Red Bull???

[steve23]

i never drink coffee and hardly ever drink tea, but i was thinking, would drinking a red bull before an event gear me up for it!!??

i read of a lot of riders drinking a coffee or something before a ride to perk them up?

also, if i drunk one red bull, wouldnt i just crash after it wore off?

cheers

 

[zimzum42]

I've ridden home after a night on red bull and vodka

I seemed to be going really fast.....

 

[Over The Hill]

I am addicted to coffee so find that if I am on an all day ride (50-100 miles) I miss my caffine fix. I am sure caffine should not be drunk during sport where you are taking on fluid but I will down a Red Bull for the last ten miles to help get me home.

 

[PpPete]

Horrible stuff - you'll probably puke long before you crash.

Try http://www.lucozade.com/sport/products/endurance-plus/
which is a fairly adequate sports hydration/energy drink with added caffeine.

For endurance events like the OMM I put a litre (2 bottles) in a small hydration pouch - and have another pouch with lucozade powder (no caffeine) that I can reconstitute when first runs out.

You shouldn't need more caffeine than that in a full day.... (although you should see the strength of the coffee I have in the morning )

 

[ColinJ]

I've never actually tried Red Bull. What I do sometimes drink at stops on long rides is Coca Cola (NOT Diet Coke). The sugar and caffeine definitely give me a bit of a lift. It's probably as much psychological as it is physical - I start to get a bit tired of drinking my ordinary carbo-drinks after 6 hours or so...

 

[Mr Pig]

Red Bull kinda screws you up and is definitely addictive. Bits of you will have more energy, your head will feel weird and drink the stuff regularly you'll find yourself craving it. Basically like coffee in a cooler package.

Try an energy drink like Lucozade Sport. I like it, but I wouldn't drink it all the time.

 

[Chrisz]

Both taurine and caffeine (the main active ingredients of Red Bull) are also diuretics - they will make you loose water and therefore risk dehydration. I love my morning cup of coffee but I will always avoid it if I'm on the bike in the morning.

 

[steve23]

hmm some interesting feedback. the internet is full of it!!!

im unsure now, i might have to give it a try!!! maybe it'll work, maybe not!

 

[Chrisz]

I have 'used' Red Bull as part of race prep whilst at Uni - I was also working as a doorman and usually got home for around 4am. No point sleeping then so I'd knock back 6 - 8 cans of Red Bull prior to a TT - I used to feel fine on the way round but used to totally crash afterwards - to the point where, on more than one occasions, I was fast asleep beside my car (bike secured) mid-afternoon when everyone else had seen the results and gone home. I would feel rough as a peanut sh1t and dehydrated to hell (couldn't pee for several hours and a raging thirst).

 

[Will1985]

Caffeine facilitates the release of fatty acids into the bloodstream. Researchers know that coffee drinkers have higher levels of fatty acids in the bloodstream.

However, there is disagreement over the theory that consuming caffeine before a ride will release fatty acids for the body to use as an energy source before glycogen, thus being able to ride further on long endurance rides.

As Chrisz points out, caffeine is a diuretic and Red Bull is doubly good at that compared to plain coffee. I've been reading up on this and experimenting with bonk training and while it is a diuretic, it won't be that bad if you maintain good water hydration during the exercise.

 

[jimboalee]

Red Bull. Marketing hype!

As ColinJ says - Full sugar coke.

Or if you feel so inclined, a quadruplet of espressos with a bottle of glucose syrup dissolved in them.

 

[BIGSESAL]

I would stay away from it if possible. I once read an article about american truckers (who drink Reb Bull often). The article basically linked Red Bull to heart problems due to the stimulants in it.

Also I know of a friend that drank a lot of the stuff before an exam thinking it would improve his concentration. Poor guy ended up getting a caffine hangover halfway through the exam and almost fell asleep (I think he also suffered some bladder discomfort).

How about an early night?