Red Bull

[Tulsa4]

Okay, elementary question: What is Red Bull? I think it is some kind of a drink. I haven't seen it here in Oklahoma...but then we never saw the potato chips that Eddie drove for here either. Any help? Does it taste good? Do you have to be a certain age to drink it?

[mattndallas]

They gotta have it at the 7-11's there. Check convenience stores.

[Bobman]

I tried some last weekend... because I was driving home at 4 am so I needed a lot of caffeine. I only bought it because they sponsor in the IRL. Paid $2.00 for an 8oz can, and I could barely drink it. Tasted like red pop, mixed with vinegar.

Not for me.

Love the look of the Cheever cars though!

[ August 29, 2002: Message edited by: Bobman ]

[BigFig]

Originally posted by mattndallas:
<STRONG>They gotta have it at the 7-11's there. Check convenience stores.</STRONG>

Actually, I did see it when I stopped for gas in Ok, whilst driving back from Indy in May.

[Heath Hamilton]

don't ever attempt to drink red bull without first dilluting it with your choice of vodka!

[Lemming51]

There's a FAQ at http://www.redbull.com
Ingredients

[silva]

I think it tasts like carbonated liquid sweet-tarts.

I buy it because they sponsor motor and extreme sports.

It is a popular mixer at bars. Sort of like taking an upper and a downer at the same time.

[IndyRob]

very popular in bars, mixed w/ vodka. Expensive though, especially mixed w/ vodka.

[IndyJim]

I bought some the morning after a nite of partying when I had a three hour drive to make. It pepped me up and did not taste too bad.

I hear it is popular in bars, mixing it with hard liquor, giving you that alert drunk feeling, instead of the tired drunk feeling you are used to.

I am seeing all kinds of different brands coming out with similar products.

I also drank a few at the autograph signing at the speedway this year on Community Day, the team had free cans on ice they were giving away.

[crispy]

I'm just happy that they're putting all the money they're saving making commercials into racing...

[Maddog]

Originally posted by Heath Hamilton:
<STRONG>don't ever attempt to drink red bull without first dilluting it with your choice of vodka!</STRONG>

Just what we need-- a wired drunk!

[step33T]

Tastes much better with Jaegermeister.

[tom91]

Originally posted by step33T:
<STRONG>Tastes much better with Jaegermeister.</STRONG>

Sacrilege! Jaeger is the devil's toilet bowl cleaner!

Mix Red Bull with vodka. Rum in a pinch. Or drink it straight in the morning for the closest legal approximation to a benzedrine kick on the market. You get used to the taste... it's lightly carbonated, a bit tart.

It's not the caffeine, it's the taurine. Herbal speed. Use with caution.

[220mph]

interesting "taurine" info:

Taurine
Taurine is a naturally occurring amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein. It is present mainly in meat. It's a non-essential amino by definition, because the body can synthesize it from methionine and cysteine amino acids. In sports nutrition we consider it conditionally essential because we make the distinction between minimal and optimal levels of certain substances. Taurine's importance is highlighted by the fact that it's the second most abundant amino acid in the muscle amino acid pool after glutamine. Also, all kinds of stress (especially exercise) deplete taurine and the body may not be able to keep up production, hence the conditionally essential categorization and the need for supplementation.

Taurine has cell volumizing effects similar to creatine. It boosts cell hydration and may result in higher rate of protein synthesis. Also, taurine is considered an insulin mimicker, enhancing glucose and amino acid transport into the muscle cells. Scitec adds taurine mainly to creatine containing products creating a synergistic effect for cell volumization. Taurine levels are disclosed on the label as how much is added and total amount in one serving.

.

The Life Extension Foundation on taurine:
"Taurine is found throughout the excitable tissues of the central nervous system, where it is thought to have a regulating influence. Because of this, taurine supplements have been found to control epileptic seizures, motor tics and facial twitches.

L-taurine is an amino acid in which many individuals are deficient. L-taurine has recently been reported to prevent cataracts and certain forms of heart disease. Cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy become taurine deficient."

[220mph]

and:

Taurine

Elson M. Haas M.D.

(Excerpted from Staying Healthy with Nutrition:
The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Taurine, a lesser known amino acid, is not part of our muscle protein yet is important in metabolism, especially in the brain. It is essential in newborns, as they cannot make it. Adults can produce sulfur-containing taurine from cysteine with the help of pyridoxine, B6. It is possible that if not enough taurine is made in the body, especially if cysteine or B6 is deficient, it might be further required in the diet. In foods, it is high in meats and fish proteins.
Taurine functions in electrically active tissues such as the brain and heart to help stabilize cell membranes. It also has functions in the gallbladder, eyes, and blood vessels and appears to have some antioxidant and detoxifying activity. Taurine aids the movement of potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium in and out of cells and thus helps generate nerve impulses. Zinc seems to support this effect of taurine. Taurine is found in the central nervous system, skeletal muscle, and heart; it is very concentrated in the brain and high in the heart tissues.

Taurine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and its main use has been to help treat epilepsy and other excitable brain states, where it functions as a mild sedative. Research shows low taurine levels at seizure sites and its anti-convulsant effect comes from its ability to stabilize nerve cell membranes, which prevents the erratic firing of nerve cells. Doses for this effect are 500 mg. three times daily.

The cardiovascular dosage of taurine is higher. In Japan, taurine therapy is used in the treatment of ischemic heart disease with supplements of 5–6 grams daily in three divided doses. Low taurine and magnesium levels were found in patients after heart attacks. Taurine has potential in the treatment of arrhythmias, especially arrhythmias secondary to ischemia. People with congestive heart failure have also responded to a dosage of 2 grams three times daily with improved cardiac and respiratory function. Other possible cardiovascular uses of taurine include hypertension, possibly related to effects in the renin-angiotensin system of the kidneys, and in patients with high cholesterol levels. Taurine helps gallbladder function by forming tauracholate from bile acids; tauracholate helps increase cholesterol elimination in the bile.

Other possible uses for taurine include immune suppression (by sparing L-cysteine), visual problems and eye disease, cirrhosis and liver failure, depression, male infertility due to low sperm motility, and as a supplement for newborns and new mothers. Overall, the dosage used may range from 500 mg. to 5–6 grams, with the higher amounts needed for the cardiovascular problems and possibly epilepsy. Possible symptoms of toxicity from taurine supplementation include diarrhea and peptic ulcers.