5-Hour Energy
5 Hour Energy provides a long lasting boost
For me, caffeine only seems to really work at night. I can drink it all day with just about no increase in wakefulness but if I drink any after about 6 pm I won’t be able to sleep. But I find that my worst time of day for energy is after lunch, no matter how healthy I have eaten.
A few weeks ago, I was making a drive from Austin to Dallas after lunch. As usual I had not gotten enough sleep the night before and I was struggling. So I picked up a two-pack of 5-Hour Energy from the drugstore on my way out of town and drank one. My first try was the orange flavor. Now, I won’t lie. This stuff doesn’t taste like candy. It’s not terrible, but it does have a weird after taste. I’ve also tried the pomegranate which I liked better, despite not liking anything else pomegranate flavored.
I have to say that it worked and it worked quickly. I never got the jitters and true to its claim, I never had the crash. I just felt alert and focused. I safely made the drive and didn’t have to lie on my parents’ couch to recover for an hour when I got there.
According to the maker, it contains only the amount of caffeine of one 12 ounce cup of coffee but it’s combined with Vitamins B6, B12, Niacin, Folic Acid, and other amino acids. It has no sugar, no artificial sweeteners and only has four calories. They say that it’s safe to use up to two times per day.
I tried to do some digging to see what the scoop is about what this REALLY will do to you. Is it safe? How often can I use it? I honestly can’t find anything reputable that confirms the case one way or the other. Some say that the consumption of large amounts of vitamins can be harmful to your kidneys but I can’t find any definitive source that says the amounts of these vitamins in THIS product are in the harmful range, or would be in the harmful range over a specific period of time.
So here’s my conclusion. For ME, I feel safe using it every now and then. I don’t use it every day, or even once a week. But when I feel like there is no way I’m going to make it through the afternoon and do dinner, bath and bed time with my daughter, I will drink one. If I have to make the long boring drive to Dallas and I know I’ll be in the car during that after lunch slump, I will drink one. It works for me, better than a cup of coffee or a soft drink ever have.
{Disclaimer: Buy-Her does not recommend this product or make any claims to its safety. I am sharing my personal experiences with it. You should use your own common sense and a doctor’s advice before deciding whether or not to use this product.}
Images from 5hourenergy.com
I am really glad to read this. Although I drink Diet Pepsi all day long (I know, I KNOW!), anything like this with caffeine in it typically makes me a jittery mess and I loathe that feeling.
I’ve often been tempted to try these but been afraid for that reason, but now I think I’ll try it when I need to. (And who doesn’t need to at some point?)
By the way, the vitamins you listed are all water soluble, and flushed out if not needed.
I’d be interested to see if this would work. I’ve taken B-12 but haven’t really noticed a big difference.
Wow, that’s really great. Whenever I try to take No-Doz to stay awake I get that feeling as if I’m disassociating from my body and I can’t drive because I feel like I can’t feel the car. It’s faaaareaky. I might try this for the drives to and from Vermont.
I am always afraid to take any type of energy supplement or drink that doesn’t come in the form of a Dr. Pepper.
BUT – when I went to Avitaween 2009, I didn’t sleep the night before because I was afraid I’d miss my flight. My lady friends convinced me to take a 5 hour energy so that we could party it up at City Walk. I chased the 5HE with a Dr. Pepper and was able to party for hours with zero sleep.
I know – probably not the safest thing a girl could do but still, it totally worked and didn’t upset my stomach or make me feel weird. At least, I *assumed* it was the vodka and not the 5HE that made me feel a little ick the next morning
Stay klassy, people.