Every day about 3 pm my energy level starts dropping like a rock. I usually jump-start it with a shot of espresso, or some chocolate, sometimes both, but lately I’ve been tempted by the multitudinous selection of energy drinks on the market. AC’s call for comparison articles seemed like a sign from the gods that I should check out a couple of them.
Cruising the energy drink aisle of my supermarket (yes, there is a whole section devoted to nothing but energy drinks) I was overwhelmed by the selection, most of which seemed to be marketed toward 14-25 year old males; Monster, Rockstar, Red Bull, Full Throttle, all names dripping with testosterone. Finally, I found one that appealed to my Zen nature, Arizona Green Tea Energy Drink, served up in a black can decorated with bright red cherry blossoms and over in the back corner, two samurai battling it out with wooden poles. Excellent. For the comparison drink, I chose Rockstar, because, really, who hasn’t wanted to be a rock star at one time or another in their life?
The next day, at about 3pm when I started feeling the drain, I reached for the Rockstar. According to the advertising on the can, “Rockstar is the world’s most powerful energy drink.” It contains, among other things, milk thistle, taurine, caffeine, ginseng, ginkgo, five B vitamins and at 16 ounces, 260 calories. To me it tasted like a very fizzy, citrus flavored ginger ale, with a pleasant cream soda aftertaste. Yummy, but would it provide the lift I needed to get to quitting time?
3:20pm: Experience buzz equivalent a double espresso and two pieces of chocolate.
3:30pm: Needed to get up and move around.
4pm: Still buzzing around the office, getting lots done.
4:15pm:Buzz starts to fade.
4:30pm:Good grief! I’m yawning again!
On the following day when I start hitting the 3pm wall, I’m ready for it with my can of Arizona Green Tea Energy Drink. It advertises itself as “a perfect combination of science blended performance ingredients and the thirst quenching refreshment of the #1 Arizona Green Tea.” Like Rockstar, Arizona Green Tea Energy Drink also contains milk thistle as well as taurine, caffeine and ginseng, but no ginkgo, only two B vitamins and 200 calories per 16 ounce serving. It tasted like very strong, lightly carbonated green tea with a hint of citrus. Nice and healthy, but how would it compare to the big buzz of Rockstar?
3pm: Drink Arizona Green Tea Energy Drink.
3:10pm: Feeling more alert, but no buzz.
3:20pm: Experience gentle buzz of a single shot of espresso.
3:30pm: Feel alert and chatty, but no need to get up and move around. Make those return phone calls I’ve been putting off.
4pm: Still feeling pretty good, alert, but no buzz.
4:30pm: Time to start wrapping up the day but still feel energetic enough to stop at the grocery store on the way home.
Conclusion:
While Rockstar does indeed pack quite the energy punch, it is meteoric; a very quick ascent followed by a crash, much like many a rock star’s career. Back in the days of my youth, I actively pursued this kind of rush and often paid handsomely for it, so I can see why this drink is very popular with the young and extreme crowd.
Arizona Green Tea Energy Drink, on the other hand, offers a kinder, gentler lift more in keeping with my mellowed sensibilities. It imparts alertness without the jaw-clenching buzz, sustains it for quite a while and then tapers off slowly.
If given the choice I would go with the Arizona Green Tea Energy Drink. This said, however, I will probably not be giving up my espresso and chocolate habit in favor of energy drinks unless I am in a situation where coffee and chocolate are not readily available, like on a desert island in the middle of the ocean. The reason for this is calorie count and additives.
While most energy drinks weigh in at over 200 calories per can, espresso has zero calories and most individually wrapped squares of dark chocolate contain 50-70 calories each.
Energy drinks also contain a lot of health sounding and some not so healthy sounding additives, while coffee is just caffeine, and chocolates, especially the popular 60-70% cacao varieties, are mostly just chocolate, sugar, fat and milk.
