Red Bull is the best selling energy drink, and current market leader in the industry. It is a worldwide phenomenon, and most people that try it experience its effects. There is little doubt that it will give you a rush of energy, the real question is should you take it, and what is it doing to your body?
Overview
Red Bull started as a knock off of an energy drink originally found in Thailand. The company behind it modified the original ingredients so that they would appeal to the western palette and renamed it from its original name. The design of the can and the logo is similar, but they obviously needed to come up with a new slogan and marketing campaign to get people interested in it.
The Claim
They say that Red Bull “gives you wings” and it is meant to provide a burst of energy when you drink it. It is basically responsible for making the energy drink market as big as it is now and sparking a host of knock-offs and competitors in a previously defunct market. They don’t make any big claims, like how much energy it will give you, or how long the effects will last. They also don’t provide many warnings as to what sort of side effects you might experience.
The Hype
The hype comes from the advertising mixed with so many people drinking it as a pick me up. Many people have seen or know of the cartoon commercials that feature a guy getting into some sort of trouble, and then drinking a Red Bull, sprouting a pair of wings, and getting out of danger. There is also the Red Bull air race, as well as the Flugtag, where people try to make flying devices and then propel themselves off of a cliff as a promotion for the drink.
The Cost
Red Bull isn’t that much more expensive than other soft drinks, but it does come at a premium. You can usually find a deal at the local convenience store when you buy 2 at the same time, or you can pick them up from the grocery store in a 4 pack for a few dollars per can.
The Side Effects
Red Bull may give you more energy for a short amount of time, but it also comes with its share of side effects that you can expect from taking it. These range from mild annoyance, to potentially severe.
The first side effect that you open yourself to is putting on extra weight. Red Bull is designed to give you energy, but if you’re using that energy to sit at your computer at work and get your paperwork done, you’re not burning off the extra calories and carbs from all the sugar it contains. They do make a light version, but it is nowhere near as popular as the original, and tastes horrible.
Another side effect you are susceptible to is cardiac problems, or heart trouble. By putting so much pressure on your heart you may experience palpitations, irregular heartbeat, or if you’ve had previous heart trouble you may be pushing yourself towards a heart attack. Your body is not meant to drink things like Red Bull, because it is an unnatural stimulant that the body does not know how to handle. It’s doing its best to process the toxins in Red Bull, and that includes speeding your heart up to try and process things more quickly.
You may also experience higher levels of anxiety, and this is because the physiological response to Red Bull is very similar to having a panic attack or anxiety attack. An increase in heart rate, shortness of breath, and other symptoms like being extra nervous or not being able to sleep. This is from the high levels of caffeine that are in Red Bull. They say that you get the feelings of energy from the Taurine that’s in it, but there is far more caffeine in each serving than there is Taurine.
Perhaps the least talked about negative aspect of taking Red Bull is that it dehydrates your body. Many people don’t understand the importance of having a properly hydrated body, and this is actually the reason why you feel like you don’t have any energy. You are most likely dehydrated. Any other beverage besides water will cause dehydration, but especially those that contain caffeine, sugar, and are carbonated. Red Bull is all of these things, and while you might get a short-lived high from it, afterwards you will feel much worse than you did before you took it, as your body has to recover from it.
Evaluation
Red Bull is really just a highly sugared, highly caffeinated drink loaded with chemicals. Nothing in it provides any health benefit to the body, and in fact it actually works to make you less healthy with each sip. Of course it is known to give you a boost, but that boost is usually followed by a severe crash, which products like 5 Hour Energy were invented to prevent. There is no reason at all to take a Red Bull, and there are much healthier ways to boost your energy level.
Final Red Bull Review
Red Bull works at giving you more energy, because it uses ingredients that have been proven time and time again to speed up your heart rate and give that energetic feeling. With the levels of caffeine and sugar in it, it’s just as addicting as some drugs, and you can easily get hooked on the energy you get form it, as well as the sugar and caffeine. Many people get to the point where they say they can’t function at their best without it.
Our Recommendation
Considering how much of a strain Red Bull puts on your body, we don’t recommend taking. It’s a very toxic product that should definitely not be used as a daily energy booster. We also recommend against mixing it with alcohol, as this puts a double strain on your circulatory and other systems.
Were you drinking red bull while writing this lengthy, in depth reply? We need more internet heros like yourself.
Energy drink tears a hole in your stomache and sponsors anti american athletes
do not do it do not
I have a basketball game today, but I am sick and I feel really tired. If I drink red bull before the game, will it give me more energy to play?
I’ve never had a red bull before
Our body does what it needs to live so all the stimulants in any drink natural or unnatural will have a positive or negative affect. Our body is alot smarter than we are so pay attention to its response and you will know what to do….drink or don’t drink.
Drinking a cold can of original redbull with a meal seems to overcome any negative side affects for me,along with drinking enough water to stay hydrated.I can say from experience drinking alot of this stuff is not good,but in minor quantity is a nice indulgence.With the way this world is,we are gonna die from something,if redbull is your thing,so be it.
I’m glad that the article’s author(s) question “the hype” around Red Bull, and, implicitly, similar energy drinks. However, just briefly skimming the, article I noticed some hyperbole.
The author(s) claim that Red Bull can so significantly affect your heart as to prompt “anxiety attack” like symptoms. This, from the 80mg of caffeine per can, which is less caffeine that you’d see in a cup of coffee (100-150mg), but more than you’d see in tea (about 50mg). 80mg of caffeine should not really do much at all to you, let alone give you a panic attack.
The Taurine in Red Bull likewise doesn’t seem to do much of anything, according to the available research. It may even have some minor, long-term health benefits. You can read more here: http://scienceblogs.com/retrospectacle/2006/06/17/pop-science-the-chemisty-behin/
The above approach, as well as this article’s author(s), takes a theoretical approach: it examines the ingredients in Red Bull and, based on what said ingredients do (or what the authors think they do), it come to conclusions about the effects of Red Bull.
The best approach, however, is one supported by research either on the immediate subject of discussion, or on stuff related to it. This article: http://asee-ne.org/proceedings/2012/PM_3135.pdf contains a mix of practical and theoretical approaches, and it’s conclusion runs contrary to your own. The author says, “While no energy drink can be called healthy, none have been proven immediately harmful to health when taken responsibly,” before going on to warn readers to avoid ingesting too much, long-term, of the ingredients in energy drinks.
I’d take a moment, finally, to note that several of the studies cited in the above one suggest that Red Bull or similar energy drinks can have a temporary, positive influence on athletic performance (specifically, cardiovascular performance while cycling).
I would recommend that the author(s) of this article conduct their research more carefully in the future. This article was among the first to appear when I started looking up Red Bull’s effectiveness on Google. I’d hate to see people subjected to misinformation on the internet.
Red Bull and pretty much every energy drink taste terrible, but as far as energy drinks go, I think the original does the best job. I’m a musician, and when I was younger, I often played at bars late at night. So to start off, I would have a Red Bull and vodka or two. It really would pick me up and give me a buzz. At a certain point, though, I would majorly crash. Then I stopped drinking energy drinks, and really only had coffee and tea and watched my diet more. Just a couple weeks ago, I had one of those sweet-mixed-shots that people love doing en masse at a bar, and found out that it had Red Bull in it. I was up super late (so it worked), but I had one of the worst hangovers I’d ever experienced the next day. DO NOT mix it with alcohol, if you drink it at all. Nothing fit for human consumption should make you feel like that. I’ve learned my lesson, for sure.
This is my favorite choice for an energy drink when I choose to indulge. I prefer energy shots, but had a Red Bull addiction for a few years. Does Red Bull give you wings? Not quite. It gives enough energy to make it worth the purchase, but is relatively low in caffeine content when compared to other choices. I mainly drink it for the flavor. It’s unique and I’ve yet to find anything similar. The only downfall is the price; Red Bull costs much more than other options that deliver more “fuel.” Either way, energy drinks should be consumed in moderation. Proper diet and exercise are key to maintaining energy. But for those times where you need an immediate boost, Red Bull will do the job.
There was a very famous case in England of an athletics board banning the use of Red Bull at official races because the effect of Taurine was having a similar effect on the athletes performance as illegal steroids.
Now, I don’t know whether that is entirely true (it sounds a little spurious) but having tasted Red Bull, and experienced the effects, I have to say I can see where the story came from.
This stuff is crazy and the fact that you can buy it anywhere, and at any age is terrible. I had to take some off my nephew (he’s 4) because his dad didn’t think it was bad because you can buy it anywhere.
He just ran around in circles for like, fifteen minutes, then collapsed into a coma like sleep for six hours. (my nephew, not my uncle).
Just to be clear, energy drinks are bad for you. If you need to drink one everyday to get through work or dealing with your kids, you have a problem. Change your diet and nutrition, consider some supplements, and try to get moderate exercise that elevates your heart rate for even 10 minutes a day. This will help change your body’s response to stress and strenuous activity. I’ve had the original Red Bull in Thailand. It’s like rocket fuel, mainly because it contains actual amphetamines. This is a modified version of that, so take your chances. It definitely gives you a buzz, but it puts me on edge. Also, it’s a terrible idea for your liver to mix this with vodka. It works, but it’s also working you over.
Personally, I hate the taste of Red Bull (and pretty much all energy drinks). When I was trying to get pregnant, I read some people saying that Red Bull helps sperm to swim faster. Anyway, I figured why not give it a try. When I knew I was ovulating,I had my husband drink two red bulls about thirty minutes beforehand. We did end up getting pregnant that cycle, but we also used used other methods to try to increase our odds, so it’s hard to say whether the Red Bull had an effect. Just thought I’d share a little known theory about Red Bull, though. 😉