An Energy Drinks Roundup?

NecroWraith asks: "Ok, I'm sure most folks on Slashdot have something they eat or drink that helps you stay awake far beyond what your body wants you to for, whatever reason: late night gaming sessions; late nights at work; or late nights in the pub. The big one now is energy drinks. I swear I see a new one on the shelf every week. Rockstar, Red Bull, Monster, Hansen's, Jolt, Red Jak, Lost, Sobe, Bawls, Amp, MDX, the list goes on. So, what have you tried, and what do you like? What tastes best? What works best? Which one is the best deal?"

Comments

In the UK

[MentalMooMan]

Well, I don't know about the US, but in the UK, I've tried 3 types.

Red Bull - Way too expensive, certainly not worth the price, especially with all the alternatives available.

Blue Bear - It used to be great. You could get it in 1.5 Litre bottles for £1.50 or something like that. It is sold in Spar, but they've discontinued the large bottles now, so you have to get the measly 250ml cans.

Kick - This one's from Tesco. Well worth it. My friend once bought 10 bottles (1 litre each) at 50p each (I think there was an offer on - they're usually £1 each) for a small LAN party I was hosting. Certainly did the job well, and at a great low price.

I can't really say anything about the taste, as they're all about the same to me - a sort of fruity, fizzy flavour.

Since nobody's posted it yet

[Marxist Hacker 42]

A lot of the choices are available Here!

Think of your heart/etc too

[ModernGeek]

You can't take time from your sleep, you can only borrow it. You will make up for it sooner or later whether it be in a few days, or a few years. Your body will start deteriorating as you get more and more reliant on these stimulants to keep yourself awake. The best bet is to do what the parent says, and get off your ass.

Re:My Favorite - SOBE No Fear

[merlin_jim]

Just a quick note: Robitussin DM contains guaifenesin, which can cause nausea and vomitting. It's there so you can't guzzle it - the DXM is a strong dissociative / hallucinatory taken in doses larger than .5 mg / kg... and becomes lethal around 25 mg / kg - the idea is to make anyone who tries to get high off cough syrup just vomit it all back up. [Disclaimer: There's no good LD50 information about DXM. Apparently one girl took a dose of about 3 g and died. Apparently an equivalent (per weight) dose used to be given to sick children (with respiratory support) with bronchitis or other chest problems. If I were a user I'd keep myself under 5 mg / kg and then only to infrequent use]

So unless your goal is to have a psychedlic experience, probably best to stay away from guzzling cough syrup to stay awake.

For those that care, there is a pretty easy extraction involving Robitussin DM, ammonia, citric acid, and one other ingredient (I forget what it is - but remember that it could certainly be purchased at any corner pharmacy) Or just get the robitussin gelcaps that have nothing but DXM in them...

Back on topic... robitussin in large enough doses would be a great way to stay awake - it acts as a mild stimulant - but I doubt you'd get any coding done hahaha

Re:None

[The-Bus]

I'm usually wary of people who don't trust doctors or medicines or seem a bit "New Agey" -- which I thought was where your post was heading. But what you say certainly makes sense. As much as I hate referencing Flavor-of-the-Month self-help guides, I did read a passage in one that was very revealing.

It basically broke down tasks like this: A task is either important or not important. Then, a task is also either urgent or not urgent. Things like taking care of your health are not urgent (until it's too late) and are also important. But it is unlikely for anyone to do anything about it because health and your physical, mental, and social condition is determined usually over a span of decades. So people spend more time on things that are urgent, regardless of whether they are important (paying bills) or not important (catching the most recent episode of a TV series).

But the parent is right. If you're depending on energy drinks more than once a month to make it through basic tasks then you need to get more rest. And that's the only solution. I personally avoid having any caffeine after lunch, as it usually stays in my system for a long time and I'd rather be tired and sleepy than tired and awake when bedtime rolls around.

Re:Feel the vibe baby

[Marxist Hacker 42]

It's well hidden, but Vibe contains Green Tea Extract which contains caffine. But with all the other antioxidants, vitamins, and natural frutcose this drink gives you, I can certainly understand that the jitter effect is either muted or non-existant.....

Re:Caffeine content?

[D'Eyncourt]

Here ya go. The energy drink chart even normalizes them to their caffiene content based on 12 oz. of liquid (though note that coffee and tea are not).