The TRUTH About Energy Drinks

With over 600 options on the market, ‘Energy Drinks’ are certainly here to stay.

But do the REALLY work?

There’s drinks, like Red Bull and Monster.  Gels, goo, and even energy chews these days in a market that "Just-drinks.com" says will reach $47 billion by 2014 (it’s currently almost $5 billion).  Pretty impressive for something that’s only been available for around 10 years.

Crazy.

For all that money spent, they better give a pick up, finish your work at the office and take care of your to do list when you get home too!

So what’s all the hype about?  Do these things actually give you "energy" or merely a false sense of alertness to carry you through the day?

There’s certainly no shortage of claims on the drinks – from improving your workouts and health, to increasing focus and improving alertness.

So let’s pick apart the labels and see what’s in these "magical elixirs" that are surely giving Baristas a run for their money at the local coffee shops.

Should we be drinking energy drinks for a little afternoon pick me up?

Not so fast.  They’re loaded with caffeine (upwards of the equivalent of 3.5 cups of coffee), usually pretty high in sugar, and offer a combination of various amino acids, B vitamins, and some other ingredients that are thought to add to the "energy boost."

Caffeine works.  We know that.

Sugar does too.  No surprise there.

The B vitamins and amino acids, though, leave a little to be desired.  There actually are some data showing some performance improvements when using energy drinks, but that should be of no surprise — again, caffeine and sugar do work.

But when you rely on these drinks like a crutch, as so many do (particularly teenagers), they can be addictive (caffeine is, technically, a drug).

Here’s the other thing — one of the more popular drinks out there — ROCKST*R — has the same amount of calories and sugar as SIX Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Imagine how you’d feel if you wanted a little pick me up so instead grabbed half a dozen Krispy Kremes!

Want REAL energy?

1. Sleep more (and take a 20 minute ‘power’ nap if need be)
2. Eat cleaner foods — real foods, loaded with nutrients, give you sustained energy.  Try a piece of fruit and handful of nuts for a quick snack.
3. Eat breakfast each day
4. Include some lean protein with each meal and snack
5. Take a stand and stretch break every 60 or so minutes — rather than staring at a computer for hours on end as your eyes glaze over, stand up, move around a bit and get the blood flowing and your mind clear.

Mohr Results Bottom Line: Skip the energy drinks and instead give your body true energy without useless added sugars and loads of caffeine.

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