Energy drinks, infused with buzz-worthy lingo that has you feeling empowered, edgy and at the top of your game, come in dozens of different brands.
Become a monster with a gulp of blood-orange liquid or swig 8.4 ounces of “cocaine” from a metal can. Down the fuel to be fabulous from a pink container or feel the original rush of a raging bull. Here are five of the top, most effective energy drinks on the market:
GURU Energy Drink
Self-described as the world’s first 100 percent natural energy drink made with certified organic ingredients, GURU blends guarana, panax ginseng, ginkgo biloba and echinacea extracts. This botanical complex is combined with other natural ingredients, such as white grape, cane and lemon juice concentrate, salt and natural flavors. Beyond the health aspects GURU attributes to eating organic, the company also stands behind the enviro-conscious benefits of producing food the organic way, which allow people, animals, plants and the earth to exist in a state of optimal interdependence.
GURU Energy Drink is geared at active, health-conscious individuals in need of a boost, be it in the midst of a late-night study session, before hitting the field, or even to rock the dance floor late into the night.
Red Bull
Developed for times of increased mental and physical exertion, like studying for exams, late nights at the office or long afternoons on the court, Red Bull aims to increase performance, concentration, reaction speed, vigilance and emotional status, and to stimulate metabolism.
The drink, per 250 ml serving, is loaded up with such key ingredients as taurine (1,000 mg), glucuronolactone (600 mg), caffeine (80 mg – less than a cup of coffee), b-group vitamins and sugar (glucose and sucrose). Plus add a dash of niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 for added kick.
Since Red Bull is a “functional drink” and not a thirst quencher, keep in mind that another form of hydration is critical during intense and long-lasting physical performance. With a caffeine intake comparable to a cup of coffee, think of Red Bull providing you with the same thirst satisfaction as your favorite cup of Joe.
SoBe Adrenaline Rush
Brought to you by the beverage giant Pepsi-Cola, SoBe Adrenaline Rush aims to “elevate your game with high performance energy for your mind and body.” Suped up with your typical energy booster ingredients like caffeine, taurine and b-group vitamins, Adrenaline Rush doesn’t seem that different from the rest. The SoBe beverage does pack doses of panax ginseng root extract and guarana seed extract, however, which separate it from the well-known Red Bull.
TaB Energy
And then along came a pretty pink can. Aimed at women who need the “Fuel to be Fabulous,” TaBb Energy arrived as Coca-Cola tapped into a whole new energy drink consumer. With a piddly 5 calories per can — since it’s sweetened with a blend of sucralose and acesulfame potassium — TaBb Energy is the ideal buzz booster for women who’re watching their waistlines. Quite similar in ingredients to SoBe Adrenaline Rush, this energy drink is not much different than the other shelf-stockers’ “lite” or “sugar-free” options… but, of course, in a rosy, fashionable can.
Cocaine Energy Drink
Cocaine Energy Drink created quite the stir when it first arrived on the scene; with its controversial name — and equally contended tag line, “The Legal Alternative” — one of the most powerful energy drinks on the market, Cocaine Energy Drink was quite obviously marketed at young, impressionable party-goers who many were worried might get the wrong idea. News media jumped all over the new product as controversy sparked among those who opposed the drink’s name.
Cocaine Energy Drink is intended to provide the guzzler with an initial, tingly euphoric feeling within five minutes of drinking it, followed by an energy buzz 15 minutes later that will last five to six hours, according to the company behind the drink, Redux Beverages in Las Vagas. Cocaine Energy Drink even comes with a throat-numbing sensation.
And although Cocaine Energy Drink doesn’t contain any actual cocaine to create such a buzz, it does contain 280 milligrams of caffeine, making it “350 percent stronger than Red Bull,” claims the company. But other than the massive increase in caffeine, the lack of extra ingredients, and the use of dextrose, Cocaine Energy drink is energized with the typical ingredients of taurine, guarana and B-group vitamin found in most of the other brews.
