bruce19

When I buy something from Competitive Cyclist I get these free 5-Hour Energy cans. I've never used the stuff and am a little suspicious. What I am wondering is would one of these be a good thing at the end of a ride especially if you are feeling depleted?

spdracr39

Munch on some caffeine pills and eat out of the sugar bowl. It's about the same thing just with pretty labels and tons of propaganda.

OldsCOOL

Yup, be sure to know what you just drank. I grabbed one of their extra strength versions about 4yrs ago and wont do that again. I like to ride with a little boost but in this case the "extra" was a heavy shot of that sneaky B-6. Half hour later and was hit with the insidious Niacin Flush.

OldTryGuy

Chocolate milk for me, although a friend takes the 5 Hour stuff before a ride and says it works for him.

randyjawa 

Fogeddaboutit!

osco53

They will find one day that those unregulated energy drinks cause cancer......All that sugar and no telling what un-pronounceable stuff Is in there,,,

If you need a pre-ride kick drink Coffee. If you need a mid ride Kick eat protein...

I always drink a cup of coffee on the drive out to the trail head..

JanMM

Wasn't Walter White producing supercharged energy drinks full of methamphetamine or have I been watching too much Breaking Bad.

I'm really annoyed that our local public radio station accepts money from 5-Hour Energy and plays 'ads' for them.

qcpmsame 

I wouldn't touch them, its too much like eating caffeine tablets, and dipping them in sugar (as said, somewhat differently.) Up to you, you're a big boy and capable of making decisions, but........

Agree with you Jan, NPR has crossed line there, to me. Just not what I want my membership in the local affiliate used to advertise.

Bill

doctor j

I brew a pot of coffee and chicory every day. On work days, I take a thermos to work. On weekends, I'll put the thermos in the truck if I'm driving to a starting point. I usually have a couple of cups on the way home after a long ride. If it has been a taxing ride, I'll start with a chocolate milk ASAP after the ride, then I'll go for the coffee. If I'm riding from the abode, I'll hit the thermos when I walk in.

BlazingPedals

Some caffeine = good, mega-dose, not so good.

TCR Rider

I have tried 5 Hour Energy and Red Bull for that matter. They do give me a boost but IMO it's not worth it when they make me jittery and uncomfortable in my skin. I don't know for sure if there is a connection but I had some arrhythmia issues so I steer clear of all that artificial energy stuff. I'll go for a tankard of coffee before I head out to ride. Once in a while I'll take half a caffeine tablet if I'm really dragging that's it.
On long rides I use Hammer Gel, Espresso, that has caffeine. That seems to be enough for me.

baron von trail 

I've tried them. All they do for me is give me acid reflux.

zonatandem

Have ridden half dozen 200 milers.
Water worked fine for me; but that was before all the gimmicky energy $tuff!

Mr IGH

That junk is for kids that can't stand the taste of black coffee, punks!

BlazingPedals

That would be me. I've used the energy drinks: Monster, Rock Star, etc; but I can only do one, and it's only good for about 25 miles before the fuel runs out regardless of the stimulants.

TakingMyTime

I tried one about a year ago and will never do that again. I also can't believe what they charge for those little bottles.

DBrown9383

You don't need that 5 hour energy stuff. Just take a 40mph dog on a leash with you when you ride. You won't be inattentive or tired I guarantee it. (Sorry, I couldn't resist after the beat down I received regarding dogs and bikes)

Oldguyonoldbike

I'm not sure what the difference is between the various energy drinks, but I had an interesting experience about a year ago. A graduate student at the university where I work was doing a research project to measure the effects of Monster energy drink on performance. I volunteered to participate. Once a week for three weeks I would drink a tall glass of some concoction and then ride ten miles on a stationary bike with all sorts of monitoring stuff attached to my body. One week it was a full dose of Monster, one week half and half Monster and Kool-aid, one week only Kool-aid. The volunteers didn't know which was which until after the experiment. The upshot is that my performance, oxygen intake and recovery were all best the time I had the Kool-aid and no Monster drink. And I don't think it's because Kool-aid is such a great performance enhancer!
On the other hand, I did have a 5-Hour Energy drink one time when I had to drive home from the Dallas airport at 2:00 a.m. It kept me awake the whole way.

Biker395 

I've used them ... but pretty much only on long endurance rides, where I wanted to stay awake.

I think different people may react to them differently. In any case for me, they seemed to be effective in keeping me awake, but not in the way that caffeine does ... kind of hard to describe, actually.

I would not use them every day, though. And I don't think they even claim to be a good for recovery after physical exercise.

Give them a try and see what you think.

OldsCOOL

The ones with B-12 will act as a non-jittery long acting stimulant. Or as I do, take a bunch before leaving in the morning.

lphilpot

My doctor said to leave them alone, so I've never touched them.

erig007

Caffeine Limits Blood Flow To Heart Muscle During Exercise
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0114232653.htm

MinnMan

A large cup of cold press iced coffee does it for me. No milk, no sugar. I stop in to the local coffee place on my way to weekend morning rides and get my dose.

zjrog

I quit drinking energy drinks mostly completely. I was doing 1 and 2 a day. But with a recent bout of gout, I avoid anything with ingredients ending with "ine"...

Wileyrat

The only energy drinks I bother with are Kroger sugar free energy powdered drinks.

I'll throw a packet and a Clif bar or two in my jersey pocket in case I need mid ride boost.