The Written Podcast: Energy Drinks

We've all been there, unable to keep your eyes open due to tiredness. Either at work or at home, trying to concentrate on something is a hard thing to do when you're tired, and the more you will yourself to concentrate on whatever it is you're doing, the worse you become. Your eyes begin to ache and all you want to do is snuggle beneath the covers, roll over, and get some well-earned rest. When you're at work, however, curling up into a ball under your desk wouldn't go down well with your boss, so you resort to the only thing that will keep you functioning properly, and that's an energy drink.

There are many different energy drinks on the market these days, some expensive, some mid-range, and other vert cheap, each one packed full of sugar and caffeine. That heart-racing mixture will help you get through the day.

There are many different brands of energy drink, each with their own quantities of sugar and caffeine, you can almost line them up in how effective they are, or in order of "how tired you have to be before you drink this brand". You could also put them in order of how popular they are in the UK, but the two brands I know more than any of the others are, "Red Bull", and "Lucozade". Red Bull is, without a doubt - pardon the pun - the most active energy drink brand as the company sticks its fingers into so many different pies, sponsoring monster truck rallies, motor cross racing, formula one racing and world rally championships, along with many more. Lucozade is a gigantic company, but it doesn't show itself off as much as Red Bull, and both have different levels of effectiveness when it comes to eradicating tiredness.

Lucozade has a far more gradual impact on the body that Red Bull. It has been recommended by many that Lucozade is good for when you're ill, to help keep your body going instead of giving into the lethargic feeling that comes with being ill. I drink it when I have a cold or when I'm feeling worn out. It is my go-to drink for when I need a pick-me-up. It has been a long time since I've drunk a Red Bull. There is no gradual increase of energy when drinking that, but instead, when my body started extracting and processing the sugar and caffeine, I almost went into overdrive. Lucozade also helps you calm down as well once your body has processed what it needs to, so you don't drop like a rock falling through the air, but with Red Bull, it doesn't even know the meaning of the world gradual. When I had finished the can, a couple hours later, I dropped like a tonne of bricks. I went from going a hundred miles an hour to zero in a short space of time. I went straight back to how I felt before I had that Red Bull, whereas Lucozade will eventually return you to that state, but it will gently ease you back into it, allowing that extra time to keep going, build momentum so when your body has finished processing the drink, you have a fighting chance to continue.

But there is one energy drink that is even more effective than Lucozade and Red Bull, and it's available in your own home. Water. If you haven't drunk enough water and you're naturally tired from a long day, you can feel even worse. Water can and will help more so than any energy drink can, although Lucozade is a close second as I do resort to that when I do feel slightly rough around the edges. Water is what our body functions on more than anything else. You can survive longer without food than you can water, and it escapes your body with every little movement you perform and every word you speak, dehydrating you droplet by droplet, making you tireder and tireder. Water is extremely powerful stuff; it'll give you all the energy you need.

Right now, as I'm writing this article, I am struggling to keep my eyes open. I could do with a bit of energy to finish this off. Water will help, but so will the other two. However, water has the special property of helping and not keeping me from getting some sleep afterward. Lucozade and Red Bull, if consumed whilst I write this article may dislodge my sleeping pattern as my mind would be racing as it's trying to process all the energy the drinks released whilst I'm not moving at all. Water will also help you sleep better, and give you the necessary energy to keep writing. But, in times when you're feeling rough, sometimes Lucozade keeps you standing. Red Bull is also there, but only if you want to run laps around the building; but prepare for the comedown, it would be highly dramatic.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)