Amps

Lately I've been minorly obsessed with energy drinks. And protein bars, but I'll talk about those once I've tried more brands.

I don't have an energy drink everyday, and most days I don't have more than one. It all started when I needed a warm-weather replacement for coffee that had no sugar.

I've tried a lot of the energy drinks out there, but most are pointless. Some taste like armpits (Sobe), some taste like gasoline (Red Jak), and some are very tolerable, but are so full of sugar that I feel cheated. And like I've just consumed a bunch of empty calories that I won't use.

So my favorite is Diet Rockstar. You get a good dose of the vitamin B complex, which is very good for hangovers, vitamin C, a bunch of other vitamins and minerals, taurine (Red Bull's big ingredient), caffeine, inositol (don't know what it is, but it's in most energy drinks), guarana, some stuff I think is used as preservatives and coloring, and milk thistle. That last one is curious. It's legal to buy milk thistle in this country as a supplement. You'd typically find it in the aisle at the drug store with all the other bottles of mystery vitamins and herbs like echinacea. But it's illegal to buy in Canada. At least that's what I've heard. What I like about it is that it's good for cleansing your liver.

All of those things add up to Diet Rockstar being the best buy because it works well as an energy drink AND a hangover remedy. Plus there's no sugar in it (but there is Splenda).

I've tried so many energy drinks, I can't even remember all of them right now. Usually I stay away from the ones that are really cheap, because seriously, why waste my money?

I do like the Starbuck's Double Shot, which is two shots of espresso with cream and sugar added. They now offer a diet version with less milkfat, less sugar, and therefore less calories. Both are good, but being lactose intolerant, I'll grab the diet version when I can find it. There's only one problem with the Double Shot: it's just caffeine. No taurine, no milk thistle, no added vitamins, just caffeine and sugar. I avoid the sugar because I don't want the empty calories and I want to avoid the sugar rush. The amps I'm looking for need to be longer lasting than a simple boost to the blood sugar.

There's also the variety with tons of caffeine - like dangerous amounts of caffeine. That would be Bawls in the bumpy blue glass bottles. This one is relatively expensive, and tastes really good, but there's actually a warning on the back about how much caffeine is in it. That worries me. But I'm a worrier, so it's probably nothing.

Speaking of amps, Amp, the Mountain Dew energy drink works well, but it tastes funny. So does Invigor8te from V8. Plus that one is pretty much just caffeine and a lot of vitamins. Much like the Arizona Iced Teas version of the energy drink. I don't even know what that one's called, the title on the can is vague, but it's yellow with a blue cross on the front.

Overall, the general problem with the energy drinks that deliver is taste. That's why I try to stick with Tab Energy Drink when I can find it. Rockstar is great for long-term purposes because the taste is a bit much and the effect is heavy duty. But I don't always need that much, so when rocknrollscientist needs a moderate buzz, he reaches for a pink fizzy Tab Energy Drink. Seriously. I really like it. It has all the right stuff in it, and lots of caffeine, and the price is decent, and it has Splenda instead of sugar.