost zero kick compared to Jolt.

Bawls for lan parties/mixing.
Jolt and Cocaine for extreme energy.

Nothing else compares!

[straycat]

You guys are going to wish you never drank that stuff when your heart explodes 10-15 years from now.Thrust has a point.

[YetAnotherOne]

Low carb Monster here or when I'm really tired the ol' "crack in a bottle" stuff like Biotest's Hot Rox Extreme works pretty well.

[DonP]

Caffeine in other forms, I am game.

Well, if you want to kill yourself, Extra Strength Excedrins have 65mg caffine per pill.

[horns666]

My wife buys me several cans of different shit every week. Some pretty cool lookin' cans and names..so I collect the cans now..well, just the cool ones.

They all have the same shit basically...Caffiene, Taurine, Ginseng, B 6, B 12, Bull semen..and so on.

[Big D]

You guys are going to wish you never drank that stuff when your heart explodes 10-15 years from now.Thrust has a point.

Not true. The sugar in sodas is far worse for you than the caffeine, taurine, etc in sugar-free energy drinks.

That said, of course it is possible to overdo anything. I drank 9 Red Bulls one night on stage, didn't sleep for about 36 hours. That probably wasn't real healthy.

[horns666]

I been up for 36 hours..I was jerkin' off for 8.

I need one of my Enegy Drinks..Oh, this one is called "Freek, evil energy, (maniac)"..ohhh yummy!

102 mg of Caffiene.

1000 mg Taurine

100 mg inositol..

yeahhh..

[Thrust]

Caffeine, per se, isn't necessarily bad (and can have positive health benefits), however, you should cycle off of it every couple weeks. That is, if you consume caffeine or a caffeine based product for ~2 weeks then take ~2 weeks off w/o any consumption.

This is why I said to treat the problem. If you're feeling lethargic after normal activities then something is wrong--and I'd wager it's diet related.

In truth, I'm actually a proponent of caffeine. I 'pop' a 200mg pill of caffeine before each workout, however, I also cycle off every couple weeks to prevent the aforementioned problems with my adrenal gland and concomitant metabolic effects.

If you want a real boost, take a 200mg pill of caffeine with 25mg of ephedrine (bronchaid), although I DON'T recommend this.

[Thrust]

Thought this may be worth a read:

The adrenal glands produce various hormones that are responsible for coordinating and monitoring a variety of physiological activities. The adrenal glands produce cortisol, DHEA, estrogen, testosterone, and a number of other hormones that allow your body to function. For example, the adrenal glands control the level of cortisol so that the body knows when to be active and when to rest. There are times when certain things, such as caffeine, keep the cortisol levels high preventing the body from resting when it should and preventing the adrenal glands from operating as they would. The adrenal glands also produce adrenaline, the hormone that helps the body respond when danger is near. Adrenaline raises the heart rate and blood pressure and releases energy stores for physical strength and endurance. When in the system, caffeine can over stimulate the central nervous system and the adrenal glands to the point that the body is flooded with excess adrenaline and affected by an unnecessarily fast heart rate and blood pressure.

Over stimulating the adrenal glands can result in fatigue, insomnia, weight gain, depression, suppression of the immune system, moodiness, skin problems and muscle and bone loss. This is because while the cortisol produced by the adrenal glands is good in the short term, however if high levels are sustained in the body, the adrenal glands and the body itself become tired and weaken. People sometimes turn to caffeine to counteract the weakness and fatigue, however, caffeine only helps to exacerbate the situation as it keeps the cycle going. The demands of modern day society on their own exert of lot of pressure on the body and on the adrenal glands. These demands, coupled with those that caffeine places on the adrenal glands, can wear out the adrenal glands and lead to a constant state of exhaustion.

A study conducted in the 1980s examined the impact caffeine has on the adrenal glands - the study focused on epinephrine and norepinephrine, both of which are produced by the glands. Previous studies had shown that caffeine increases the production of these hormones. Many of the study participants revealed that while caffeine helped them to feel energized, it left them feeling moody and with disrupted sleep patterns. Both mood and sleep are affected by the activities of the adrenal glands, thus, the study proves that caffeine has adverse effects on the body.

Psychological Effects Subjects apparently observed some differences in (1) energy (increase with caffeine); (2) sleep patterns (more difficult sleeping with caffeine); and (3) mood (more problems with caffeine). Eight of the eleven subjects observed some difference between the two weeks of caffeine and non-caffeine use. There was no obvious tolerance in the group who were regular caffeine users, although it would be difficult to document such effects in a panel of this small size. In a baseline survey conducted before the study, the researchers found that sixty-five percent of people who see a doctor because they are fatigued also consume three or more cups of coffee or tea a day.

These findings indicate that caffeine has adverse effects on the adrenal glands. As caffeine leads to long term exhaustion, it is important not to over stimulate them with caffeine. EMPHASIS MINE

Sanford B., Feldman M., Null G., Revici, E., Stumper L. "A pilot study of some physiological and psychological effects of caffeine" Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry , 13.1.1985:___.

Bolton S, Null G. Caffeine, "Psychological effects, use and abuse" Orthomolecular Psychology 10.2.1981:202-211.

Cheek T.R., Barry V.A., Berridge M.J., Missiaen L. "Bovine adrenal chromaffin cells contain an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-insensitive but caffeine-sensitive Ca2+ store that can be regulated by intraluminal free Ca2+" Journal of Biochemistry 275.1991:697-701.[/b][/i]





Also . . .

This study found no 'short term' (i.e., one week) affect on function of the adrenal gland, however, their sample (11 people) is quite small. As well, it still points to the notion that short term consumption is of little consequence.

http://www.garynull.com/Documents/CaffeineStudy.htm

[horns666]

you said "bone"..

[Ralph E.]

Ok guys, here's a REAL energy drink...

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=ON-1062

Take a shot (literally use a shot glass) of this every morning when you get up, before you eat anything. Do 3 30-minute weight workouts each week, and 2-3 30-minute cardio workouts and I guarantee after a month you will not know what it's like to be tired. I am not a morning person but after a month I was bouncing out of bed at 7am with all sorts of energy.

And the best part is it's good for you, not destructive like caffeine, sugar, or any of that other crap that they market today as a quick energy fix.