red bull energy drink

[Adk_dib]

Anyone tried these types of drinks. I was thinking to bring along a can on my longer trips to give a boost. There are other brands. I believe they are mostly loaded with caffine and sugar. Will these types of drinks cause any harm?

 

[McRat]

I almost always have a can or two of Red Bull for the hardest part of the trip - the long ride home.

 

[cp2000]

Anyone tried these types of drinks. I was thinking to bring along a can on my longer trips to give a boost. There are other brands. I believe they are mostly loaded with caffine and sugar. Will these types of drinks cause any harm?

Unless your caffine sensitive the only harm it will cause is to your wallet($2 for 8 oz). Ive heard of trail runners taking flat mountain dew along for a quick pick me up, but that doesnt seem to tasty either.

 

[TCD]

Chocolate covered Espresso Beans. Light, small, all the caffeine and sugar you need, no extra liquid.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I frequently use it... Well, a relatively inexpensive ($0.70/can) knock-off. It freezes sometimes. If you spill some in the snow, it (at least mine) looks like piss, so kick more snow over it to hide it, 'cause some people don'T like seeing peed-on snow.

When I was climbing Whitney, I was tired at about 1300 feet. Drank a can, and it really helped. My main reason for bringing it, however, was to prevent cafine withdrawal headaches. It did more for me.

 

[rhihn]

Anyone tried these types of drinks. I was thinking to bring along a can on my longer trips to give a boost. There are other brands. I believe they are mostly loaded with caffine and sugar. Will these types of drinks cause any harm?

Ingredients: carbonated water, sucrose, glucose, sodium citrate, taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, inositol, niacin, D-pantothenol, pyridoxine HCL, vitamin B12, artificial flavours, colors

Nutrition Facts: Serving Size: 8.3 fl. oz Servings per Container: 1 Amount per serving: Calories: 110 Total Fat: 0g Sodium: 200mg Protein: 0g Total Carbohydrates: 28g Sugars: 27g

Taurine is supposed to enhance the caffeine, but apparently there are no confirming studies. Inositol is apparently used to treat depression.

Interesting article about glucuronolactone.

 

[Jay H]

I drank one during one of my adventure races I was in but only cause it was free as sponsored by them. Ehh, can't say I liked the taste but frankly, usually taste is kind of secondary to effectiveness. Which I can't really say anything good or bad, I don't really drink anything more potent than water on most of my hikes unless it's like in the middle of summer and it's like 80degrees out.

Jay

 

[coldfeet]

I drank 2 of those cans plus a cup of coffee on the way to the Vermont gathering last Sept...I had a long drive 300 plus miles....when i got to the campground I thought i was going to have a heart attack...i was shaking so much I told TeeJay that i wasn't feeling well....the shakes and nausea stayed with me the whole day.....I threw away the 3rd can...

 

[keepin' on]

...I believe they are mostly loaded with caffine and sugar...

red bull makes a sugar free version. I have never had any adverse effects outside of peeing more frequently that normal.

 

[jmegillon149]

I like those drinks, they work similiar to coffee/soda, another thing thats worth trying is caffeinated energy bars(cappuchino flavor Powerbar is good, CLiff makes one as well), since almost all hikers (that I hike with anyway) seem to have energy bars with them anyway, might as well have one with caffeine if its a concern.

 

[AMF]

only to your taste buds.

Ditto. I tried one - once. Lots of better tasting ways to get your caffeine fix.

 

[blacknblue]

Ditto. I tried one - once. Lots of better tasting ways to get your caffeine fix.

It tastes better mixed with vodka. (... not that I would recommend that for hiking trips, though.) The taste actually kinda grows on you after a while.

Also, it's been my experience that 1 Red Bull = 2-3 hours of driving alertness

 

[Mike P.]

Not while on the trail, AM coffee in the AM, Mt. Dew, Jolt if I can find it & Diet coke for ride home. Usually end up so wired I can't fall asleep after being out all day & driving 4 hours.

For older people in NE, increased caffience intake may not be a great thing for the heart during streneous exercise but if a can of anything triggered a heart incident, you probably were a walking time bomb before you drank it.

 

[Neil]

Red Bull. Sounds like a bunch of bull allright.

I usually drink enough coffee in the morning and eat enough chocolate on the trail to keep my caffeine-o-meter right on the orange line.

On my next hike I'm going to try sipping on maple syrup throughout the climbing part of the day and see how that works.

 

[Rick]

....If you spill some in the snow, it (at least mine) looks like piss, so kick more snow over it to hide it, 'cause some people don't like seeing peed-on snow.

That's just Great.....
There goes the mouthful of Diet Pepsi all over the monitor again.

So if I ever meet you on the trail again, Not only might you have a hose coming out of your zipper, leading straightaway to your mouth, but I might just see you on your hands and knees scarfing up what looks like yellow Peed on snow????????
Thanks for giving me a great vision (and a good hearty laugh)

 

[timmus]

On my next hike I'm going to try sipping on maple syrup throughout the climbing part of the day and see how that works.

For my next hike, I am actually planning to try Pete's diet. Cola/Cafeine gel shots plus energy drinks. I also have this ''Moka Gorp'' which is Gorp with chocolate covered coffee beans. Plus the usual cup of coffee in the morning.

I think I'll be ready to hike (or have a heart attack).

 

[darren]

Red Bull is a lot of caffeine at once. Military studies have shown that several smaller doses of caffeine over a longer time will give a better prolonged effect. So if you want to have more energy for a long period of time space out the caffeine. If you want a big burst of energy for an hour or two then down a red bull. The energy gu packets are an easy way to space out the caffeine.

- darren

 

[jbrown]

I've tried a bunch of them on road trips or when playing volleyball, soccer or rock climbing.
Red Bull, Sobe Adrenaline, XTC, Whup A** and a couple of other no name knock offs...
All tasted very similar, all gave me what felt like an excessive jolt and most were too expensive.
I don't use them on hikes because I don't want a huge energy spike where I push too hard, deplete my energy reserves and bonk.
I'd rather eat some of my personal gorp mix and drink powerade for more sustainable energy.
I don't know if this is a valid excuse for not using them, but it's what I do.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I don't know if this is a valid excuse for not using them, but it's what I do.

You may be on to something. As I recall, Newton's Third Law is "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." Or to use the vernacular - "What goes around, comes around". Am addicted to caffeine like many people, but also know that if I overdo I'll pay the piper in the hours/days ahead.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Anyone else out there think that Red Bull(w/sugar) tastes like cough syrup?

Like cough syrop, "Who drinks it for the taste?"

You gotta taste this cough syrop that I have. Le syrop Lambert. Made with pine tar. You'll never say anything tastes like cough syrop again.... unless you drink some old tyme woodsman's fly dope.

Neil: Not the drawing. I've been told in real life that I look like Popa... Which reminds me of another thing with this thread. Suspenders. I have fixed several pair of pants to take suspenders. I learned that from my son. Pants stay up better with a full pack.... Opps.. Wrong thread