Anyone have any info on what effects some these energy drinks have on during an IM race. I tried a Diet Turbo Tea by ABB the other day during one of my training sessions and it was like I was on crack. It didn’t seem to be short lived either. I would say it gave me a good solid 2 hour push. I’m definately not an avid user of such products (maybe the reason why it pumped me up so) and I have heard alot of negative things about them but wondering about the idea of using such a product during the early portion of the run or late bike stage. Anyone else have similar experiences?
Bet your ass. Redbull is pretty good, but the easiest way is with FirstEndurance’s PreRace. Before the race is good, but for long races, you can mix a bit into your gel flask or into a fuel belt bottle. It’s basic ingredients are quite similar to RedBull, plus some other different stuff like citruline malate (sp?), but the caffeine+taurine is there, and that’s what I think really matters. Make your own energy drink, without the HFCS (though it’s worth noting that RedBull doesn’t use HFCS, which is why I like it, but the carbonation can be rough on some people). Give the PreRace a go. I have one small tub and it’s lasted for a long time. I use it for races, some key workouts, etc. http://www.personalbestnutrition.com/cgi-bin/pbn/131.html
The drink mix in my aero botttle, which I sort of sip on throughout the race, used to be redbull, but now I use the prerace.
Cheaper here:
http://www.treefortbikes.com/154_333222339286__PreRace---20-Servings.html
Just don’t OD on caffeine prior to a swim…
Thanks for the info. I guess I should take a long hard look at the ingredients label. By the way, whats bad about the HFCS?
Just a quick question for ya Jordan. That was my main issue during a couple of very hot 70.3’s last year. I would fall apart due to no energy whatsoever. I would have enough calories, but I would get tunnel vision and venture into a mental no man’s land. Will PreRace kick my ass into gear? Does it keep you mentally focused and alert? Thanks
With energy drinks… Watch-out for the “Squirtels”!
How do you make flat Red Bull 
jaretj
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Cheaper here:
http://www.treefortbikes.com/...e---20-Servings.html
Just don’t OD on caffeine prior to a swim…
True, there is a 10% discount code - STWITCH - at PBN (still slightly more, tho). I’m biased 'cause Brian is a heckuva nice guy who participates here on the forum. And is also a sponsor of mine. Perhaps if you need some other stuff as well to amortize the cost. Or just email Brian and tell him you found it for cheaper.
Yes, OD’ing on caffeine prior to a swim is B-A-D. Very bad. Be mindful with the PreRace. One scoop is very, very strong. I think Levi said he uses 1/2 a scoop. This is a rare 
case of “if some is good, more is not better.”
@CKPoole, it depends on who you ask. I think it’s one of those things where you either really try to avoid things that are heavily processed vs. not. Personally, I prefer ClifShot’s brown rice syrup as my #1 choice. This question reminds me of the Yellow #5 in Gatorade. Is there any evidence it is bad for you? Not that I know of. But given the choice, I’m pretty sure I don’t need it. There is also the evidence from Jeukendrup’s studies that indicate that multiple sugars are more easily oxidized, so a drink that is sweetened only with HFCS is not going to be as good for exercise as something that has a more complex carbohydrate profile. The topic of HFCS is one of those things where I’m happy to agree to disagree with people who say “it’s only as bad for you as any other sugar.”
@beavertriathlon, it sounds like you may have had some issues with overheating, not being prepared for racing in hot weather, etc. As much as I wish I could say all it would take to fix you up is a little caffeine, I don’t know that it’s the truth. Then again, there is some evidence to support that caffeine helps with some of that stuff in the way it affects your system, but I’m certainly not qualified to say yes it would fix you right up. I don’t think it would hurt, and I think it could help. Give a RedBull a try maybe during workouts in similar conditions and see how you tolerate it and if it makes you feel better. If it does, PreRace is very similar, but it’s easier to pay $2.50 for a redbull to just give it a one time try.