Engergy drink (sugar-free): does it actually engergize you?

[YS2003]

I drink one of those "sugar-free" energy drink (I think it has Vitamin B and other nutrients) in the morning if I cannot brew my coffee (due to lack of time).
I am curious to know if those "energy drinks" are actually effective in get you going (meaning, increasing your energy). Is there a science behind this? Or, is it just a marketing gimmick?

Edit: Mod, please correct the spelling on my title (somehow, it is spelled wrong there).

 

[mad jew]

Gimmick. Most of them are full of electrolytes that you'd only need if you'd just run a marathon. They're also notoriously bad for your teeth. It'd probably be better for your pearlies if you bent over and scraped them along the bitumen on your way to work each day.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Hopefully they will help your spelling.

Most of them are just packed full of caffiene so all they do is make your head go nutz. Try sleeping after having a Vodka and Redbull of an evening. Frickin impossible.

Glucose i.e. Lucozade give you energy but in questionable amounts. The original one is best as it is Glucose which is what the body needs.

 

[Chaszmyr]

Let's not oversimplify things here. I'm not an expert nutritionist so I'm not going to go into the details, but different kinds of substances are better to energize you for specific tasks.

 

[YS2003]

The one I drink is called Rock-star.

Supplement facts are:
calories: 10
total carb: 1 g
sugar: 0
Vitamin B2: 3.4 mg (200 % of daily value)
Vitamin B3: 20 mg (100 % of dv)
Vitamin B5: 10 mg (100%)
Vitamin B6: 2 mg (100%)
Vitamin B12: 6 mg (100 %)
Sodium: 125 mg (5%)

Energy blend: 1.21 g
Taurine: 1000 mg
Caffeine: 80 mg
Guarana Seed Extract: 25 mg
Inositol: 25 mg
L-Carnitine: 25 mg
Panax Ginseng Extract: 25 mg
Milk Thistle Extract: 20 mg
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract: 15 mg

I take Milk thistle extract occasionally because of its alleged benefits of liver health.

 

[Phishin' it]

I get free RED BULL, Vodka Bomb anyone?

 

[benthewraith]

Not really...but then again, I'm a chronic caffeine addict, so I have quite a high bit of tolerance.

 

[chaosbunny]

That one is quite good:

www.derdrink.com

 

[CanadaRAM]

Energy comes primarily from carbohydrates (the most ready forms of carbs are sugars - glucose is the simplest and quickest absorbed. Sucrose and fructose and lactose will break down to glucose), then secondarily from fats and proteins. That product (rockstar) has none of the above.

At the end of moderate exercise you need to hydrate (plain water). Additionally, only if sweating heavily, maybe some electrolytes (but you'll make up for those with the salt on your very next meal, so unless you are doing long term exercise where you will not be eating, it's probably unneccessary). After strenuous exercise, you want carbs, proteins and fat to rebuild muscles, preferably a small shot within 1/2 hour. A drink of chocolate milk fits the bill and is inexpensive.

The drinks listed have stimulants and no nutrition. I don't know what the net effect of that is, but I can't imagine that artificially stimulating the metabolism while failing to provide any fuel is anything but bad.

 

[benthewraith]

...artificially stimulating the metabolism while failing to provide any fuel is anything but bad.

Especially when kids drink these things prior to tests. I used to do that, and my stomache suffered as a result. I had major issues such as pains and stuff of that nature.