Coffee or Energy Drinks?

Writer14 · Sep 6, 2007

I'm writing an article for my school paper (posted some of it in SYW boards). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone in here has any bad experiences with energy drinks and weather or not you prefer it to coffee?

Elaborate as much as you want.

Also, if you wouldn't mind me possibly using your quote in my article, just say so at the bottom. ^^;

Horseshoes · Sep 6, 2007

I drink a Monster of two before runs that will be in the 2-4 hour range. No bad experiences.
Some folks are abusing Monsters, drinking 4-5 in an evening and then not sleeping for a 36 or 48 hours.
Some folks are unaware of how much caffeine they're injesting. GUarana and kola nut have caffeine, but drinks that are loaded with g & k usually do not have a caffeine warning. Monsters have a proprietary amount and a warning to not consume >3 or 4/day, I believe it is.
And the weather doesn't seem to affect things at all, except one might drink more if it's hot & sunny.

melaniehoo · Sep 6, 2007

I avoid energy drinks at all costs! I'm a one-cup-of coffee in the morning gal and anything more makes me loopy. Jittery, shakey, light-headed, not my idea of fun. I also avoid soda for the most part.

I was a fan of red bull & vodka back in the day but had a traumatic experience that I won't go into here.

Now I stick with vino.

Tish Davidson · Sep 6, 2007

I PMed you with some interesting statistics.

benbradley · Sep 6, 2007

There was Jolt Cola, one of their original slogans was "All the sugar and twice the caffeine!", then there's all this stuff from recent years that I worry has too much this and that. I just drink coffee, and lately I only drink my one cup in the morning, or at most two cups a day.

Soccer Mom · Sep 6, 2007

I'm strictly a coffee gal. Most energy drinks smell vile to me.

desertcomet · Sep 6, 2007

Coffee isn't completely safe either. I remember a few years ago I drank a few cups more than I usually did one morning before school and I felt shaky, weak, and a little faint for a few hours. Nothing serious, but still, I'm more careful now.

I doubt that was very helpful but if it was go ahead and quote me in your paper if you want.

Writer14 · Sep 7, 2007

Thanks a lot ^_^
All your replies really helped!!

JB_Finesse · Sep 7, 2007

I really don't like the taste of coffee. Ditto with Red Bull and Monster. If I need a jolt I use Coke, citrus Vitamin Water, or Bawls. Bawls is the best in my opinion, but it's also unfortunately the hardest to find.

dahmnait · Sep 7, 2007

I don't know if you still need this, but I personally love my coffee and I am one of those freaks that enjoy the taste of Red Bull. For those of you who haven't tasted Red Bull, imagine placing a 9-volt battery on your tongue. (Don't ask me why I like it.)

However, I have had problems after drinking Red Bull. If I drink even one Red Bull, I have a 95% chance of having seizures. I don't think it is the caffeine, since I can drink coffee (in moderation) with no problems. To clarify, I have epilepsy, so I am predisposed to seizures. I have also discussed this with others who deal with epilepsy and have experience with energy drinks and quite a few of them have experienced the same issues.

I believe that energy drinks and epilepsy was researched at one point and it was found that the taurine might have a hand in the increase of seizures. (Which is interesting, since taurine can decrease seizures for other people.) The other idea is that it is the concentration of caffeine, but again, not everyone has the problem with other drinks containing only caffeine, even if they imbibe the same amount of caffeine.

Oh, and feel free to quote if it helps you in any way.

jennifer75 · Sep 7, 2007

I used to drink redbull back when it first came out, I'd get one in the afternoon when I felt the 3:00 slump coming on. It worked. Or maybe it was mental. I don't know. But once I heard that people were mixing it with Vodka I got grossed out by the thought and couldn't drink it at all any more. Haven't had one in over 6 years.

Coffee on the other hand, I've been drinking since I was 18, fourteen years now. I stopped once while on Atkins for two weeks. Hell I tell you, HELL. Once I passed the first say 5 days of no caffein, I felt incredible. I was sleeping better, I was dreaming, and I was waking up completely READY to face the world. I'd never felt that way before.

Then I stopped Atkins, and started drinking my daily cup again.

THEN....again, I decided to give up the coffee. I lasted for a while, maybe a month or so, and again I felt a little better, but not as good as the first time I stopped.

As for bad experiences with coffee...when I first really got into a daily habbit, I think I was 19 or 20, coffee was going riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight through me. It was a wierd getting used to kind of thing I guess. And, believe people when they say "I haven't had my coffee yet, can it wait"....those day 2 headaches can be a bear.

Hope that helps....

Writer14 · Sep 7, 2007

These just get better and better. Thank you so much. =] I love asking people on here interview-type stuff because you actually respond with more then a 'yes. it is bad' and something small and anti-helpful. =]

Kryianna · Sep 7, 2007

I don't do the energy drinks, but I'm a huge fan of Coca-cola. I can't function if I don't have one in the morning. As I tell the folks around the coffee-pot in the morning, I prefer my caffeine cold.

I did have a problem with caffeine back in college, though. Combining 32oz of Mt. Dew and chocolate covered espresso beans led to a massive caffeine jitters attack. Once I was done spazzing, I feel asleep and they had problems waking me the next morning. While probably irrational, I avoid energy drinks so I don't have this happen again.

jennifer75 · Sep 7, 2007

Writer14 said:
These just get better and better. Thank you so much. =] I love asking people on here interview-type stuff because you actually respond with more then a 'yes. it is bad' and something small and anti-helpful. =]

I've always adored taking surveys. I can't stand interviews. Go figure.

dahmnait · Sep 7, 2007

Writer14 said:
These just get better and better. Thank you so much. =] I love asking people on here interview-type stuff because you actually respond with more then a 'yes. it is bad' and something small and anti-helpful. =]

I'm just a research whore. I love answering the questions here when I can. It's even better when I don't have to take any time to research an answer, like with your question.

That, and I figure there will come a day when I can't research a subject...

Sassee · Sep 7, 2007

Writer14 said:
I'm writing an article for my school paper (posted some of it in SYW boards). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone in here has any bad experiences with energy drinks and weather or not you prefer it to coffee?

Elaborate as much as you want.

Also, if you wouldn't mind me possibly using your quote in my article, just say so at the bottom. ^^;

I don't like the taste of coffee.

I don't like how my heart races after I drink energy drinks, so I don't drink them. (And if my heart doesn't race, I get incredibly sleepy.) Plus they tend to have a lot of sugar. Large amounts of sugar are out of my diet since my sister is diabetic and I have no desire to follow in her footsteps.

Not sure if that's what you were lookin for, but hey, that's my answer.

Green tea for the win ~

Scrawler · Sep 7, 2007

I used to love coffee but now I can't tolerate even the smallest amount of caffeine so I quit. My bad experience would be a horribly racing heart, jittery, sweats, a "wired but tired" feeling. As for energy drinks, I've never tried any. I'm usually trying to relax, not rev up.

Writer14 · Sep 10, 2007

All of your responses are greatly appreciated! thank you so much!

Jersey Chick · Sep 10, 2007

A total coffee drinker - but I've toned it back from a full pot to about maybe two cups a day. I tried a Red Bull once - not to long ago, actually, and it was one of the vilest things I've ever tasted. One sip was enough for me to steer clear of all of them.

Of course, I do have a Mountain Dew addiction and I hear the caffeine in that's enough to restart your heart, kind of like a shot of adrenaline...

Writer14 · Sep 10, 2007

Thank you to everyone who gave me there input! Its been put to -what i think- good use & the things you wrote in general interested me, even though its for an assignment. =]

thank you sooooo much again ^_^

JimmyB27 · Sep 11, 2007

Not sure if I'm too late, or even if this is relevant, but it might help. It's a story about a girl who overdosed on coffee while working at her parent's coffeeshop.

The story
A follow up describing the effects of a caffeine overdose

seun · Sep 11, 2007

Coffee has no effect on me. Probably because I drink so much of it

As for energy drinks, they all taste like piss.

L M Ashton · Sep 12, 2007

My father used to (don't know about it anymore) drink around 30-35 cups of coffee a day, along with 2 1/2 packs of ciggies a day and a huge amount of alcohol. He was really messed up, but not so much from the coffee. Go figure.

I've never been a coffee or tea person. I do, however, have the occasional coke. Like, once or twice a year. Like when I'm out and a migraine is starting. The coke, along with painkillers of choice, can (usually) stop the migraine in its tracks. Unfortunately, one can of coke before noon can keep me awake until 5 the following morning, so this is a last resort thing for me. I need my sleep.

But other than that, I don't touch the stuff. I'm hypersensitive to caffeine. It also does nasty things to my digestive system, and it's guaranteed that I'll need a bathroom - desperately - within a half hour of drinking that can. Desperately. And that's all I'm saying.

And yes, you can quote me. Not sure why you'd want to, but there ya go.

Jamesaritchie · Sep 13, 2007

Coffee

I never drink less than two pots of coffee a day, and often three pots. But you might want to take a look at this page: http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine/

The Scip · Sep 13, 2007

Coffee only for me. Like some of the others said, energy drinks make me jittery and I can't focus when i drink them.

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