Fifty Plus (50+) - Energy Drinks, Asked this on the Road Forum

But, got no response.

Maybe someone here will comment.

I just wonder about drinking/using those "5 Hour energy drinks" before and during a ride?

Good Idea?

Bad idea?

Anybody tried this??

Definately Bad news.
Pure headrush glycemic carbs in a can. Don't believe "5 hours." There is no fiber to regulate the sugar into your system. They market this crap like some sort of "time release".
When your body is done processing the sugar rush (MUCH sooner than 5 hours) you will come down like my 401K. It ain't pretty.

I tried NO5 and it works with no down side.

I'm a real food man myself.

Richard

I needed to find something liquid as I have oxygen transfer problems and solids + long rides were tanking the oxygen levels.
I joined SCOR a cardiac Recovery Cycling group based out of SoCal.
Thru them I learned about a powed you mix with water and take in the water bottle.
Stuff is called SPIZ www.spiz.net
It worked for me thru last years cycling season and it worked well snowshoeing this winter as well.

Here is a good site to review just what this question asks.

https://secure.frs.com/freetrial/search1/index.aspx?creativeID=12626716&tn=5276&group=5276&failsafe='https://secure.frs.com/freetrial/search1/index.aspx'&cid=748000999&gclid=CPblt8bilJkCFQwxawodgmnVYg&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

We've chatted about this before, in other threads.

The 5- and 6-hour energy drinks primary energy boost comes from caffeine. The B-vitamins are added largely as a ruse, unless you have a serious B-vitamin deficiency, they provide at best a small boost for you when taken this way. They also have some sugar, which contributes a bit to the energy boost that people get.

So whether they are safe for you really comes down to how much caffeine you can handle safely. The 5-Hour energy drink has about 100mg of caffeine, about as much as a cup of brewed coffee. Extreme Energy 6-Hour drink has 220mg, or 2+ cups of brewed coffee. Powershot has 100mg of caffeine. CHARGE! has 200mg. And so on and so forth.

There is a 5-Hour Decaf version, which contains only 6mg of caffeine. Not much caffeine and not much energy boost either, according to reviews of the product.

By comparison, a 12 oz can of Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet Pepsi will have around 40-45mg.

So a 5-Hour Energy drink is approximately the same as drinking 2.5 cans of Coca-Cola.

You could take a caffeine pill, like a No-Doze (200mg in each pill), or even take 2 Excedrin for 130mg. This is a lot cheaper and has almost the exact same effect as the energy drinks (which are EXTREMELY profitable for the manufacturers).

Here is a good site to review just what this question asks.

https://secure.frs.com/freetrial/search1/index.aspx?creativeID=12626716&tn=5276&group=5276&failsafe='https://secure.frs.com/freetrial/search1/index.aspx'&cid=748000999&gclid=CPblt8bilJkCFQwxawodgmnVYg&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

An 11 oz can of FRS contains 38mg to 48mg (conflicting info from sources) of caffeine. So about the same as a can of cola.

16 OZ of NO5 has 260 mgs of caffine with 52 mgs of sugar

16 OZ of NO5 has 260 mgs of caffine with 52 mgs of sugar

That's a lot.

A Starbucks Grande brewed coffee, 16 oz, has 320 mg of caffeine.

A typical 1 oz shot of expresso has 75mg.

The Clif Double Expresso Gel Shot has 100mg.

If you are looking for a food substitute to eat while riding Hammer's "Perpetuem" is a good choice. I use it for rides longer than two hours where I need to have more calories than Gatorade provides. I don't like to fish GU packets and other items out of my pockets and work to open them while riding. I even mix the drink double or triple strength and sip from the mixed bottle and take larger swigs of water from the other bottle. I'm able to refill the water bottle later, and when the mixed bottle is about 1/3 full, I'll fill it up with water and finish the long ride without spending much time stopped.

But, got no response.

Maybe someone here will comment.

I just wonder about drinking/using those "5 Hour energy drinks" before and during a ride?

Good Idea?

Bad idea?

Anybody tried this??

Try it and report back to us..................altho I wouldn't recommend it...........

I had to work a midnight shift the other night. My first one in eight years. I took the 5 hour drink around 2 a.m. and it worked. However coffee might have given me the same results, I just didn't want to drink coffee all night. As far as biking, I have never needed to take an energy drink.

I like all the caffiene and sugar in Green Monster.

Goo seems to work just fine, along with an energy bar for the long rides. Plain old Gatorade for the electrolytes and on the road hydration.

Any ride over 2 hours and I use a Carbo additive in my water bottle. It also has an isotonic element to it aswell so helps on rehydration. Still rely on Food for energy though but the gel's do give a handy boost if I have not eaten enough.

Only tried a caffeine goo once and I didn't like the taste so never used one again. But I cannot believe that any food or drink will give you sufficient energy for exercise for anything like 5 hours. Even if you continually drink them.

I had to work a midnight shift the other night. My first one in eight years. I took the 5 hour drink around 2 a.m. and it worked. However coffee might have given me the same results, I just didn't want to drink coffee all night.


You don't have to drink coffee all night. Just one cup will have the same effect as the 5-hour drink. Or take two Excedrin. Same thing. Except that the two Excedrin will cost you about 20 cents instead of $3.

Got to hand it to the marketers for these 5- and 6-hour drinks. They sell 2 oz of liquid for $3. That's $192 per gallon. Truck stops along the Interstates sell crates of the stuff every day.

I've seen 300 count bottles of Excedrin for $14. That's the equivalent of 150 bottles of 5-Hour Energy Drink. I've seen those for sale as low as $18 for 12 bottles. So that's $14 of Excedrin vs $225 of energy drink. Or cheaper yet, I've seen generic caffeine pills for as low as $6 for 200 of them.

There are other fitness drinks that do different things for you. But the energy drinks are largely just a way of ingesting caffeine.

It's amazing what people will buy. Next thing you know, they'll be selling bottles of plain water.

It's amazing what people will buy. Next thing you know, they'll be selling bottles of plain water.

Mate, there's a picture on the internet somewhere showing a display of bottles called 'Diet Water'.

Stick a label on it, enough idiots will buy it ...

... which is a general comment, not a comment on this particular product which I know nothing about.

Richard

Caffeine does nothing for me.

What does work as an energy drink for me is Sobe, No Fear (the red can).

http://energy.nofear.com/

I only take 1/3 can and mix it with at least a large bottle of water.

It also significantly reduces muscle ache during weight lifting for me.

"Plain old Gatorade for the electrolytes and on the road hydration." is also what I use when I am not looking for the energy boost, and hydration is a key factor.

Water
Trail mix
Banana

For longer ride add a sandwich for lunch.

Gels for emergency bonks - used one last year.

I can't choke down the energy and sports drinks. Gag.

I tried the 5-Hour drink in the little red bottles and it seemed to be promoting Niacin, as I recall. Anyway, I tried several of them and didn't notice any effects, good or bad, so I don't buy them any longer.

GU and Hammer Gel both work well as quick carb supplies (for me), as does Gatorade (plus, it has electrolites!), Clif bars and Blox work great in that regard too.

For "complete meal" types I can work with either Sustained Energy (Hammer Products) or SPIZ Chocolate. Both work well for me! Perpetuem is like Sustained Energy, except that it's flavored and Heed adds electrolites. I usually use Hammer Gel to flavor the Sustained Energy, though (unlike most, it seems) I can drink it straight.

Caffeine in any form works well for me, and I usually put a can of Red Bull or Monster or some high-caffeine soft drink in my "light bag" for about mile 160 - 170 on a double century. Really picks me up at that point, esp. if I'm starting to drag a bit. Caffeine seems to dull the pain in my legs, plus gives me the boost for which it is correctly famous.

Rick / OCRR

Five-Hour Energy advertises no Calories and zero net sugar. So where does the energy come from? There ain't no free lunch; you're depleting your blood sugar, but you don't notice it because of the stimulants. If you want REAL energy, you've got to feed your body. I can only conclude that it's not really meant for athletic endeavors, it's made to keep a student awake in class.

I've found the high-cal energy drinks like Red Bull last for about 30 miles. After that: crash! You need to have another source of energy working by then or you'll be left for roadkill by your buddies.

Caffeine does nothing for me.

What does work as an energy drink for me is Sobe, No Fear (the red can).

http://energy.nofear.com/



Interesting, as that particular drink isn't much different than many other energy drinks. A 16 oz can of it contains 174 mg of caffeine and 66 g of sugar, along with B-vitamins & 2000mg of taurine - both of which are questionable as to whether they do much of anything for short term energy boosts.

66 g of sugar means it has approximately 15 teaspoons of sugar per can.

Interesting, 15 teaspoons of sugar would be about 240 Calories, at 16 Calories per. That means I should be eating no later than the time the boost starts happening, otherwise I'll still suffer a slump. I can easily burn through 800-900 Calories in an hour, and more if there's lots of hills. Um, maybe "easily" isnt the right adjective -- it's hard work, but it is pretty common for me to do it.

To be honest I have no clue if the 5 hour energy drinks work. Never tried them. As far as the FRS products they seem to work and Lance Armstrong is promoting the product. I have tried Cliff shots and eat cliff bars while I ride and they seems to give me a bit of energy boost after about the one hour mark. The Hammer Gels have replaced the Cliff shots when I ride now.

from what I understand we need to fuel and hydrate on any longer ride. Water works fine I am sure as do whole foods. But a gel pack is somewhat smaller than a banana. But water doesn't have all teh electrolite replacement that poweraid and gatoraid do so people who sweat a lot seem to prefer that as hydration. We have been told that the advantage of the gels and chews is they get in the system quicker and work while exercising. The normal digestion process tends to slow down during extream exercising so that maximum blood flow can move to the mussels. The gels don't need the same amount of digestion. Now this is what I have been told and what I have read. It could be all advertising and people like Lance may be just trying to make a buck. But it has me buying the product.

I'll add:

1) It is left up to the individual to determine if they want to consume caffeine and sugar. Both are "natural" products. Many, many people take caffeine for boosting energy. No value statements, just wanting to be clear about what most energy drinks are.

2) My idea of a in-ride snack is to stop somewhere and get a hamburger or a slice of pizza. I've done this on a lot of rides. I do remember once allowing myself to de-hydrate a bit, pulling into a service station and downing a 20 oz Powerade. Boy did that hit the spot!

Real fruit, real tap water, hard candy.
Works fine for me, even on double centuries.

Mate, there's a picture on the internet somewhere showing a display of bottles called 'Diet Water'.

Stick a label on it, enough idiots will buy it ...

... which is a general comment, not a comment on this particular product which I know nothing about.

Richard

Where can I get some of that diet water? Do I have to import it from Oz?

+1 for Perpetuem. As a randonneur, I need something that keeps on giving all day and all night and this Hammer product sits well with my finicky stomach.

Serving it up ...

I used Perpetuem(tm) one year. It uses longer-chain carbos, notably maltodexatrin, so it provides a more even supply of energy and no sugar spikes or crashes. I used it on a 100-mile road race, and never felt hungry before or immediately after the ride. Trouble is, after a while it starts tasting like barf! I'd use it on another 100-mile ride, or maybe Heed(tm), but not for normal rides.

Trouble is, after a while it starts tasting like barf!

I think that's kind of severe!

I would say it tastes neutral, i.e. it has very little if any taste if it is the "Natural" flavor Perpetuem. For that reason, I usualy flavor mine with Hammer Gel; whatever flavor they happen to have at the Checkpoint.

Perpetuem is also available in both Orange-Vanilla and Caffe Latte flavors. I've tried the Orange-Vanilla and found it acceptable (far short of wonderful), but I've never tried Caffe Latte Perpetuem.

Rick / OCRR

Perpetuem is also available in both Orange-Vanilla and Caffe Latte flavors. I've tried the Orange-Vanilla and found it acceptable (far short of wonderful), but I've never tried Caffe Latte Perpetuemacceptable (far short of wonderful), but I've never tried Caffe Latte Perpetuem

Orange-Vanilla works fine for me, tastes somewhat like a Dreamsikle

I can't eat much on a long ride, so I go with Gatorade - lemonade flavor is like rocket fuel. (Have you noticed that Gatorade is now "G"? My children at the University of Florida report that thre is a bit of an uproar about the branding change.) I'll eat Snicker marathon energy bars too, and pop a few Advil along the way. I might change to Excedrine with cafeine and see how that goes.

I had never heard of this "Perpetuem" stuff. I found myself with a large supply of Juven left over from my days of trying to hold on to some lean muscle mass while losing weight rapidly due to being unable to eat during the latter stages of my radiation therapy. I have been mixing it with Thicken 2 because it helps with my dysphagia (leaky esophagus). On longer rides I supplement this with Hammer gel to add more calories and salts.
I don't know if any of this stuff helps, but I have it so I'll use it.

I had never heard of this "Perpetuem" stuff. I found myself with a large supply of Juven left over from my days of trying to hold on to some lean muscle mass while losing weight rapidly due to being unable to eat during the latter stages of my radiation therapy. I have been mixing it with Thicken 2 because it helps with my dysphagia (leaky esophagus). On longer rides I supplement this with Hammer gel to add more calories and salts.
I don't know if any of this stuff helps, but I have it so I'll use it.

Here is the link Hammer Pertetuem
http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT&CAT=SUPFUELS.HAM.NUTRI&PROD.ID=4047&adui=ad%2C12200.hbanner%2Cvert%20-%20perp%20-%20caffe%20latte%20-%20Homebanners

When a food product starts to taste like barf, it may be your own gastric juices coming up. A food manufacturer would not want to make their product taste like barf.

A food manufacturer would not want to make their product taste like barf.

Are you sure about that?

http://inventorspot.com/files/images/1559606_340_1116081430036-spam.jpg

OK, it didn't taste identical to barf, but after a while the taste gets harder for me to swallow. By the end of the 100 mile race, I was agonizing over the choices: keep sipping at regular intervals or run out of energy. The "keep sipping" choice won out, but not by much. I got a can of Heed(tm) on the recommendation that it was 'lighter-tasting' but that was a lie. I may try to get used to it this spring, just to see if it'll work for those longer non-stop rides that I occasionally do.

I've had real good luck with Hammer Heed. The orange flavor still tastes pretty good at the end of a century or even at the end of a week long tour. Rather than use perpetuum, I add energy bars or other food to the longer rides along with the Heed. I've also found the Hammer energy bars to be the best, IMO. Great company and products.

There is a optimum concentration of sugars for energy drinks while riding. Too much sugar and you slow the absorption of water, too little and you slow the absorption of carbs. I don't remember the proper ratio.

Carb absorption/processing to replenish glycogen reduces significantly above 75% of max (measured) heart rate.

Contrary to the popular media, you do not always get an evil insulin spike after consuming sugar. If you're exercising at a reasonably rigorous level, your insulin sensitivity increases which means that your cell walls become more porous to glucose and you do not produce more insulin. The affect apparently continues for some hours after vigorously exercise and might be the basis for the 4 hour post-ride window for carb loading to speed recovery. I suspect it's also the reason that lack of physical activity is often cited as a reason for type 2 diabetes.

However, a sugar drink before a ride will likely induce an insulin spike, but it's not clear to me at least, that it matters in a well exercised individual with a decent overall diet.

Source: Exercise Physiology; Exercise, Performance and Human nutrition, 6th edition.

A consideration for going "natural" is that fructose (which is high in many fruits and is 50% of sucrose(table sugar)) is processed differently than other sugars as it goes thorough the liver. It's therefore a very slow process to convert sucrose to glucose. You won't get a fast boost from some fruits to avoid glycogen depletion.

The devil is in the details.

Al

It's amazing what people will buy. Next thing you know, they'll be selling bottles of plain water.

Ever notice what Evian spells backwards?

If God wanted me to drink energy drinks, he/she wouldn't have built so many espresso stands in the state of Washington.


(Personally, I think I'm lucky - I have no problem eating "real food" on rides and generally stay away from anything to drink except water and the occasional coffee or espresso if I can find it. I love coming across a little espresso stand in the middle of nowhere...).

http://www.hardnutritionshop.com/Products.html

If God wanted me to drink energy drinks, he/she wouldn't have built so many espresso stands in the state of Washington.


(Personally, I think I'm lucky - I have no problem eating "real food" on rides and generally stay away from anything to drink except water and the occasional coffee or espresso if I can find it. I love coming across a little espresso stand in the middle of nowhere...).

It all depends on how one rides and possibly the diet and has little to do with luck. If you ride at high heart rates for longer periods, you will deplete your glycogen and if you sweat a lot you'll lose electrolytes. If you stay in the fat burning zone, then one doesn't need the calories except for very long rides.

In the early 60's the wife and I suffered electrolyte depletion for a few years before we realized what was going on. Even the doctors were stumped. Some folks sweat electrolytes more than other's, so I guess there's some luck involved there.

I mix table salt in my water and take gels during the ride and do some carb loading during the post-ride "window". If I don't do that, I slow down during the ride and feel tired afterwards and can even feel hypoglycemic the next day or even two days later. Symptoms of glycogen depletion.

I typically ride 2 hours to 4 hours at around 75% of max heart rate (measured) and not infrequently spend an hour or more above 80%. It's all single-track mountain biking which is especially strenuous.

Unfortunately, there's no espresso in the woods, a big disadvantage of mountain biking. The way I ride road is not helpful either as I drive out into the country to get better scenery and some decent hills. I like to climb, hate stop signs and lights, not to mention traffic and prefer to stay on the bike for 50 to 70 miles.

From where I've been in Washington, you seem to get nice scenery from almost everywhere.

Al