A couple of my walking buddies like having a Red Bull energy drink as they get near the end of a long endurance walk. But these expensive drinks aren't designed for endurance sports. For one thing, they are carbonated, so you can't pack them with you without causing a geyser when you open them. Instead, most are meant to appeal to youth to give a burst of energy from caffeine and caffeine-like substances. But I was tempted to try the diet versions - not when walking, but when facing a mind-numbing afternoon at work. My taste test definitely produced winners and spit-out losers.
1. Full Throttle Sugar Free Energy Drink
Wendy Bumgardner © 2007
This is the only one of these products that I drink for taste. It has a nice tart grapefruit flavor with very little medicinal off-flavors. The sugar-free or unleaded version has only 10 calories per can. The pick-me-up comes from 141 mg of caffeine in 16 fluid ounces. It has taurine, carnitine, ginseng extract, guarana extract, acacia, sodium citrate, B-vitamins. Personally, I can feel a pretty good temporary energy boost from it.
2. Lo-Carb Monster Energy Drink
Wendy Bumgardner © 2007
This one doesn't taste bad, it just has a taste that makes you think "what the heck is that taste?" After searching online, the two best descriptions are "melon-citrus" or "banana candy." It has 20 calories per 16-ounce can. The energy elements are caffeine, L-carnitine, guarana, inositol, glucuronolactone, maltodextrin and glucose. I might have gotten a mild jolt from this, but it didn't last long.
3. Red Bull Sugar Free
Wendy Bumgardner © 2007
Red Bull is the pioneer of this genre of energy drinks, but it comes in a small can of 8.3 fluid ounces. There is a theory that it packs more caffeine into a smaller volume, which makes it more of an energy shot. But the flavor is a giant stumbling block for me. It tastes like diluted, carbonated cough syrup, with a nasty medicinal aftertaste. It packs in caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, niacin, sodium citrate and inositol for energy. The diet version has only 10 calories per can.
4. Rockstar Sugar Free
Wendy Bumgardner © 2007
I took one swig of this and didn't want any more. The carbonated cough syrup flavor is simply nasty. I passed it around to two of my walking buddies and they both agreed. We dumped out the rest of the 16-ounce can. It has 20 calories per 16 ounce can. It boasts ginko, milk thistle extract, guarana, caffeine, taurine, l-carnitine, inositol and B vitamins.
