Red Bull energy drinks claims a lot of things on the can

Factual Questions
1

Here’s what it claims-

*RED BULL Energy Drink *Improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain *Increases concentration and improves reaction speed Stimulates the metabolism

And of course, helps kill ecstacy clubbers who OD on it.

Not that I hate the stuff- it’s just that I think future generations decades from now are going to look back on us dying when drinking this stuff while the can says the above ^^^ claims in the same way we look back on the folks in the 50s who smoked cigs while the package said it relaxed you and made you look ‘refined.’ :smack:

So anyways- is there any truth to their claims? How much truth? Have scientists run any tests on how the drink affects the human body?

2

Well here’s someone who shouldn’t have drunk quite so much of it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/4634638.stm

3

I was just wondering this today. When I occasionally find my ass dragging or intellect flagging I pop 25mg of ephederine and have a large coffee. Works like a charm. The other day I decided to try Red Bull instead to see what all the fuss was. I drank a 4 pack and felt nothing. NOTHING! Nine bucks worth of Red Bull and not even the pick me up of a 50 cent coffee or a can of Jolt cola.

4

and welcome back Andrew :slight_smile:

5

Red Bull is a sugar and caffeine drink. It has about the same or a bit less caffeine than a cup of coffee. No doubt it has a bit more sugar than you’d normally have in coffee.

The claims on the can (allowing for a bit of marketing hype) are basically just descriptive of the usual effects of eating/drinking some readily digested food (ie sugar) and having some caffeine, the stimulating effects of which are old news.

All the other stuff listed in the ingredients is just stuff to make it sound more interesting than it really is, and to justify a price that couldn’t be asked for a strong cup of joe with five sugars.

6

It also contains taurine, alleged to enhance the effects of caffeine, and an important added ingredient in cat food…
Taurine was first discovered in ox bile - is this where the name Red Bull comes from?

7

The wiki article on it says the name came from the name it had in India or SE Asia or somewhere, which translates literally Red Bull in english- yes I believe it had to do with taurine.

Go wiki it.

8

I prefer the claims on a can of Whoop Ass:

“Revitalizes the mind and restores faith in mankind!”