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13 Energy Drinks In 3 Sessions
circletimessquare writes "As a member of the cult of caffeine, as I suspect many Slashdot readers are, I was pleasantly amused by this story in The New York Times entitled Opening 13 Cans of Whoop (reg req). Our brave reporter sucks down a number of energy drinks of various parentages and gives us the lowdown on their taste, appearance, ingredients, overall effect, and dubious appeal. Example: 'At this point, my energy level was not only elevated, it was speeding toward the red line. I felt myself staring holes through my computer screen, typing at five times my normal rate and thinking far too creatively about life questions like how many AA batteries I needed to buy when I went to the drug store. My mood was chipper. Too chipper.'"
Here's a registration free link thanks to Google.
jolt cola was limited to 72mg dose of caffine per 12 oz soda do to food laws. (at least in the USA)
which ironicly is less then coffee can be (normally 65-175 mg per 8 oz serving) and less then espresso (100mg per 1.5-2oz)
http://www.freshcoffee.com/html/caffaq-1.html
these energy drinks are not "soda" to get around the limit.
LD50 for caffine is 150mg/kg
(take your weight in kg * 150mg of caffine = a dose that has a 50% chance of killing you)
200 pounds = 90.7 kilograms => 13.6 grams
100 pounds = 45.3 kilograms => 6.8 grams
Coca Cola Used to Contain Cocaine
Caffeine is actually benefical, it can help reduce asthma attacks, it helps prevent stone formation, it can help reduce the risk of colon cancer and it's an anti-oxident. There are a lot of others which I won't post here, but a quick googling will turn them up, but sure, too much caffeine like anything is bad for you.
Indeed, drinking too much water is toxic
Yes, but.....
From webmd.com:
You would need to chug down about three quarts of water or more all at once to come down with a case of true water intoxication. It does happen, but so rarely that I couldn't find statistics on the number of cases. These people become drowsy, lightheaded, and weak. They have trouble coordinating bodily movements and thinking straight, looking and feeling as if they just stumbled out of the local bar.
"If there's hope, it lies in the proles..."
Indeed. Most people don't realise it is actually physically addictive.
Adenosine is a chemical messenger that tells cells to slow down. Caffeine, being structurally similar, can block adenosine receptors in the brain, and thus prevent this slowdown.
However, your brain cells compensate to prolonged exposure by creating more and more adenosine receptors... meaning that you'll be really tired unless you block them with caffeine. Repeat ad addictum.
Check here and here for more info.
On a more personal note, I always find that drinking something with tons of sugars in it keeps me active far longer than caffeine alone. Caffeine just makes me burn through my energy reserves faster, resulting in me being even more tired after a while.
Yeah, that's what I was doing for a few years... slam down a red bull toward the end of the night and pull an extra hour or two, get some more $$$. An extra two hours gave me an extra $80 no problems, or so I thought.
Last Christmas it all caught up with me when I had an epileptic fit and woke up finding myself in the emergency section of the hostpital unable to walk. I was lucky that I only tore my back muscles and didn't break my spine from the violent jerking involved with the siezure. The only reason given to me for this fit, by the various doctors I saw, was that it occured due to my working hours and that I was pushing my body to the limit. They all told me to slow down before I killed myself or someone else. I am only 29.
Be carefull with your use/abuse of these products. It can cost you more in the long run. I was only having two of these things a day at the most.
Does it go on forever?
Maybe that is because guarana is caffeine? Actually, guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a plant, which according to Erowid contains 5% caffeine from which it derives its stimulant effects. There is no alternative to caffeine named guarana. Wikipedia's article on guarana has more information. Yet more misinformation from the Times.
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Almost any sweet beverage you can buy at the supermarket will dehydrate you more than it will hydrate you thanks to all the added sugar they put in those things
False. 100%, completely, absolutely, totally false. Sugar does not contribute to dehydration except insofar as it may contribute to diarrhea.
Sugar doesn't interferes with the takeup of water; is even specifically added to oral rehydration treatments because it improves bodily takeup. And the metabolization of sugar releases water, rather than taking it up.