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In the old days, a drink high in caffeine and sugar was enough for an athlete or regular office worker to stay awake or alert.
These drinks, usually a cola drink or coffee, came with unwanted side
effects like the jitters or increased trips to the toilet. Some even
resorted to caffeine pills.
Along came a new breed of drinks
comprising of caffeine and Tyrosine or Taurine which were classified as
“mental alertness” or “neurotransmitter” drinks.
Why are they
called neurotransmitter drinks? Tyrosine blocks the release of
Tryptophan in your brain, which is the amino acid that gives you the
sleepy or sedative feeling during a near-maximal effort, usually after
20 seconds of exertion.
Tryptophan is also found high in turkey
meat and warm milk, both of which can make you sleepy after a huge
Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Whether or not it can cross the
blood-brain barrier is another open topic for discussion.
Here
is a summary of selected drinks to give you energy, stay focused and be
mentally awake! They can be consumed by an ordinary office worker, or
used as a pre-competition drink to an athlete.
Some of the items
on this list may only be available in North America in this highly
competitive market. Some even include ingredients such as ginseng
extract or gingko biloba to label itself as a “healthy” alternative.
Red
Bull primarily contains caffeine and Taurine. Ingredients: Carbonated
water, sucrose, glucose, sodium citrate, taurine, glucuronolactone,
caffeine, inositol, niacin, D-pantothenol, pyridoxine HCL (i.e. vitamin
B6), vitamin B12, artificial flavours, colors
Monster drink by
Monster Beverage is also good at a fraction of the price of Red Bull.
It used to taste like stale lemonade! Monster has been reformulated
with an improved taste. Ingredients: carbonated water, sucrose,
glucose, citric acid, taurine, natural flavors, sodium citrate,
l-carnitine, panax ginseng root extract, ascorbic acid, caffeine,
sodium chloride, niacinamide, riboflavin, guarana seed extract,
inositol, glucuronalactone, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanobalmin
Full
Throttle by Coca-Cola. Ingredients: caffeine, ginseng extract, guarana
extract, carnitine fumarate, B Complex vitamins B3, B6, B12
NO-Xplode
by BSN. An all-in-one pre-workout supplement designed to address all 4
of these critical issues simultaneously: energy, mental focus, work
intensity, and maximum pump.
Fierce by SAN. Ingredients: Cell
Hydration Matrix (Dicreatine-Malate, Creatine-Malate,
Creatine-Ethyl-Ester HCI), Neuro Substrates (L-Taurine,
N-Acetyl-L-Glutamine, L-Tyrosine & Caffeine Anhydrous), Creatine
AssimilatorTM (Betaine Anhydrous & Glycocyamine, Guanidinopropionic
Acid (3-GPA™), DuralastTM Matrix (Glucuronolactone & L-Aspartic
Acid, b-Alanine), Nitro NO (L-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoglutarate &
L-Ornithine Alpha-Ketoglutarate)
Xenergy by Xyience.
Ingredients: Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Sodium, and Proprietary
Blend of Taurine, glucoronolactone, caffeine, guarana extract, panax
ginseng extract, inositol, l-carnitine.
Redline RTD by VPX.
Ingredients: Caffeine Citrate, Caffeine Anhydrous, Evoburn (pure
Evodiamine), N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, Yerbe Mate, Green Tea,
5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, CAMP (adenosine Cyclic 3?,5?-monophosphate),
Vinpocetine, Yohimbine HCL
Mad Croc by Mad Croc. Ingredients:
caffeine, taurine, and B complex vitamins, carnitine fumarate, B
Complex vitamins B3, B6, B12
Rockstar by Rockstar69.com.
Ingredients: caffeine, taurine, ginko biloba, ginseng extract, guarana
extract, L-carnitine, inositol
Disclaimer: Consult your
physician before altering your diet or taking supplements. It is your
responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of
any information, opinion or advice contained in the above article.
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