Maybe you didn’t sleep so well last night, with an unruly spring poking you in the back and your clock ticking thunderously. Perhaps the massive burrito you ate for lunch is now singing the refrain to “Cielito Lindo” over and over as you lapse into an afternoon food coma. Or your boss “suggests” that you stay late to finish the maddeningly boring last bits of the big project. You need a boost to jolt yourself out of your lethargy and amplify your productivity.
In the interest of semiscientific inquiry–and because I’ll eat just about anything to put food on the table (wait a minute…)–I took a look at a host of performance enhancers from the mainstream to the exotic to the just plain wacky. My mission: to see which ones provided a boost without inducing psychosis. For each product, I ingested a standard serving in the morning, in lieu of coffee. Enduring the resulting jitters, shakes, nausea, hallucinations, palpitations, and heebie-jeebies, I sweated out the bad stuff to bring you the good stuff.
Though the efficacy of all of these supplements remains largely a matter of conjecture, energy drinks are at the center of a growing controversy over the unknown effects that large quantities of herbal energy boosters can have on the human body. I can’t stop you from trying any of these products, but I urge you to exercise caution if you’re inclined to experiment–and not to experiment at all if you are under 18, are pregnant (or trying), or have any health problems. With that caveat out of the way, here’s the straight dope on so-called smart foods. And remember: I’m not a real doctor.
Drinking It All In
The most accessible over-the-counter power-up–and perhaps the most controversial–is the energy drink. If you’re looking for a quick jump-start, just crack open one of these stimulant-rich solutions. Packed with potent pep in the form of sugar, caffeine, and guarana, plus vitamin C and B vitamins, energy drinks can deliver an undeniable boost. But are they safe? Few topics in the nutrition world are more hotly contested.
Cynthia Sass, a registered dietitian who holds a masters degree in public health, says that it all depends. “Caffeine is generally considered safe, but when multiple stimulants are combined, even healthy, young, fit people can experience side effects including spikes in blood pressure and heart rate,” says Sass. And energy drinks do pile on the stims. Guarana includes its own hidden dose of caffeine but is listed separately from regular caffeine; ginseng is another natural stimulant. In addition, the gargantuan cans that energy drinks are sold in usually contain two full servings (and sometimes more), so it’s easy to exceed a dosage that’s comfortable or safe for you.
Of course, the drinks themselves vary widely in flavor and efficacy. As you wander the minimart before your second shift, you encounter a visual cacophony of mysterious concoctions that evidently target very precise subgroups of the sleepyhead demographic, ranging from NASCAR moms to death-metal tweens. Which one should you consume to replenish your essences? I grabbed several of the most popular drinks (sans the ubiquitous Red Bull; I figure that if you’re interested in it, you’ve already tried it) to test the effects–good or bad–on my own physiology.
(Confused about the vaguely medicinal-sounding herbal additives–such as taurine, guarana, and L-carnitine–that crop up in the lists of ingredients? Jump to the “Field Guide to Energy Additives” for a primer on these ingredients.)
Nos High Performance Energy Drink Taste: 8 Energy: 2
Energy Drinks (continued)
Glaceau Vitamin Energy (Tropical Citrus) Taste: 6 Energy: 8
Monster Lo-Carb Energy
Taste: 5
Energy: 7
Full Throttle Fury Taste: 2 Energy: 4
Rockstar Juiced Pomegranate Taste: 10 Energy: 8
Bawls G33k B33r
Taste: 2
Energy: 8
Brain Toniq
Taste: 6
Energy: 2
Potions, Powders, Pills, and… Chips?
Not all energy boosters come in tall aluminum cans. Here are four alternative ways to amp up your mind and body.
Living Essentials 5-Hour Energy (Berry) Taste: 8 Energy: 8
TwinLab Choline Cocktail Taste: 4 Energy: 10
Now Brain Elevate Taste: N/A Energy: N/A
Engobi Energy Go Bites Taste: 5 Energy: 7
Good, Old-Fashioned Energy Boosters
According to the experts, you don’t need performance enhancing drinks, powders, or pills to get a physical and mental edge at work. In fact, such substances may actually be counterproductive. With the right diet and behavior, you can build and maintain energy for peak performance all day. To keep your system in perfect working condition, start by eating a solid breakfast every morning; then avoid obvious dietary pitfalls, snack sensibly, along and indulge in an occasional boost from natural caffeine (as in coffee). The effects may not be as immediate as what you’d get by downing a can of JoltMaster 1000, but they’re better for you in the long run.
To say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is an understatement; it sets the stage for your energy level over the remainder of your waking hours. Dr. Gerard Mullin of Johns Hopkins University says that the best approach is to combine protein–a slow-burning source of energy, such as an egg–with a complex carbohydrate such as a banana or a bowl of oatmeal. And other fruits can’t hurt: Dr. Mullin and Cynthia Sass (a nutrition director for prevention) agree that berries are hard to beat–especially the dark ones, which contain powerful antioxidants that Sass calls “little bodyguards that protect healthy cells from aging and free radicals produced by stress, exercise, contaminants in the environment, and so on.” Some fruits also contain polyphenols that protect against cancer. For an afternoon power-up, it’s wise to stick to fruits or a handful of nuts in lieu of vending-machine candy bars.
Field Guide to Energy Additives
What’s lurking in your favorite energy drink? Consult this guide to the common energy-boosting additives to find out what you’re assimilating.
B Vitamins None of the B vitamins bestow energy, but all of them help with biological processes. Though they are numbered (B with a subscript number), you may see them listed by their chemical names: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). Most energy drinks pile on the B’s.
Vitamin C Like the B vitamins, C does nothing for energy, but vitamin C is the O.G. of antioxidants, slaying free radicals (renegade, destructive ions) left and right. As a secondary benefit, it’ll keep scurvy away. Arrrr!
Taurine A major component of bile (yum), taurine may help promote weight loss by regulating insulin levels in the body. The jury remains out on its energy-conferring potential, but just about every energy drink includes it as an ingredient.
L-Carnitine Remember mitochondria from high school biology? They’re the “powerhouses of the cell” that help convert food into energy. And L-carnitine helps them get the job done. It’s also an antioxidant.
Caffeine This stimulant has had a long and healthy relationship with humans. Found in coffee, tea, and (in smaller quantities) chocolate–not to mention in energy drinks–caffeine helps the world wake up and stay awake.
Ginseng Known primarily as an aphrodisiac, ginseng also seems to have a stimulant effect, most often noticed in the symptom of insomnia. Siberian ginseng, though popular, is not a ginseng at all, as it is not a member of the Panax (ginseng) genus.
Guarana A South American berry seed, guarana contains about five times the percentage of caffeine that a coffee bean does. Other alkaloids in guarana may increase resistance to stress and increase memory retention, as well as having antioxidant and antibacterial affects.
Gotu Kola This is not the same thing as kola nut (the flavoring in cola drinks). A medicinal herb that has been in use for thousands of years, gotu kola is said to promote youthfulness and increase mental clarity and memory. These claims have not been confirmed by research.
Roger Hibbert is a freelance tech journalist living in New Orleans. Because one man can consume only so many energy drinks in a single month, PC World senior editor Tim Moynihan contributed to this report.