5 Hour Energy and coffee are very different drinks except for one obvious similarity: they both deliver liquefied addictive stimulants. This similarity is the driving force behind their widespread popularity.
From a business perspective, it makes sense that, if people are willing to drink large amounts of coffee to procure a small amount of this stimulant, then why not make a more efficient, small bottle with a high concentration of the same or something similar?
The following is an account of my first experience with 5 Hour Energy — from the first minute to fifth hour. Today is a good day to have such an experiment since I am sleep deprived and distracted by the fact that I couldn’t clean up before going to work.
The Experiment:
Minute One: Slamming down my first 5-Hour Energy, all two ounces of it. It tastes like lemon-lime flavor with a hint of Pine-Sol.
30 Minutes: Still feeling dull.
55 Minutes: No mental improvement. I am purposely drinking water so dehydration isn’t a detrimental factor in the experiment.
1 Hour, 25 Minutes: Still dragging. At this point I wish I had stayed with coffee and Mountain Dew.
2 Hours, 30 Minutes: Major change. Since about 20 minutes ago I have been a bundle of nervous, unfocused energy. Almost got in an accident earlier from my sudden inability to gauge distances. Having a hard time remembering what I was doing 2 minutes ago. Dropping things. Regretting this experiment.
3 Hours 40 Minutes: Crazy nerves starting to die down finally, trying to drink water to wash the 5 Hour Energy/brain poison out of my system ASAP. Feeling uncontrollably dehydrated. Vowing to never try this stuff again.
After 5 Hours: Didn’t exactly crash, but I don’t feel all that great either. Feeling sick to my stomach. Nothing positive to say about 5 Hour Energy.
The label warns against consuming more than two servings of 5 Hour Energy per day. It also says that you might experience a “Niacin rush,” which is a feeling of warmth from blood rushing to your skin’s surface.
Conclusion: 5 Hour Energy is not at all like what commercials describe. It give’s an excessive boost of nervous, unproductive energy then leaves you feeling hollow and sick. I’m sticking with coffee.
I’ve thought about trying those on those days when I’m really dragging, but now I’m glad I didn’t. Reminds me of the Stacker2 that I used to use in college to stay awake before it got banned.
ooh, yeah you remind me, back in my college days there was Liquid E, that stuff would keep you up all through finals week, probably not too healthy tho
Though caffeine is a integral part of coffee and a necessity, there is so much more to it than use a stimulant. No one is going to write a blog about 5 Hour Energy, and if they did no one else would read it. Nor can you ask the cute girl at your office if she wants to grab a quick 5 Hour Energy shot after work. I could go on, but I am going to go get another cup of coffee.
Wow! That did not happen to me. I’ve had the 5 hour energy shot twice and it worked great! Once was because I needed to stay up in a biology course after a night out partying. The other was so I could go party. Both times it went very well.
Than again coffee usually doesn’t give me anything. I can drink coffee and go right to sleep. I do enjoy coffee though.
I’ve always wondered about those. I have a heart condition, and it’s not recommended I have energy drinks, because of them causing irregular heart beats… and so on.
I’ve had people tell me they are harmless, yet if you have heart issues you are to stay AWAY from them. Hmmm!!!
I know people who live off of drinks like this, and I think over time it would end up hurting you instead of doing anything good. I guess that goes with everything. They are the people that tell me coffee is bad, yet they are drinking these. O_O!
Cait Hagar
My husband drinks these energy drinks…. I’ve never tried one. They scare me.
Mountain Dew is about as “wild” as I get, as far as slamming caffeine quickly.
PS: Today at Kroger I purchase Mountain Dew “Throwback” made with actual SUGAR. Imagine that….!
@HappyWifeHappyLife i didn’t know regular MD wasn’t made with real sugar… is fructose not real sugar?
Five-hour energy effects everyone differently. Coffee is prob better for your body but you can’t drink a cup of joe before you go outside in 100 degree weather to play football. Just a thought. Keep up the honest blogging.
@YBR actually they’ve done studies on athletes about to do intense cardio sports like biking or running and have found that coffee enhances their performance… of course, as you said, about 5 hour energy, this probably isn’t too good for the body
I feel ya about the 100 degree thing
did you also mention that it tastes like the sour, repulsed excrement of a urine-soaked gym towel?
@spenser in my own way, yeah
I thought the Mountain Dew “Throwback” tasted a little strange…kind of like Diet Mountain Dew. I was expecting it to taste like a Mt. Dew flavored Jones Soda. I didn’t care for it.
Dead @ the taste alone. I’ve seen those things and lawd knows I’ve been tempted to throw one back but I always get scared as to how my body will react to it. I’m glad I’ve found your post. I’m already clumsy as EVER so this will do nothing but make me take myself or somebody out the game. LOL