I'm a member of a place called Smiley360 that lets people try products and then post reviews, tell friends, etc. It's a great way for companies to get feedback from others, and it's nice knowing that your opinion is actually being listened to!
One of the campaigns that popped up was for 5-hour Energy. I've always been pretty iffy about energy drinks, since nothing really seems to have an effect on me. I usually love getting 1.25 liter bottles of Diet Coke (regular Coca-Cola is too sugary for my tastes), and the caffeine difference between them is negligible. But I love testing things out and figured this was a good way to see how it affects me, and also to give some feedback. So with that said, on to reviewing!
(Note: We do receive compensation for these reviews. We accrue "smileys" and those help us get into other campaigns, and there is a link at the end to vote for me to win a $500 5-hour Energy 'Treat Yourself' Visa Gift Card. This will not, however, effect in any shape or form how I review this.)
First, let's talk about 5-hour Energy itself, starting with the mission statement: "5-hour Energy is made to help hard working people feel alert and energized. It's small, light and portable so it goes wherever your busy life takes you. And you can take it in seconds and get on with your day." 5-hour Energy comes in a 1.93 fl oz. (57 ml) bottle. The bottle is pretty sturdy and about the size of my palm. It contains zero sugar, zero herbal stimulants, zero artificial dyes or colors. So what does it have? A combination of vitamins and amino acids, all with as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and only 4 calories. Here's a list of the ingredients and a bit about what they do:
Vitamins B6, B12 and B3 - Plays a key role in production of amino acids, the building blocks of protein and aids in processing of carbs for energy.
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) - Found in leafy green veggies, fruits and dried beans, this helps produce and maintain new cells in our bodies.
Citicoline - A compound that plays a role in neurotransmission and helps support brain function
Tyrosine - Amino acid that transmits nerve impulses to the brain, found in meat, dairy, fish and grains.
Phenylalanine - Amino acid that enhances alertness that is found in dairy, avocados, nuts, leafy veggies, poultry, fish and whole grains.
Taurine - substance found naturally in meat, fish and dary that plays a role with digestion and cell membrane integrity.
Malic Acid - produces by the body during converting carbs to energy.
Glucuronolactone - natural metabolite found in the human body that is shown to reduce sleepiness.
Other ingredients - Purified water, natural and artificial flavors, sucralose, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and EDTA to preserve freshness.
Not bad. But how is it?
I hemmed and hawed over whether I wanted to try one this late (at 5 p.m.) and decided it was worth a shot.
The bottle recommends to take half of it for moderate energy, and the full bottle for maximum. I decided to take the full bottle. I was told that normally people just down it all in one gulp, but I preferred to take it in small mouthfuls. I was worried that it would taste bad but it was actually pretty good. It did have a slight medicine taste to it, was a little gritty and burned a bit going down. It also left an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth that I wasn't fond of. I would have thought it would have been smoother.
 It's been about an hour an a half to two hours since I drank the 5-hour Energy. I feel slightly more energized, but not much. I don't feel like I could just fall asleep anymore, but I don't feel the energy boost that the product claims. I don't know if this is because of my weight, or if I just have a resistance to caffeine in general because usually large amounts of coffee and soda have no effect either.
I still have one more bottle, and I will definitely try this tomorrow when I get up early to take my friend to work. Usually I'm just awake enough to be coherent and drive and could definitely use a boost. I'll post again about how that goes.
So all-in-all, if I had to rate this product between 1-5 with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, I'd give it about a 2. I definitely noticed something, but not much. I'm pretty sure that if I wanted to, I could probably take a nap with no problem. While I will be giving it another chance, I don't think this is a product that I will be purchasing in the future.
Leave a comment on if you have tried 5-hour Energy and what you thought of it! Also, click here to vote for me in the $500 5-hour Energy 'Treat Yourself' Visa Gift Card sweepstakes. You don't have to enter in any information and it just takes but a moment to do so. It will also just open in this window so you don't have to deal with another pesky window popping up on you! Thanks!