caffeine energy drink

"g.daniels" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

paasssinginging thru the library? there's an article on
RED BULL plus in the NYTimes Science News Section this
weekteusdaymay11!!!!!!!!!!

The nearest library to the little rural town where I live is
probably 40 miles. Would you mind sharing what you gleaned
from the article? I'm quite curious about the topic as I
just had a bout of ventricular arrythmia which my
cardiologist suspects might have been induced by a high-
voltage dose of caffeine in a sports drink.

Thanks, Bob C.

psycholist said:

The nearest library to the little rural town where I live
is probably 40 miles. Would you mind sharing what you
gleaned from the article? I'm quite curious about the
topic as I just had a bout of ventricular arrythmia which
my cardiologist suspects might have been induced by a high-
voltage dose of caffeine in a sports drink.

Google "red bull" "new york times" and you'll get:
===================================
When Coffee Doesn't Do It, Turning to Canned Energy By
VICKY LOWRY

Published: May 11, 2004

Debra and Patrick Doyle of Aspen, Colo., go skiing every
weekend in the winter and, in summer, take long mountain
bike rides in the hilly terrain where they live.

What helps this 36-year-old couple feel so energetic?

They say it is the cans of Red Bull they consume every
morning.

"It jump-starts my day," Ms. Doyle said of the so-called
energy drink, made in Austria and sold in supermarkets and
delicatessens around the United States.

Once the province of young extreme athletes and the
nightclub crowd, which mixes it with vodka, Red Bull has
gone mainstream. Sleepy college students drink it because
they say they like its amphetamine-like effect; weekend
athletes vouch for the buzz it gives them while exercising.

A Red Bull spokeswoman said 1.5 billion cans of the drink
were consumed worldwide in 2003, a 10 percent increase from
the previous year. In the United States, Red Bull controls
roughly 50 percent of the $1 billion energy drink market.

According to the information printed on its slender blue-and-
silver can, Red Bull "improves performance, increases
concentration, improves reaction speed and stimulates the
metabolism."

But if its ingredients are any guide, the boost provided by
Red Bull and other energy drinks - SoBe Adrenaline Rush,
Snapple Fire and 180 Orange Citrus Blast, for example - may
differ little from the lift offered by a strong cup of joe.

Gatorade and other sports drinks are caffeine-free, low in
carbohydrates and high in sodium to replace the electrolytes
lost when people sweat. Red Bull and other energy formulas,
experts say, deliver mainly a jolt of caffeine and a fairly
high dose of calories. Each 8-ounce can of Red Bull has 80
milligrams of caffeine, slightly less than a cup of
Starbucks coffee and more than twice as much as a 12-ounce
can of Coke.

"Caffeine can be ergogenic - a fancy word for performance
enhancing - because it appears to perk up the central
nervous system, and that becomes increasingly important as
the length of exercise increases," said Lawrence Spriet,
professor of human biology and nutritional sciences at the
University of Guelph in Ontario, who has studied the effects
of caffeine on athletes.

Expectation - and the fact that Red Bull is often chugged
rather than sipped - may add to the effect.

Although the International Olympic Committee recently
removed caffeine from its list of restricted substances,
several countries ban the sale of Red Bull to the public
because of its high caffeine level.

Carbohydrates are another main ingredient in Red Bull, which
tastes like fizzy cherry cough syrup. In addition to
glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate found in plant gums and red
wine, a can of Red Bull contains about two teaspoons of
sugar. Endurance athletes easily burn up Red Bull's 110
calories. But some doctors have concerns about any drink
that contains so much sugar.

"The average Joe weekend warrior, he would have to exercise
for 15 to 20 minutes just to burn the calories in this
drink," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive
cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. "I
would not recommend picking up one of these drinks when
you're buying lunch at a deli."

Consuming large quantities of carbohydrates in hot weather
can compromise hydration by slowing the rate at which fluid
is absorbed into the bloodstream, and it can be tough on the
stomach, said Douglas Casa, director of athletic training
education at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

"If someone needs calories in those conditions, there are
better alternatives than Red Bull," Dr. Casa said. "I
recommend rehydrating with a properly formulated sports
drink and getting calories from a properly formulated
sports bar."

Like other energy drinks, Red Bull also contains healthful-
sounding additives like the amino acid taurine and vitamin
B, a total of 30 milligrams in the form of niacin,
pantothenic acid, B6 and B12. Taurine, which the body
produces on its own, is found in high concentrations in the
heart. But as Malcolm Watford, director for the graduate
program in nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, puts
it, "We haven't got a clue to what it does."

psycholist said:

The nearest library to the little rural town where I live
is probably 40 miles. Would you mind sharing what you
gleaned from the article? I'm quite curious about the
topic as I just had a bout of ventricular arrythmia which
my cardiologist suspects might have been induced by a high-
voltage dose of caffeine in a sports drink.

Google "red bull" "new york times" and you'll get:
===================================
When Coffee Doesn't Do It, Turning to Canned Energy By
VICKY LOWRY

Published: May 11, 2004

Debra and Patrick Doyle of Aspen, Colo., go skiing every
weekend in the winter and, in summer, take long mountain
bike rides in the hilly terrain where they live.

What helps this 36-year-old couple feel so energetic?

They say it is the cans of Red Bull they consume every
morning.

"It jump-starts my day," Ms. Doyle said of the so-called
energy drink, made in Austria and sold in supermarkets and
delicatessens around the United States.

Once the province of young extreme athletes and the
nightclub crowd, which mixes it with vodka, Red Bull has
gone mainstream. Sleepy college students drink it because
they say they like its amphetamine-like effect; weekend
athletes vouch for the buzz it gives them while exercising.

A Red Bull spokeswoman said 1.5 billion cans of the drink
were consumed worldwide in 2003, a 10 percent increase from
the previous year. In the United States, Red Bull controls
roughly 50 percent of the $1 billion energy drink market.

According to the information printed on its slender blue-and-
silver can, Red Bull "improves performance, increases
concentration, improves reaction speed and stimulates the
metabolism."

But if its ingredients are any guide, the boost provided by
Red Bull and other energy drinks - SoBe Adrenaline Rush,
Snapple Fire and 180 Orange Citrus Blast, for example - may
differ little from the lift offered by a strong cup of joe.

Gatorade and other sports drinks are caffeine-free, low in
carbohydrates and high in sodium to replace the electrolytes
lost when people sweat. Red Bull and other energy formulas,
experts say, deliver mainly a jolt of caffeine and a fairly
high dose of calories. Each 8-ounce can of Red Bull has 80
milligrams of caffeine, slightly less than a cup of
Starbucks coffee and more than twice as much as a 12-ounce
can of Coke.

"Caffeine can be ergogenic - a fancy word for performance
enhancing - because it appears to perk up the central
nervous system, and that becomes increasingly important as
the length of exercise increases," said Lawrence Spriet,
professor of human biology and nutritional sciences at the
University of Guelph in Ontario, who has studied the effects
of caffeine on athletes.

Expectation - and the fact that Red Bull is often chugged
rather than sipped - may add to the effect.

Although the International Olympic Committee recently
removed caffeine from its list of restricted substances,
several countries ban the sale of Red Bull to the public
because of its high caffeine level.

Carbohydrates are another main ingredient in Red Bull, which
tastes like fizzy cherry cough syrup. In addition to
glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate found in plant gums and red
wine, a can of Red Bull contains about two teaspoons of
sugar. Endurance athletes easily burn up Red Bull's 110
calories. But some doctors have concerns about any drink
that contains so much sugar.

"The average Joe weekend warrior, he would have to exercise
for 15 to 20 minutes just to burn the calories in this
drink," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive
cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. "I
would not recommend picking up one of these drinks when
you're buying lunch at a deli."

Consuming large quantities of carbohydrates in hot weather
can compromise hydration by slowing the rate at which fluid
is absorbed into the bloodstream, and it can be tough on the
stomach, said Douglas Casa, director of athletic training
education at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

"If someone needs calories in those conditions, there are
better alternatives than Red Bull," Dr. Casa said. "I
recommend rehydrating with a properly formulated sports
drink and getting calories from a properly formulated
sports bar."

Like other energy drinks, Red Bull also contains healthful-
sounding additives like the amino acid taurine and vitamin
B, a total of 30 milligrams in the form of niacin,
pantothenic acid, B6 and B12. Taurine, which the body
produces on its own, is found in high concentrations in the
heart. But as Malcolm Watford, director for the graduate
program in nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, puts
it, "We haven't got a clue to what it does."

psycholist said:

The nearest library to the little rural town where I live
is probably 40 miles. Would you mind sharing what you
gleaned from the article? I'm quite curious about the
topic as I just had a bout of ventricular arrythmia which
my cardiologist suspects might have been induced by a high-
voltage dose of caffeine in a sports drink.

Complete story follows:

May 11, 2004 When Coffee Doesn't Do It, Turning to Canned
Energy By VICKY LOWRY

Debra and Patrick Doyle of Aspen, Colo., go skiing every
weekend in the winter and, in summer, take long mountain
bike rides in the hilly terrain where they live.

What helps this 36-year-old couple feel so energetic?

They say it is the cans of Red Bull they consume every
morning.

"It jump-starts my day," Ms. Doyle said of the so-called
energy drink, made in Austria and sold in supermarkets and
delicatessens around the United States.

Once the province of young extreme athletes and the
nightclub crowd, which mixes it with vodka, Red Bull has
gone mainstream. Sleepy college students drink it because
they say they like its amphetamine-like effect; weekend
athletes vouch for the buzz it gives them while exercising.

A Red Bull spokeswoman said 1.5 billion cans of the drink
were consumed worldwide in 2003, a 10 percent increase from
the previous year. In the United States, Red Bull controls
roughly 50 percent of the $1 billion energy drink market.

According to the information printed on its slender blue-and-
silver can, Red Bull "improves performance, increases
concentration, improves reaction speed and stimulates the
metabolism."

But if its ingredients are any guide, the boost provided by
Red Bull and other energy drinks - SoBe Adrenaline Rush,
Snapple Fire and 180 Orange Citrus Blast, for example - may
differ little from the lift offered by a strong cup of joe.

Gatorade and other sports drinks are caffeine-free, low in
carbohydrates and high in sodium to replace the electrolytes
lost when people sweat. Red Bull and other energy formulas,
experts say, deliver mainly a jolt of caffeine and a fairly
high dose of calories. Each 8-ounce can of Red Bull has 80
milligrams of caffeine, slightly less than a cup of
Starbucks coffee and more than twice as much as a 12-ounce
can of Coke.

"Caffeine can be ergogenic - a fancy word for performance
enhancing - because it appears to perk up the central
nervous system, and that becomes increasingly important as
the length of exercise increases," said Lawrence Spriet,
professor of human biology and nutritional sciences at the
University of Guelph in Ontario, who has studied the effects
of caffeine on athletes.

Expectation - and the fact that Red Bull is often chugged
rather than sipped - may add to the effect.

Although the International Olympic Committee recently
removed caffeine from its list of restricted substances,
several countries ban the sale of Red Bull to the public
because of its high caffeine level.

Carbohydrates are another main ingredient in Red Bull, which
tastes like fizzy cherry cough syrup. In addition to
glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate found in plant gums and red
wine, a can of Red Bull contains about two teaspoons of
sugar. Endurance athletes easily burn up Red Bull's 110
calories. But some doctors have concerns about any drink
that contains so much sugar.

"The average Joe weekend warrior, he would have to exercise
for 15 to 20 minutes just to burn the calories in this
drink," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive
cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. "I
would not recommend picking up one of these drinks when
you're buying lunch at a deli."

Consuming large quantities of carbohydrates in hot weather
can compromise hydration by slowing the rate at which fluid
is absorbed into the bloodstream, and it can be tough on the
stomach, said Douglas Casa, director of athletic training
education at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

"If someone needs calories in those conditions, there are
better alternatives than Red Bull," Dr. Casa said. "I
recommend rehydrating with a properly formulated sports
drink and getting calories from a properly formulated
sports bar."

Like other energy drinks, Red Bull also contains healthful-
sounding additives like the amino acid taurine and vitamin
B, a total of 30 milligrams in the form of niacin,
pantothenic acid, B6 and B12. Taurine, which the body
produces on its own, is found in high concentrations in the
heart. But as Malcolm Watford, director for the graduate
program in nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, puts
it, "We haven't got a clue to what it does."

Red Bull's director of corporate communications, Patrice
Radden, declined to allow anyone from the company to be
interviewed. But in an e-mail message from Austria, the
company said taurine loss "can occur in some other
physiological situations, such as high stress and physical
exertion."

The message went on: "Studies also demonstrated increased
excretion of taurine in perspiration and urine during
physical exertion. Dietary supplementation of taurine during
athletics thus seems reasonable."

A 2001 study from the European journal Amino Acids noted an
increase in stroke volume (the amount of blood, oxygen and
nutrients that the heart can pump to the working muscles) in
a group of athletes who drank Red Bull, and not in a group
that drank a caffeinated drink without taurine. According to
Red Bull, the company did not sponsor the study but provided
the drinks.

Many scientists, however, remain skeptical. Dr. Spriet of
the University of Guelph is conducting a study on trained
cyclists to determine if taurine can affect performance. So
far, he said, "it doesn't look like taurine does anything."

Nor is there any scientific evidence that vitamins affect
sports performance.

"Taking B vitamins won't hurt you," Dr. Watford said. "You
just get expensive urine." A can of Red Bull sells at a
suggested retail price of $1.99, but bars charge as much as
$8 for the drink.

At that price, Red Bull is probably not for the frugal.

"At as much as a dollar an ounce, I certainly wouldn't use a
fluid like that during a race," said Dr. William O. Roberts,
president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine
and medical director for the Twin Cities Marathon in
Minnesota. "I'd rather save the money for after the race and
have a good glass of wine."

Still, Red Bull's claim for having performance-enhancing
powers may be attractive to people who are very active, or
very tired.

"There aren't many easy ways of getting energized," said
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, director of preventive cardiology
at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. "Wishing doesn't
make it so."

psycholist said:

The nearest library to the little rural town where I live
is probably 40 miles. Would you mind sharing what you
gleaned from the article? I'm quite curious about the
topic as I just had a bout of ventricular arrythmia which
my cardiologist suspects might have been induced by a high-
voltage dose of caffeine in a sports drink.

Complete story follows:

May 11, 2004 When Coffee Doesn't Do It, Turning to Canned
Energy By VICKY LOWRY

Debra and Patrick Doyle of Aspen, Colo., go skiing every
weekend in the winter and, in summer, take long mountain
bike rides in the hilly terrain where they live.

What helps this 36-year-old couple feel so energetic?

They say it is the cans of Red Bull they consume every
morning.

"It jump-starts my day," Ms. Doyle said of the so-called
energy drink, made in Austria and sold in supermarkets and
delicatessens around the United States.

Once the province of young extreme athletes and the
nightclub crowd, which mixes it with vodka, Red Bull has
gone mainstream. Sleepy college students drink it because
they say they like its amphetamine-like effect; weekend
athletes vouch for the buzz it gives them while exercising.

A Red Bull spokeswoman said 1.5 billion cans of the drink
were consumed worldwide in 2003, a 10 percent increase from
the previous year. In the United States, Red Bull controls
roughly 50 percent of the $1 billion energy drink market.

According to the information printed on its slender blue-and-
silver can, Red Bull "improves performance, increases
concentration, improves reaction speed and stimulates the
metabolism."

But if its ingredients are any guide, the boost provided by
Red Bull and other energy drinks - SoBe Adrenaline Rush,
Snapple Fire and 180 Orange Citrus Blast, for example - may
differ little from the lift offered by a strong cup of joe.

Gatorade and other sports drinks are caffeine-free, low in
carbohydrates and high in sodium to replace the electrolytes
lost when people sweat. Red Bull and other energy formulas,
experts say, deliver mainly a jolt of caffeine and a fairly
high dose of calories. Each 8-ounce can of Red Bull has 80
milligrams of caffeine, slightly less than a cup of
Starbucks coffee and more than twice as much as a 12-ounce
can of Coke.

"Caffeine can be ergogenic - a fancy word for performance
enhancing - because it appears to perk up the central
nervous system, and that becomes increasingly important as
the length of exercise increases," said Lawrence Spriet,
professor of human biology and nutritional sciences at the
University of Guelph in Ontario, who has studied the effects
of caffeine on athletes.

Expectation - and the fact that Red Bull is often chugged
rather than sipped - may add to the effect.

Although the International Olympic Committee recently
removed caffeine from its list of restricted substances,
several countries ban the sale of Red Bull to the public
because of its high caffeine level.

Carbohydrates are another main ingredient in Red Bull, which
tastes like fizzy cherry cough syrup. In addition to
glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate found in plant gums and red
wine, a can of Red Bull contains about two teaspoons of
sugar. Endurance athletes easily burn up Red Bull's 110
calories. But some doctors have concerns about any drink
that contains so much sugar.

"The average Joe weekend warrior, he would have to exercise
for 15 to 20 minutes just to burn the calories in this
drink," said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive
cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. "I
would not recommend picking up one of these drinks when
you're buying lunch at a deli."

Consuming large quantities of carbohydrates in hot weather
can compromise hydration by slowing the rate at which fluid
is absorbed into the bloodstream, and it can be tough on the
stomach, said Douglas Casa, director of athletic training
education at the University of Connecticut in Storrs.

"If someone needs calories in those conditions, there are
better alternatives than Red Bull," Dr. Casa said. "I
recommend rehydrating with a properly formulated sports
drink and getting calories from a properly formulated
sports bar."

Like other energy drinks, Red Bull also contains healthful-
sounding additives like the amino acid taurine and vitamin
B, a total of 30 milligrams in the form of niacin,
pantothenic acid, B6 and B12. Taurine, which the body
produces on its own, is found in high concentrations in the
heart. But as Malcolm Watford, director for the graduate
program in nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, puts
it, "We haven't got a clue to what it does."

Red Bull's director of corporate communications, Patrice
Radden, declined to allow anyone from the company to be
interviewed. But in an e-mail message from Austria, the
company said taurine loss "can occur in some other
physiological situations, such as high stress and physical
exertion."

The message went on: "Studies also demonstrated increased
excretion of taurine in perspiration and urine during
physical exertion. Dietary supplementation of taurine during
athletics thus seems reasonable."

A 2001 study from the European journal Amino Acids noted an
increase in stroke volume (the amount of blood, oxygen and
nutrients that the heart can pump to the working muscles) in
a group of athletes who drank Red Bull, and not in a group
that drank a caffeinated drink without taurine. According to
Red Bull, the company did not sponsor the study but provided
the drinks.

Many scientists, however, remain skeptical. Dr. Spriet of
the University of Guelph is conducting a study on trained
cyclists to determine if taurine can affect performance. So
far, he said, "it doesn't look like taurine does anything."

Nor is there any scientific evidence that vitamins affect
sports performance.

"Taking B vitamins won't hurt you," Dr. Watford said. "You
just get expensive urine." A can of Red Bull sells at a
suggested retail price of $1.99, but bars charge as much as
$8 for the drink.

At that price, Red Bull is probably not for the frugal.

"At as much as a dollar an ounce, I certainly wouldn't use a
fluid like that during a race," said Dr. William O. Roberts,
president-elect of the American College of Sports Medicine
and medical director for the Twin Cities Marathon in
Minnesota. "I'd rather save the money for after the race and
have a good glass of wine."

Still, Red Bull's claim for having performance-enhancing
powers may be attractive to people who are very active, or
very tired.

"There aren't many easy ways of getting energized," said
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, director of preventive cardiology
at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. "Wishing doesn't
make it so."

(g.daniels) said:

paasssinginging thru the library? there's an article on RED
BULL plus in the NYTimes Science News Section this
weekteusdaymay11!!!!!!!!!!

When it gets humid and hot in the upper 80's here in
Florida, I get a migraine if I workout hard after consuming
caffeine so it's decaf all summer for me.

Caffeine is a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor. I think the
headaches I get are from caffeine rebound when the blood
vessel dilation is exacerbated by the heat. Anyone else
have trouble with caffeine and heat causing headaches after
hard workouts?

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Caffeine is a diuretic and a vasoconstrictor. I think the
headaches I get are from caffeine rebound when the blood
vessel dilation is exacerbated by the heat. Anyone else
have trouble with caffeine and heat causing headaches
after hard workouts?

well, i only have caffeine AFTER a workout...none at all
during the week. after my 50-80 mile rides in the heat on
saturday and sunday, i've found that a headache is a
foregone conclusion *unless* i have a little caffeine
shortly after exercise. my saturday afternoons used to be
hell until i accidentally discovered the 'cure'.

dunno why it works, dunno even IF it works. it may be "all
in my head". but i know that my incidence of headache after
a ride has been greatly reduced since i started chugging a
pepsi afterward.

never tried it BEFORE a workout. after your post, i'm not
inclined to experiment...!

hg