Training & Nutrition - Is Red Bull good for cycling and my body?

So I pretty much have access to an unlimited supply of Red Bull energy drinks. Should I drink them? Are they good for cycling and my body? If so when should I drink them and how much? How does Red Bull compare to Gatorade and Gels?

It has a bunch of caffeine in it. There's a long tradition of caffeine use in cycling, but there may be more there than you want.

The rest is sugar, which is okay, but the drink itself is likely to be sweeter than you want. I'd be careful with the other ingredients, since it's easy to get too much of supplements.

So I wouldn't use it.

If you would like to have a stroke on the side of the road, then yes, by all means, drink up. However, if you would like to live to ride again, try a glass or water or gatorade. Taking something to increase your heart rate while doing a sport that is, in itself, extremely tasking on the heart cannot possibly have a good outcome. Gatorade is just water with some coloring, flavor, electrolytes, and salt. Red Bull is quite a bit more.

I don't understand the current trend of all these energy drinks. People didn't need them back in the day to have energy...they simply worked out.

I'm also waiting for science to figure out just how bad they are for you. Remember Phen-Fen? People thought it was great...until they found out that it destroyed their heart valves.

I dont think you need to wait. camhabib clearly said that drinking them causes stroke, and death.

But apparently gatorade has a side effect of increasing your tendency to be melodramatic. So you gotta watch out either way.

I would never drink one during a ride. However, lately I've seen more and more people drinking one right before stepping up to the line of a race.

Nasty. I don't know how anyone can tolerate the taste.

Though I have heard it's not bad with vodka.

The major ingredients seem to be caffiene and sugar. It has no electrolytes. So it would be similar to drinking sweet iced coffee out of your water bottle. If you ride enough to burn off the sugar, it would probably be harmless. But that depends on how you handle caffiene. I have a friend whose version of a sports drink is Mountain Dew which I suppose is pretty similar.

I don't understand the current trend of all these energy drinks. People didn't need them back in the day to have energy...they simply worked out.

I'm also waiting for science to figure out just how bad they are for you. Remember Phen-Fen? People thought it was great...until they found out that it destroyed their heart valves.

most people are overweight and can't summon the strength/energy to walk up a flight of stairs or
get up to answer the phone- they need the extra "juice"

2 cages on your bike,

one water, one gatorade

and a granola bar in your jersey


/thread

Naw, it's good for you. Two of the 4 food groups: caffeine, sugar, beer, chocolate. I don't think the taurine does much of anything, but that's a lot of caffeine. I wouldn't drink more than one/day. If you drink one right at the start of your ride, you should be good for 4 hours or so. You also should start eating soon after you start riding, or you'll have a sugar crash.

Red Bull has nothing to do with gels or electrolytes. You'll still need those. The RB is just to hype you up. The jury is still out on whether caffeine is good for you or not. Probably about neutral. Does some good, maybe some bad. Mostly it spares glycogen, so you can go harder for longer without bonking. Not everyone tolerates caffeine well. Too much makes some people cramp. You'll have to experiment.

NEver even tried Red Bull, it always makes me think of Chapelle's parody, Red Balls:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75EtXayQiXM

no and no

I dont think you need to wait. camhabib clearly said that drinking them causes stroke, and death.

But apparently gatorade has a side effect of increasing your tendency to be melodramatic. So you gotta watch out either way.


:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

So I pretty much have access to an unlimited supply of Red Bull energy drinks. Should I drink them? Are they good for cycling and my body? If so when should I drink them and how much? How does Red Bull compare to Gatorade and Gels?

Ask Capt. Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie. Juiced up on Cigarettes and Red Bull he had a blood clot travel from his leg through his heart and into his lungs. The Red Bull may have been a contributing factor.

I wouldn't drink that stuff if they paid me to do it.

The major issue for me isn't the caffeine, it's all the other processed crap. If you want to drink one, do it when you get home and need a little pick me up, I wouldn't use it for riding though. Here's a fun anecdote to explain what I mean by processed crap (and I know, it's not red bull, but most of these energy drinks share the majority of their ingredients). When I used to work at Budweiser, I worked in the repackaging room in the morning. We would take a case that fell off of a truck or whatever and broke a few cans or bottles, clean all the bottles/cans off, replace the broken ones, and repackage it all in a new case. At the time, we also carried the full line of Monster energy drinks. The Monster Assault (red label, urban camo can) would come into the repack room all the time. They would bring in a whole case, and there wasn't any liquid in any of the 16 cans! Here's the fun part. The cardboard box and shrink wrap were still intact. It was like the Monster just pulled some Houdini crap. Then we looked at the bottom. It ate straight through the cans, the cardboard, and, when we looked at where we kept it in the warehouse, the concrete sealant.

Even though it didn't happen to every case, and seemed kind of sporadic, I can't count how many cases like that I saw in my two summers there. I dunno about you, but I am not putting that in my body.

What were you, the runner up on a game show or something?

Ask Capt. Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie. Juiced up on Cigarettes and Red Bull he had a blood clot travel from his leg through his heart and into his lungs. The Red Bull may have been a contributing factor.

There's your evidence right there. Irrefutable.

That one guy had a blood clot in a time period that was very close to the time which he consumed a red bull. He was a smoker, sure, but I think it was the Taurine.

The major issue for me isn't the caffeine, it's all the other processed crap. If you want to drink one, do it when you get home and need a little pick me up, I wouldn't use it for riding though. Here's a fun anecdote to explain what I mean by processed crap (and I know, it's not red bull, but most of these energy drinks share the majority of their ingredients). When I used to work at Budweiser, I worked in the repackaging room in the morning. We would take a case that fell off of a truck or whatever and broke a few cans or bottles, clean all the bottles/cans off, replace the broken ones, and repackage it all in a new case. At the time, we also carried the full line of Monster energy drinks. The Monster Assault (red label, urban camo can) would come into the repack room all the time. They would bring in a whole case, and there wasn't any liquid in any of the 16 cans! Here's the fun part. The cardboard box and shrink wrap were still intact. It was like the Monster just pulled some Houdini crap. Then we looked at the bottom. It ate straight through the cans, the cardboard, and, when we looked at where we kept it in the warehouse, the concrete sealant.

Even though it didn't happen to every case, and seemed kind of sporadic, I can't count how many cases like that I saw in my two summers there. I dunno about you, but I am not putting that in my body.

Monster thermite! Brutal.

There's your evidence right there. Irrefutable.

That one guy had a blood clot in a time period that was very close to the time which he consumed a red bull. He was a smoker, sure, but I think it was the Taurine.


+1

It couldn't possibly be the smoking, or the fact that he sits on his butt for a living. I know a little about those 18-24 hour work days strung together, and you have to do something to stay alert, but that doesn't mean it's good for the body. He had more cards stacked against him than just about anyone I know.

Personally, I can't stand the taste, and I even water down my Gatorade or it makes me sluggish.

most people are overweight and can't summon the strength/energy to walk up a flight of stairs or
get up to answer the phone- they need the extra "juice"

+1 Right up there with the South Beach Diet and the latest weight loss pill.

I was really tired one afternoon after work and put some red bull in my water bottle, even mixed it with some water so it wouldn't be as powerful. Big mistake, I had to stop and rest halfway home because I felt like I was going to have a heart attack.

Not a big fan of it, but occassionally have put a can of red bull in with a Gatorade at a refuel stop on a +60 mile trip. Don't make a habit of it, but needed a caffeine shot.

red bull
1) carbonated water bad
2) too much sugar not that bad
3)too much caffeine not good
you decide

Here's the fun part. The cardboard box and shrink wrap were still intact. It was like the Monster just pulled some Houdini crap. Then we looked at the bottom. It ate straight through the cans, the cardboard, and, when we looked at where we kept it in the warehouse, the concrete sealant.

Even though it didn't happen to every case, and seemed kind of sporadic, I can't count how many cases like that I saw in my two summers there. I dunno about you, but I am not putting that in my body.


Coca Cola does the same thing, I should know....I delivered it for 11 years and saw cases of unopened cans totally empty. It usually starts with one can that gets a pin prick hole that leaks and it just eats all the other cans out and yes, it leaves a nasty black stain on concrete. It's all about the sugar.

I watched a show were they timed some people to run around an obstacle course and then do the obstacle course again after resting then drinking a energy drink. Everyone improved on the 2nd time around the course. If your heart beats faster, then you get more blood circulation which equals more oxygen to your muscles which will give you more energy. wether it is good for you or not, I would say probably not

did anyone on that show instantly stroke out?

no, but the course was only between 30-45 minutes.

Hello

Drinking red bull is like putting rocket fuel in your car it burns it out at one point, I was so bad drinking two rockstars a day sometimes three and my path of searching for energy led me to find Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Milk and nothing gives me more energy. The balance of essential fatty acids resembles that of our blood which makes it highly digestable and energizing. I think it would be the best food for climbing mount everest due to altitude shutting down your digestion and hemp milks easy digestability.

cheers
Johnny

I was riding at a 10,000 miles / year pace with a spring - fall average being nearly 50 miles a day and winter riding was a minimum of 16 miles per day...

Red Bull and similar drinks contain very little sugar and not that many calories but does have a high dose of caffeine that is akin to drinking 2-3 cups of coffee

It does contain a therapeutic dose of taurine... which is beneficial.

Caffeine is an inflammatory... I try to limit this in my diet.

I do take a daily taurine supplement as I feel it helps with endurance and recovery and this probably stems from it's ability to balance electrolytes... taken morning and night I find I rarely have post ride soreness no matter how far or how hard I have ridden.

I also have a healthy diet.

Taurine functions in electrically active tissues such as the brain and heart to help stabilize cell membranes. It also has functions in the gallbladder, eyes, and blood vessels and appears to have some antioxidant and detoxifying activity. Taurine aids the movement of potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium in and out of cells and thus helps generate nerve impulses. Zinc seems to support this effect of taurine. Taurine is found in the central nervous system, skeletal muscle, and heart; it is very concentrated in the brain and high in the heart tissues.

led me to find Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Seed Milk and nothing gives me more energy. The balance of essential fatty acids resembles that of our blood which makes it highly digestable and energizing.

Is there any health benefit to consuming actual ground up hemp seeds? I mean, rather than just picking them out :)

red bull is bad for cycling but great for flying.

as advertised. duh.

I have the occasional can of Red Bull (the sugarless kind) at work. I stick to Cytomax for cycling and working out.

When I was in the army in Afghanistan our mess sergeant (head cook) got ahold of a pallet of red bull delivered by helicopter, I have no idea how. Anyway we were good friends and my platoon would stock up when we would go out on patrols and there were quite a few instances of guys just drinking like, 2 or 3 of them over the course of a few hours then totally collapsing while climbing a mountain or something, racing heart, sweating like crazy in the snowy winter, stuff like that. I have made the mistake of drinking two then going to the gym or for a ride and literally just going nuts and pushing myself hard enough to get injured.
Probably not a fantastic idea, but also not terrible like taking speed (OTC like hydroxycut, ripped fuel, etc, all favorites in the military to keep you going but a cause of a lot of problems)

So I pretty much have access to an unlimited supply of Red Bull energy drinks. Should I drink them? Are they good for cycling and my body? If so when should I drink them and how much? How does Red Bull compare to Gatorade and Gels?

I have a friend who is a senior official for the FDA. They have been conducting many studies with energy drinks. While the final report has not been written, his comments to me were alarming. The health impact was serious, at least in their eyes.

I'd stay away from them... Eat right, get carbs before big/hard rides, plenty of rest, stretch, etc. and the rest takes care of itself... IMO.

So I pretty much have access to an unlimited supply of Red Bull energy drinks. Should I drink them? Are they good for cycling and my body? If so when should I drink them and how much? How does Red Bull compare to Gatorade and Gels?


Hells yeah, all of the time so me and you can be pissing rocks for days! :D

all they do is speed your heart rate up way to fast in the short amount of time without the required exercise and then let it drop severely without controlling it back down. I stay away from energy drinks.

I saw my friend drinking one of those the other day. That did it for me. He has the worst diet of any one I know.

here's a Red Bull that good for cycling:

http://www.roseversand.de/output/importbilder/artikel/1/1/5/1154609_1.jpg

these drinks dehydrates you more than anything else, makes your heart run faster and you expect it to be good?
IMHO, eat well, drink correctly and stay away of these ''energy'' drinks.

I normally drink a non-sugar drink at home and for short rides. In the UK it is a black currant flavored cordial/squash that you dilute with water. I drink this because I don't actually like the taste of water. But when I cycle long distances - 2 or more hours I then add 1.5 teaspoons of glucose to my 800ml bottles to stop me "bonking".

I'm not a red bull fan, but I have found a sugarless Monster energy drink that I enjoy when coffee isn't available (I travel a lot for work, and most of the small towns I end up in don't have a to-go coffee shop, but they always have a gas station with a cooler), but when I'm on my bike, I stick to water, gatorade on long rides.

It has a bunch of caffeine in it. There's a long tradition of caffeine use in cycling, but there may be more there than you want.

The rest is sugar, which is okay, but the drink itself is likely to be sweeter than you want. I'd be careful with the other ingredients, since it's easy to get too much of supplements.

So I wouldn't use it.

+1 Like a Coke just more caffeine.

no

Personally I have only had red bull once and it was a mixer for vodka. Entertaining results but I would not recommend for cycling.

I drink a Red Bull or the equivalent Monster, Rock Star, etc. at about 160 - 175 miles into a double century. Generally, there is a light pick-up point at about those milages (approx.) so I pack a Red Bull into the bag with my lights.

That goes directly into my water bottle or Camelback and gives me a boost for the last 40 miles or whatever into the finish, just at the point where my overall motivation level seems to drop. Whether the effect is real or placebo, it works for me!

Rick / OCRR

If you would like to have a stroke on the side of the road, then yes, by all means, drink up. However, if you would like to live to ride again, try a glass or water or gatorade. Taking something to increase your heart rate while doing a sport that is, in itself, extremely tasking on the heart cannot possibly have a good outcome. Gatorade is just water with some coloring, flavor, electrolytes, and salt. Red Bull is quite a bit more.

Have to agree here, I used to use red bull, then I used to add caffiene tablets to my normal ride drinks and each time my heart would race and I ended up riding in recovery mode feeling like I wasnt going to make it home. Now I just use Powerade or Gatorade and they work perfectly well for me. I always avoid caffiene now.

I don't understand the love for Gatorade on this forum. Isn't the sugar derived from high fructose corn syrup? I could be wrong here.

A few facts about caffeine (while I enjoy my morning java).

1. The effects of caffeine don't really take hold until 30~60 minutes after consumption (I mean the real effects). They peak at around 1 hour.

2. It helps mobilize fats (for burning)

3. It is NOT a diarhetic

4. Caffeine mildly stimulates the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

5. It affects the brain and results in elevated mood, decreased fatigue, and increased attentiveness

6. It increases the heart rate, blood flow, respiratory rate, and metabolic rate for several hours

7. When used in conjunction with a thermogenic it can aid in significant increase in the metabolizing of fats for energy.

Caffeine is bad when you're at Starbucks 4 times a day. A good shot before a race or ride will do far less harm than the Gatorade in your water bottle.

A couple of questions:

1) If the caffeine and sugar in Red Bull does such horrible things to you then why do pro cyclists, and amateurs as well, drink so much coffee, which has more caffeine and, often, as much sugar?

2) Why do people take an experience they had or a friend had and (disregarding any other factors in volved of course)turn it into something that will happen to anyone who does what they did? I don't use Red Bull regularly, maybe one every couple of months and have never had my heart rate go up or any other bad things described here.