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Energy Drinks

Do you drink energy drinks?

  • Yes, multiple energy drinks per day

    Votes: 1 1.5%

  • Yes, one a day

    Votes: 5 7.7%

  • Yes, only as needed for a boost

    Votes: 12 18.5%

  • No, but I drink multiple sodas per day

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No, but I drink about a soda per day

    Votes: 4 6.2%

  • No, but I'll get a soda for the occasional boost

    Votes: 13 20.0%

  • No energy drinks or sodas ever.

    Votes: 22 33.8%

  • Energy drinks and sodas daily

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Carrot juice only

    Votes: 8 12.3%
  • Total voters
    65
two fingers

two fingers

Opinionated blowhard. But not mad about it.
Inactive
Feb 7, 2005
33,959
116,685
55
Eastern NC USA
#1
People. Please quit it with the energy drinks. Between the sugar, and the RIDICULOUS amounts of caffeine, never mind the artificial colors and a host of other chemicals, why don't you just pour Drano down your throat???

I bounce around from town to town and facility to facility every day at work. I can't tell you how many Monster drinks I see in the course of one day. Whenever I go to Sam's Club or Walmart, I see CASES of these things being bought up.

Everyone from construction workers, to nurses, to DOCTORS, to executives, to secretaries, etc. has one in their hand or on their desk.

This rant was sparked by noticing a few quickly today at around 7 a.m.. Then I started counting. I'm up to THIRTY SEVEN in three buildings (currently about 10 a.m. local at the time of this post). Every one of them so far has been a Monster drink. I did see one Starbucks can coffee, but wasn't close enough to see if it was also an energy drink so I didn't count it. Soda of any kind (diet is NO BETTER than sugar-sweetened.... and possibly worse due to chemical content) is bad enough! But energy drinks???

It may well be the most unhealthy single thing you could put in your face. Fat isn't as bad. Cholesterol isn't a bad. But tons of sugar or chemical sweeteners stirred into a dozen other chemicals and chased by a bucket of caffeine??? Come on, people!

Get some sleep! That's how you kick the soda/caffeine habit. (Ironically, kicking energy drinks and sodas will help you get some sleep. It's the circle of life.) Yes, you'll have a terrible headache for a few days. (Ask me how I know.) But doing away with that ONE daily bullet to your nutrition plan would be enough to see/feel a difference in a matter of days (maybe up to a week or so).

I can only imagine that many of the people I see with them are consuming several a day! My keyboard player downs them like water. (I'm gently working on him about getting rid of them.)

When I quit sodas several years ago (Diet Mt.Dew was my poison of choice) my joints literally hurt for about a week. And the headache was terrible. But, on the other end of that week it so, my life has been so much better ever since. My sleep quality was increased exponentially. (Never mind that I figured I was spending a couple HUNDRED A MONTH on those things between cases for the house and a daily 20 oz. from a gas station.)

Do yourself a favor if you're a daily energy drink consumer. Kick those things to the curb. Doing away with sodas in general would be even better. But energy drinks are belly enlarging sleep stealing chemical injections for your body. The crash afterwards has been proven to cause people to consume MANY more calories than they otherwise would. And our brains convince us during that crash that we need SUGAR. So it's a snowball.

Just read the label and do what you know is right.

*sigh*

I feel better. Thank you for letting me get that out.
 
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#2
100% agree. I used to drink them back in the day when I was on the road and drinking booze after shows, and they came in handy the next morning since my hungover stomach couldn't handle coffee. I also drank them before the show and often mixed them with booze during the show (Jager bombs, anyone?) So yeah, not a great cycle to be caught in. I was also drinking too much booze (the whole band was), but this was 20 years ago. I eventually pivoted to the sugar free energy drinks, but those are still terrible for you.

I haven't had an energy drink in years, but I still enjoy coffee. I limit it to 2 cups in the morning and almost never have any after that. I've also had issues with insomnia for years, but my doc has finally figured out a formula of diet, exercise and meds that has changed that for the better. And I gave up soda years ago except for the rare fast food meal where I'll get one with a combo. But that's maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
 
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#3
friskinator said:
100% agree. I used to drink them back in the day when I was on the road and drinking booze after shows, and they came in handy the next morning since my hungover stomach couldn't handle coffee. I also drank them before the show and often mixed them with booze during the show (Jager bombs, anyone?) So yeah, not a great cycle to be caught in. I was also drinking too much booze (the whole band was), but this was 20 years ago. I eventually pivoted to the sugar free energy drinks, but those are still terrible for you.

I haven't had an energy drink in years, but I still enjoy coffee. I limit it to 2 cups in the morning and almost never have any after that. I've also had issues with insomnia for years, but my doc has finally figured out a formula of diet, exercise and meds that has changed that for the better. And I gave up soda years ago except for the rare fast food meal where I'll get one with a combo. But that's maybe 3 or 4 times a year.
Click to expand...

Try the blue blocking glasses at sundown. I didn't struggle with insomnia once I fell asleep. But it took me quite a while to fall asleep initially. Now I ear blue blocking glasses after sunset around the house. I fall asleep really quickly these days. I wouldn't do the science any justice. But it's out there for consumption if you're interested.

Jager bombs! I forgot about those things! Yeah for about a 5 year span they were the thing, weren't they? The hangover from those things was the WORST!!!
 
#6
two fingers said:
Try the blue blocking glasses at sundown. I didn't struggle with insomnia once I fell asleep. But it took me quite a while to fall asleep initially. Now I ear blue blocking glasses after sunset around the house. I fall asleep really quickly these days. I wouldn't do the science any justice. But it's out there for consumption if you're interested.

Jager bombs! I forgot about those things! Yeah for about a 5 year span they were the thing, weren't they? The hangover from those things was the WORST!!!
Click to expand...

For me it's the opposite. I can fall asleep quickly, but staying asleep was the problem. My wife bought me an awesome sleep mask off Amazon that has been working like a charm since I started using it. It's super comfortable, doesn't slip, and it has much better wrap-around coverage than the cheap ones you get at the drug store (or free on planes). It's called the Sleep Master if you're interested.

Yup, Jager Bombs were my jam for several years. Our guitar player used to mix stiff ones in a Solo cup and drink them as a beverage. No wonder we all stayed up all night and felt like crap the next day.
 
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#8
I have them once in a blue if I'm especially tired or have a long list of stuff that has to get done in a short period of time. The four or five I drink a year really do the trick. I'd never drink one regularly.

As far as mixing them with alcohol, that's just gross. I'm not saying I haven't mixed my fair share of depressants and stimulants when I was a young idiot, but never booze and redbull.
 
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#9
I'll have the odd soda once in a while - a Coke or a Dr Pepper.


I drink 2x espressos per day and about 2L of water (SodaStream with non sugar flavouring).

Used to carry Gatorade on long mountain bike rides/races. But that's been years since I did that. Always plain tap water in my Camelbak these days. Energy bar if I bonk on a longer ride. Will down a small bottle Gatorade afterwards if it's been a particularly hot/long/sweaty ride - for recovery and/or cramping. I'm talking 2hrs plus. But 95% of the time, just water.

Will occasionally have a serving of high protein boost instead of a meal.

Redbull or Monster - never. Tried both once in Afghanistan and didn't care for either in any way.
 
#16
I drink coffee. It'll be here as long as I am. However, I only have an energy drink very seldom. It's usually if I've been working in the sun for a long time and I'm really tired and sweaty. I'll have one of the sugar-free varieties with a whole lot of water, and it picks me up enough that I can power through the end of the day and the drive home, then that's it. I used to drink one a day, and that was bad.
 
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#18
I'll very occasionally have a bottle of Lucozade, on a day I really need an energy boost.
Most days I have a coffee first thing in the morning, another mid afternoon, and water the rest of the day.
I think the Monster or Red Bull type drinks are dangerously addictive...I work with a lot of younger guys and they never seem to be without one.
 
#19
Energy drinks are gross! However, I do love my coffee (I really love my coffee) and I drink a lot of carbonated water. Sometimes I like to mix carbonated water with cold brew coffee. So kind of similar to either a soda or energy drink I suppose?
My brother can down like 3-4 Monsters a day. Not sure how he does it. Just the smell alone repulses me, but if I mention anything he brings up my 3-5 cups of coffee a day. I guess we're even.
 

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