Energy drinks

[Dougal]

I'm feeling knackered and it's not from over exerting myself. I don't know whether it is the humidity or I'm just getting old but I don't seem to have any energy at the moment.

So the question is do these energy drinks such as Red Bull etc work; is there any difference between the various brands and if they do work how long does the effect last?

[kingwilly]

not really, and dont forget if they give you a high then they'll drop you lower again.....

but then again, the bus n truck drivers swear by the stuff, by the bottle load.

another caveat... calories....

nuff said.

[Marmite the Dog]

Red Bull never seemed to make much difference to me (same as coffee).

Why don't you try a bottle of Gatorade before diving headlong into the world of hard drugs? You may just need a little sprucing up? What's your diet like at the moment? All stodge, or are you eating lots of salad and veges?

[stroller]

Yes, they do work, but as said already, there is a (mild) comedown, you'll be shattered later.
Like a very strong coffee, in fact coffeine is the active ingredient.

A natural stimulant is 'Miang', a sour fermented leave, they all chew it where I live, should be available in the local market.

[kingwilly]

exercising?

eating enough red meat and green leafy veggies ... serious. you need iron in your diet without it you cannot make enough haemoglobin, and therefore cannot supply your body with enough oxygen.

[stroller]

Some energy drinks contain ephedra - natutal ephedrin, but not in Thailand, I don't think.
Pseudo-ephedrin is in many cough-tablets and has a similar effect.

[buad hai]

it is the humidity

It's the humidity. Always knocks me out. Make sure you're drinking enough water. Sometimes when it's humid and overcast (the way it's been here the last few days) you tend to let yourself get dehydrated.

[Marmite the Dog]

KW is a dick.

All these other uppers & downers are just to make up for a not so good diet and not enough exercise.

[kingwilly]

What KW says.

Is that a first ??

[sabang]

Lipo is said to be stronger than Red Bull, as is that one with a red star (MK150) ?
They'll keep you going for a while, then the come down.

[barbaro]

I'm feeling knackered and it's not from over exerting myself. I don't know whether it is the humidity or I'm just getting old but I don't seem to have any energy at the moment.

So the question is do these energy drinks such as Red Bull etc work; is there any difference between the various brands and if they do work how long does the effect last?

Agree with what others have said.

Red Bull has a lot of sugar, I think.

Caffeine works best for me. Coffee.

[Dougal]

Thanks for all the good advice.

My diet is pretty balanced but I have suffered from anaemia in the past so maybe that's an excuse to eat more steak.

I'm sure I don't drink enough water or take enough exercise. But I don't eat sweets or smoke or drink much either.

I don't really like coffee and only drink one or two cups of weak tea a day so don't really get any caffeine that way.

The labourers here all live on M150, whether they have done any sort of informal comparison with other brands or not I don't know.

I'll risk the energy drinks for a couple of days - with all the caveats - and see how I get on.

[stroller]

I find the sports drinks or rehydration packs do wonders for me, but then I do tend to rob my body of salts with alcohol.
Still, in a tropical climate, try one of those after breakfast. or lunch, or whenever your energy level drops.

[DrB0b]

Lipo is said to be stronger than Red Bull, as is that one with a red star (MK150) ?
They'll keep you going for a while, then the come down.

I like M Max, in the little yellow tinnie. It's sour and fizzy and packs a wallop and at 15 baht a tin makes you look hi-so. Last year it was withdrawn from the shops because a consignment was found to have paraquat in it (it's back now). Mix it 50/50 with lao kao and you have a real man's energy drink.

[stroller]

Mix it 50/50 with lao kao and you have a real man's energy drink.

Hehe, gotta try that one.

[buad hai]

I'm sure I don't drink enough water

Force hydrate yourself. Your pee should be absolutely clear at least one time per day. (I spent years as an endurance athlete so learned to pay close attention to stuff like that.)

[kingwilly]

I'm sure I don't drink enough water

Force hydrate yourself. Your pee should be absolutely clear at least one time per day. (I spent years as an endurance athlete so learned to pay close attention to stuff like that.)

dont wanna disagree too much here, but the latest thoughts on this matter is that you do not need to go to that extreme as you leach out the salts etc from the body.

homeostasis means that the body is pretty good at maintaining the levels of water it needs anyway. too much can be just as bad as too little.

having said that many ppl tend to be slightly dehydrated all the time anyway so drinking extra water is still a good thing.

[buad hai]

I'm not advocating overdoing it; I'm not one of those "six liters per day" people. But, fatigue is one symptom of dehydration. Forcing yourself to drink a glass or two of water when you don't actually feel thirsty can offer quick relief. Watching the color of your urine is one way to tell if you're getting enough.

[kingwilly]

fair enuff, was juz saying.

[Agent_Smith]

Eating an apple gives me a bit of a lift.

[Marmite the Dog]

Ya ba works.

[Jet Gorgon]

Water, electrolyte pack a day, those horrid tasting chicken tonic supplements. Love. Worked for me.

[Dougal]

Ya ba works.

I'm told that paranoia is a side effect and I'm already more paranoid than I need. You looking at me, yer k**t?

[Dougal]

Water, electrolyte pack a day, those horrid tasting chicken tonic supplements. Love. Worked for me.

Sorry Jet, but what are 'chicken tonic supplements' is that like fried eggs?

I'll have to wait till the end of July for lurv.

I drank a bottle of ???? 'Dead Bull'? It had a picture of a dead cow's head on the bottle. If I was worried about the caffeine keeping me awake I need have no fear 20:20 and I'm ready for bed.

[babygirl]

Mix red bull with Sangsom and see how you feel! kept me up all night once.