In the absence of wind the last few weeks I have been taking the opportunity to work a lot of overtime which has resulted in a less sleep than I need to function properly.
In my desperation to stop yawning in front of the client I bought [a non-seabreeze-sponsoring company's] energy drink so I could fly (or something??? 
). I couldn't believe how good it was. I powered on like I had just come out of hibernation.
Now, my job is a desk job and the performance boost I experienced affected my mental clarity, so my question is this: Do energy drinks (guarana, taurine, caffeine etc) also help with windsurfing??
I think they do , but dont drink it regularly or the effects will be lessened and you will need to drink more to get the same buzz.
i used to have one every day at work to help me charge thru , but after 2 or so weeks they didnt seem to help any more
just keep them in reservo for those nuking days on the 4's !!
Someone explain the benefit to me of putting "gives me wings" into a vodka??????
energy drink lifts you up, vodka brings you down 
doesn't that leave you exactly where you started?
Yes, but I've found a Mars bar works better. Have one during your first break with water.
As you've noticed energy drinks can make you ever so slightly woohoo in the head. It says "don't have more than 2 a day" on the side for a reason (so 2 before midnight, 2 after, mix with vodka).
doesn't that leave you exactly where you started?
stay away from those things mate. when I was workin in maui a few years back (construction) we were building the new loft for naish up at the cannery. Robby came in when we started and said if we were ever thisty to duck under the stairs and grab a drink , "take as many as you want" he said,and there was pallets on top of pallets of the stuff ( same stuff that gives you wings). Any how, we started drinking the stuff like water while we were working, due to the fact its about 100000degrees in the roof of the canery. It was great for the first little while, heaps of energy ect but after a while I noticed evn on the good days at hookipa when youde knock off early for a sail i was finding myself falling asleep after lunch, and Ide sleep all arvo, not even have the energy to go sailing.
I put it down to the fact that the drinks were getting me soo wired Ide burn up or my natural energy to the point where I had nothing at all left in the tank. Ide almost be falling asleep driving home to pick up my gear at lunchtime. Havent touched the stuff since.
doesn't that leave you exactly where you started?)
sugar downers are worse than being tired, a pro vert bmxer showed us a good comb, he did this everytime he competed or wanted to have a good vert session, he would smash up 2 crunchies and put them in a chocolate milk then scull it, he was doing 8 foot airs after this so we gave it a go, wasn't too bad. we also used to put 2 barocca's in a botle of coke then scull it, charged for hours, and you could focus a lot better, which helps on a 12ft vert ramp.
I don't go near any of the so called "Energy drinks" and personally would like to see them banned.
Have a look down the back of the can at the caffeine content, one small can contains approx the equivalent to 10 cups of coffee and people knock back these things like lolloy water.
I watched my mum go through caffeine withdrawal from coffee, it's not pretty.
Caffeine is a stimulant, you polish of one of those before you sail and it will bump up your heart rate well above the stresses we put on it when we are out.
It is also no good to take these when you are over tired (which is generally for a reason), when you come down from the caffeine you come down with a crash, all that sleep you missed out on comes back to haunt you, your body needs sleep it is essential to good health.
Mixing them with Alcohol is also not recommended, the caffeine is a stimulant the booze is a depressant, one negates the other but it doesn't take the alcohol from your system or negate it's affect on your coordination.
my 2 Elmo's worth
doesn't that leave you exactly where you started?
not sure about taurine and guarana but i figure they may also dehydrate you like caffeine, which for me who swallows copious amounts of salt water when i drop in the drink regularly (gota learn to shut my mouth) only makes dehydration worse. to stimulate you to overcome tiredness there aren't many options other than these type of stimulants (other than a few illegal ones, but i figure theres no need to even discuss them), good diet and less alcihol (i feel the wrath of the windsurf world coming) is a good start to keep energy levels up. and now im getting off the topic a bit but if you can plan a couple of days ahead, which can be hard when at the mercy of weather predictions, loading up with complex carbs will always help. simple carbs like the mars bars and similar suggestions half hour before and during exercise will also help. and dont get me wrong i dont mind a coffee or a jager bomb (jagermeister and give you wings stuff, which im sure just keeps you awake longer so you can drink more and fall over later instead of just going to sleep in the corner early and dribbling out the side of the mouth) but i think timing is everything with what you stuff down ya mouth.... my 4 or 5 cents worth... cant afford much more just spent up big on more w/s gear
u guys are confused. we dont have caffine in our citrus drinks. the americans do.
i tell u what mountain dew with caffine is awesome!!
i'm blaming my big crash on the energy drink a promo chick gave me with 5 min to go just b4 the start of the ledge to lano. which makes sense coz they take about 30min to kick in, which was about the time of the crash.
Some actual info on one of the leading Energy Drinks - copied from another website - and its not Red Bull or V. I think I've changed all the mentioning of its name to Brand X, so this can't be seen as advertising, just information. And of course this info will not be the same for all energy drinks on the market, only this one. Hope this is of assistance.
Brand X Drinks contain high-powered adaptogenic herbs mixed with the essential B-vitamins Niacinamide (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, along with the key amino acid Taurine. Ace K and sucralose are used as sweeteners rather than sugar.
How much sugar is in Brand X drink?
There is less than 1/2 calorie (2 kilojoules) of sugar in Brand X. The 8 calories in Brand X are from amino acids and are protein calories that are used in your body's natural metabolic process.
Most 250 energy drinks in the market today have over 100 calories from 27-30 grams of sugar, (approximately 7 teaspoons of sugar) which is a simple carbohydrate. Most 375 mL non-diet soft drinks have 170 calories from 40 grams of sugar( approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar). Most 160 mL juice drinks have 80 calories from 20 grams of sugar (approximately 5 teaspoons of sugar).
How does Brand X taste so good without sugar, carbs and so few calories? Aren't there fruit juices in the drink?
Brand X drinks use a proprietary blend of Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium (Ace K) and fruit flavours to give the drinks their great flavour without sugar or empty calories. In fact the 8 calories in the drink come from the 2 grams of amino acids, which are protein calories.
Why is it important to not have sugar or carbohydrate calories in any drink?
Calories from sugar and carbohydrates may increase fat deposits. Simple carbohydrates are also called high glycemic (high sugar) foods. High-glycemic foods cause your body to pump insulin to digest the sugar, which sends a message to your body to store calories as fat. Low glycemic foods do not pump insulin to the same degree and aid in your body's natural metabolism of fat, using your body's fat resources as fuel. Many experts fear that the epidemic incidence of Diabetes today may be significantly contributed to by high-glycemic diets. The 8 calories in Brand X are from amino acids and are protein calories that aid your body's natural metabolic process.
THE SWEETENERS
Acesulfame Potassium - Ace-K is non-caloric, non-cariogenic (does not promote tooth decay), non-nutritive sweetener that delivers powerful, great-tasting sweetness (approximately 200 times as sweet as sucrose). Preferred because its sweet taste is perceived quickly, does not linger, and does not persist longer than the taste of the product. It provides excellent sugar-like taste. For more information visit Interview with Dr. Laszlo Somogyi Ph.D. www.20thecountdown.com
Sucralose is a revolutionary no calorie sweetener that is made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar. It has an outstanding safety profile. Sucralose has now been approved by the regulatory agencies of more than 50 countries, including the United States (1998),
Canada (1991), Australia and New Zealand. Today, millions of people around the world enjoy more than 400 foods and beverages sweetened with sucralose. Brand X contains fruit flavours but not fruit juice. The Australian / New Zealand Food Standards Code does not permit the use of fruit juice in these types of products.
Is there caffeine in Brand X Drinks?
Yes, there are 80 milligrams of caffeine in a can of Brand X drink. This is about the same amount of caffeine as in a normal cup of coffee and many soft drinks. If you are caffeine-sensitive, none of these caffeine-containing drinks may be for you.
Doesn't caffeine make you jittery?
Everyone's body reacts differently to different foods. In most cases, that makes people "jittery". It is usually the "sugar high" that makes people "jittery". When they "crash' after a sugar high, some people think the solution is another "sugar high" that starts another up-down-up-down cycle that can be very unhealthy both short term and long term.
Why is caffeine in the drinks?
The drinks are ENERGY drinks formulated to deliver energy without loads of calories from sugar. Caffeine is a great way to boost energy and enhance performance and give you a boost without the sugar highs and crashes.
What are Adaptogenic Herbs?
Adaptogenic herbs help to normalize body system functions thus enhancing human performance. Adaptogenic herbs aid the body in managing stress. When your body stresses it pumps cortisol. Cortisol in the blood stream sends a message to your body that you need foods high in fat and sugar, also known as 'comfort foods.' Studies show that adaptogenic herbs suppress the production of cortisol and decrease the cravings some people have for comfort foods. Also, athletes will find that the speed of their recovery times increases after workouts using adaptogenic herbs, such as the blend found in Brand X Drinks. The blend of herbs in Brand X Drinks is very similar to the blend used by Russian Olympic Athletes to overcome stress from their workouts and radically reduce recovery times
What herbs are in Brand X Drinks?
Brand X Drink contains the adaptogenic herbs Elutherococcus senticosus, Panax ginseng, Panax quinquefolium, Schisandra, Astragalus and Reishi
Why are B Vitamins used?
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 all belong to a group of vitamins known collectively as B Vitamins. These vitamins are essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates in the body to provide energy. They are also essential for the breakdown of fats and proteins, which aids the normal functioning of the nervous system.
Is it possible to overdose on B Vitamins?
No, B Vitamins are part of the group called " water soluble vitamins. Excessive amounts of " water soluble" vitamins are merely excreted through the urine.
What is Taurine?
Taurine is an amino acid that helps maintain biochemical interactions involved in muscle contraction.
Why are colouring dyes used in the drink?
This is an important question, because there has been a lot of press about some chemicals that are dangerous and had been used in the past to add colour to food. None of those dangerous chemicals are used in Brand X. It is important not to confuse safe, everyday dyes used in countless food products with entirely different products that were also used to colour food products. This is analogous to believing that all wall paints should be avoided because some wall paints in the past contained the dangerous chemical, lead.
Brand X uses two very popular and frequently used food colourings. The two food colours, both of which are permitted under the Australia/ New Zealand Food Standards Code, are Tartrazine (2mg or 8 parts per million) in the Citrus and Allura Red (2.5mg or 10 parts per million) in the Cranberry. They are used to supplement the natural colours of the drinks. Extensive scientific studies have never discovered any negative sideeffects from these dyes at these extremely low amounts. The reason Brand X contains these dyes is the same reason it contains flavourings. It's great to take vitamins and adaptogenic herbs for your body and Brand X has it in a form that appeals to most people in regards to taste, appearance and convenience. All this being said, Brand X Drink is not for everyone. If people are hyper-sensitive to dyes or caffeine or flavourings or aluminium cans or artificial sweeteners or carbonation or whatever else Brand X may contain that they don't like, they should use some of the other great drinks . .
Why is Brand X Drink packaged in a 250ml can?
The 250ml can size became very popular with the recent explosion of the energy drink market. This size is comfortable to hold. It fits conveniently into briefcases and bags. Perhaps most important is the fact that a 250ml can is small enough to consume in a single sitting. 375ml cans may typically not be completely consumed in a single sitting so they spill and go to waste.
I rememeber reading an article on those psycho non - stop sound the world sailors - about a year before the race many go totally cold turkey on all caffeine products.
When they are racing and the **** hits the fan like they lose their rig or in a crazy storm they then put down a few caffiene tablets or no-doze etc - the effects of the "buzz" are far better and last longer.
maybe save some bucks, lay off the coffee etc and save the stuff for 3m weather?
As x sport guy mentioned, these drinks only make dehydration worse.. caffeine is a diuretic so it basically tells your kidneys to stop re-absorbing water (that's why you need to pee more often when you drink alcohol or coffee).
The drink might help if you're going out for 30mins or so, but any more than that and you'll risk getting dehydrated, plus the big sugar hit will have worn off and you'll probably need to p!ss in you wettie...
I'd go for a sports drink (one of the ****ades) or like some others have said just drink water.
Having said all that, how'd you feel after energy drink + sailing today?
Do you need to take something to "wake up" or get more alert while sailing????? From the moment of your first beachstart on a 30+ knots day, before you even get in the straps you're WIRED!!! Am I right or am I right??
Better to think of energy food - peanut butter sandwiches, banana pancakes or something, than trying to get fueled up by an energy drink, I reckon.
And yeah - drink water!
I'm not really into them, only stuff like powerade if I get cramps.
I just hit a banana smoothie, with a few scoops of milo added in the morning and lots of water through out the day. Usually give me the kick I need.
I don't drink Coffee, hate the stuff.
Well the verdict is that the Energy Drink effects lasted about 30mins. Which is coincidentally the amount of time it takes me to drive to the beach. So I was super frustrated by the traffic and all the red lights were taking 3x longer to change green.
By the time I got onto the water I just felt tired and sick. (was still an awesome sesh!)
Sounds like I'm gonna save more than just $ by not using those drinks any more 
