5 Hour Energy works. Cheaper alternatives?

[TechBoyJK]

Ok, So I've had a few of these and they certainly work.

It's a clean, uplifted feeling, and I don't crash. If I have one around 11am, I'm totally upbeat and very productive. If not, I always feel kind of drowsy. (mostly because I sit at a desk starting at a computer screen).

Does anybody have any recomendations on cheaper products that work just as good?The best deal I can find on them is at walmart for like $8 per pack of 4.

 

[SKC]

I've been able to find them at Costco for <$2 each.. not every store though

 

[TallBill]

I just take ginseng, and sometimes caffeine with it when I need more pep.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I just take ginseng, and sometimes caffeine with it when I need more pep.

Thanks.. Have you tried the 5 hour energy to compare? I've taken straight caffeine (no doz) and i feel very jittery...

 

[TallBill]

Thanks.. Have you tried the 5 hour energy to compare? I've taken straight caffeine (no doz) and i feel very jittery...

Yeah, didn't do anything for me. I feel better/sharper when I take ginseng.

 

[Deeko]

black coffee?

 

[Fox5]

Do you just need caffeine?
Coffee is an old standby.

That or No-doze (or some similar caffeine pill) works great for me. The bottles are pretty cheap, probably the best value for your 'energy' versus cost. If you can't stomach the pill by itself (rite-aid has a similar product with half the caffeine per pill), you can mix it in a drink. It's also best to eat before taking it.

 

[Cellulose]

Try mixing L-theanine with caffeine (pills are the cheapest).

 

[TechBoyJK]

Every night before I go to bed I make a fruit smoothie in my micro blender and stick it in the fridge for the next morning.

2 bananas
1 orange
half carrot
cup of apple juice
and two tablespoons of creatine

Could/should I throw no-doz/l-theanine/ginseng pills in there too? I drink it as soon as I get up.

 

[Lamont Burns]

I'm not a creatine expert, but leaving the creatine in solution overnight... does that convert to creatinine before you drink it, thus making it not really doing anything? Might want to look into it.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I tried 5 hour energy shot once... not only was it the most digusting thing I've ever tasted, I went and took a nap ten minutes later.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I'm not a creatine expert, but leaving the creatine in solution overnight... does that convert to creatinine before you drink it, thus making it not really doing anything? Might want to look into it.

Yeah, it might. I would wait until morning to put the creatine in. Making the shake the night before is no problem beside that.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I'm not a creatine expert, but leaving the creatine in solution overnight... does that convert to creatinine before you drink it, thus making it not really doing anything? Might want to look into it.

wow. I had no idea!!! Yea, it's no problem for me to wait until morning. And.. what about adding the other stuff? Caffeine, etc.

 

[TechBoyJK]

I tried 5 hour energy shot once... not only was it the most digusting thing I've ever tasted, I went and took a nap ten minutes later.

Well that's kind of what I like about it. I don't feel wired like I just popped 3 no doz and ate 4 heaping table spoons of sugar. But I don't feel sluggish either. It feels like energy in all the right places.

Like, on new years eve, I was feeling sluggish the whole day. Come 10pm, I drank a 5 hour energy. I was peppy and not tired all the way until I got home around 2am, and then jumped into bed and fell asleep.

 

[Lamont Burns]

I think a cup of coffee works just as good, but that's just me... seems everyone is different. Looking at the ingredients, it's your generic B6 and B12 Taurine and Caffeine with a few aminos that supposedly boost energy.

I think a strong cup of coffee could do that same thing.

2 dollars a serving is high. If you don't mind mixing, there are plenty of 'supplements' out there that will get you pepped for cheaper, but can't guarantee the lack of crash, based on the kitchen sink they throw into the products.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Well that's kind of what I like about it. I don't feel wired like I just popped 3 no doz and ate 4 heaping table spoons of sugar. But I don't feel sluggish either. It feels like energy in all the right places.

Like, on new years eve, I was feeling sluggish the whole day. Come 10pm, I drank a 5 hour energy. I was peppy and not tired all the way until I got home around 2am, and then jumped into bed and fell asleep.

My prefered energy drink is Monster low carb (15 or 30 calories can't remember). Tastes decent and seems to work decent too. Granted it's expensive, but so is pretty much all those kinds of things.

 

[gramboh]

I tried 5 hour energy shot once... not only was it the most digusting thing I've ever tasted, I went and took a nap ten minutes later.

I discovered 5 Hours this past summer when my team and I had to drive 130km (each way) to a client site 4 days a week for 7 weeks. My buddy (not driving that day) tried one and promptly passed out 5 minutes later. I find the 5 Hour works well and isn't as hard on the stomach as Red Bull, but it still has a bunch of junk (artificial sweeteners etc).

I've switched to drinking coffee (Americano which is just espresso shots with hot water, no cream/sugar) when I'm tired. I try not to have one daily to avoid building a total dependence on caffine, but it wakes me up, no jitters, tastes good (much better than black coffee in my opinion). I think people get jittery from adding insane amounts of sugar to coffee.

 

[RagingBITCH]

The question you need to ask yourself is, why do you feel so tired at 11AM? The answer is prob your blood sugar level is low from having not eaten anything for so long. What do you normally have for breakfast and what time? When do you normally have lunch?

I normally recommend to the people I'm training smaller, more frequent meals through the day versus the big 3. Keeps the metabolism up and your blood/sugar level a bit more level vs the peaks and valleys.

If it's consistently a low at 11AM, then that should be a sign that there's a problem versus just feeling tired once in a blue moon at a random time. Energy drinks are stimulants...from a science standpoint, 10 calories isn't really providing you any additional energy. You probably burn that many just walking to the bathroom and taking a piss.

If you don't have time to eat smaller meals more frequently, then consider a snack of nuts, fruits, granola, etc at the halfway point between breakfast and lunch, and again b/t lunch and dinner.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Maybe you should cycle off stims for a bit. Also make sure you're getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

As for the 5 hour energy drinks. I think you can get them pretty cheap from Big lots when they have the 20&#37; buzz coupon if you have one nearby. Might want to troll slickdeals for a deal on the drinks also. If you have an aldis nearby they have this generic red bull product called red thunder that comes in a sugar free variety. ~$4 for a pack of 4.