who's saying its a sports drink? its just a bunch of sugar, caffeine and some other stuff like cat piss i assume from the taste.

I drink it before races, caffeine and taurine have been shown to improve athletic performance, plus it gives me a nice kick!

It's not a viable sports drink like Gatorade or F2C Glycodurance is. I limit my Red Bull intake to about 5 cans a year. I do use it sometimes just before heading out on the run of a half-iron. It would be interesting to hear stories from anyone here who would use it throught the course of a longer workout.

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http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast

Vodka helps with that

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I think it's interesting that Ironman is now offering Redbull at both bike and run aid stations.
I see it in the same category as Coca-cola... not necessarily a nutrition/sports drink, but can be a helpful boost nonetheless.

while I must admit that I'm not thrilled with the flavor...

I can't understand how one might know what cat piss tastes like for an accurate comparison :-|

I have a can with the minimal "breakfast" a few hours before the swim start and, for longer events, I split a can with a watered down sports drink in my 2 bottles from the bike start. I won't touch the stuff after I burn through those 2 bottles.

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I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________

So just hear me out for a second. Redbull is not much different from many other sports drinks/gels in the breakdown of it (sugar, caffeine, a ton of unnecessary additives). I would recommend at least giving it a try. For me, I couldn't handle many standard gels, drink mixes, and definitely no solid foods like bars in a 70.3. I switched to Redbull for race nutrition (not recommended to try on race day) and it has been my go to ever since.

definitely no electrolytes and should not be used in place of hydration, but i use it in leiu of a cola kick because it's more optimized for performance than cola.

basically if i'm bonking on a long ride, doing an FTP test or something like that. but mostly in racing. not for IM but for HIM or shorter. i mix 8-10 oz between two bottles on the bike that are already a water + infinit mix for an extra caffience boost and some fun flavor (i always do the flavored ones like yellow, blue or red). it helps me remember that i'm out for more than just a training ride. then i transition to just caffienated gels + water on run so that i don't crash but am careful on taking in additional liquid caffiene. too much will blow up the GI ha ha.

I plan on hitting it on the back half of the run in IM Canada this weekend.

I have always considered it a gimmick.

I have never used it before during or after a race.

This x1000. Those Red Bull wings keep energy high from the time you start drinking until the buzz really starts to kick in. Then it's party time 'til the sun comes up.

Back when I used to telemark, I'd buy a bottle of Gatorade and a can of Red Bull during multi day resort/off piste days. I'd drink a bit of the Gatorade and then dump the Red Bull into the bottle, then drink that throughout the day. It helped offset some of the exhaustion and soreness, and hid the cat piss taste of Red Bull.

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Cheers,
Sam

It’s all a gimmick-red bull has no more caffeine than coffee.

Not a sports drink aka Gatorade, etc but I see it as a substitute for cola during endurance sports.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

It's got nothing to do with RedBull as a performance drink

RedBull sponsors BMX, MTB, Skateboarding, Surfing, a couple racing teams, and so on

https://en.wikipedia.org/...bH#Sport_sponsorship

It's all about selling trucker hats

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin

I have always hated the taste of Red Bull. My first cold weather gravel ride forced me to change my mind quickly though. It was about 7 degrees F and every ounce of water I had on me froze within the first 10 miles. Aid station water was the same. However, the Red Bull stayed liquid and for the next 65 miles I drank nothing but.... Certainly wouldn't recommend it but it got me through!

Sugar and caffeine and no real "health" benefits.

I have heard and chatted with many pro's and KQ age groupers that use Red Bull on the run. Basically they go fluids only on the run (no gels - or maybe very little), hope the nutrition on the bike provides enough sodium, electrolytes, etc and rely on the sugar and caffeine from the Red Bull to get them to the finish line.

The drawback is that once you start, don't stop. If you aren't keeping the sugar train going, after so long you will have a sugar crash and crash and burn. It's like breaking the seal. Once the gate opens, don't close it.

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Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans

I nearly wrote a post about this yesterday. I drink red bull daily. (I do not drink coffee)

Question for all:
Do you use GU, SIS, Clif Blocks, Clif Shots?
Are these things "sports drinks"?

Look at the nutrition label of a 8.4 fl oz Red Bull... It is virtually the same thing as a GU or SIS with 70mg of caffeine.

I would classify Red Bull as an alternative supplement or fuel much like you would a gel.

Some people don't like the carbonation in RB, especially when training. I'm on the fence with this, I could drink a Coke or RB flat any day any time. During a 70.3 all I want on the run is RB water and pretzels.

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Grow with data: Dynamic Sports Data | eBay store

+1

I also limit my intake to about 10 cans or less a year. When I was younger I would occasionally have one while studying for a college class that I was forced to take and I wasn't super interested in. Then it was the occasional Red Bull vodka while out. Now it is the can at the 70.3, courtesy of the race itself and Ironman, that I slam the morning of. Definitely not a sports electrolyte drink but for shot of caffeine and some sugar it is fine. I wouldn't rely on it as training fuel though but think of it as a little extra boost for those moments when you are really dragging butt.

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I also drink a Red Bull or other 'energy drink' every morning since I don't drink coffee. It's basically just another type of soda pop like Coke or something. It has a slightly higher concentration of caffeine, but nothing crazy. It also has some additional B vitamins and a few other things, but no magical properties. I drink the sugar-free version, so it doesn't have many extra calories either.

I have on occasion used it for an additional kick on long rides but prefer a 5-hr energy or something since it's easy to carry and doesn't make me feel bloated. I wouldn't use Red Bull as a primary energy source though, there is a point where I have a hard time stomaching really sweet things. Maybe 4 hrs into a hard 6 hr ride? Anyway, I generally like something more bland by that point. YMMV.

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Red Bull has aggressive marketing. That's where most of the buzz comes from. The freebies they giveaway at events and promo videos, plus all of their sponsorship.

This really creates amazing brand loyalty and recognition.

For example:

This Red Bull souvenir box (#WelcomeToMiami engraved inside) pictured below was the fastest item I have ever flipped on eBay. It Sold within 2 hours of purchase; netting me a 75% profit margin.

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Grow with data: Dynamic Sports Data | eBay store