Chaser Living Essentials 5-Hour Energy Drink Orange -- 2 fl oz Each / Pack of 12

my review

Strengths: read the comments

Weakness: read the comments

I'm a personal trainer as well as a student at GA Tech research institute. I've looked into all the active and inactive ingredients in this product, and did some research after taking Extra Strength 5-Hour Energy for the first time about an hour ago. I'm pretty wired; I would compare the effects to drinking an espresso coffee drink. *** Pros *** Won't make you fat. Seems cheap, easy, and a...
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I'm a personal trainer as well as a student at GA Tech research institute. I've looked into all the active and inactive ingredients in this product, and did some research after taking Extra Strength 5-Hour Energy for the first time about an hour ago. I'm pretty wired; I would compare the effects to drinking an espresso coffee drink.

*** Pros ***
Won't make you fat. Seems cheap, easy, and a potent, magical elixir to give you that "extra boost" whenever you need it. Great in moderation... Seemingly no "crash." Gives you near-instantaneous boost of energy comparable to doing cocaine - a powerful stimulant - for an extended period of time. However, this is definitely a con as well (very strenuous exertion on your heart, just like the effects of doing any other stimulant have on the body)!

*** Cons ***
All the preservatives in 5-Hour Energy are extremely potent carcinogens, meaning they cause cancer if consumed in large amounts. This product also elevates your blood pressure to an almost dangerous degree, meaning it should not be consumed by people with any history of heart problems. I also think that you WILL develop heart problems if you take too much of this product. The caffeine levels are comparable to drinking 12 ounces of espresso coffee (it even says so on the back of the bottle), again, very, very unhealthy. The dangerous levels of B12 and B6 (over 8300% daily intake and 2000% daily intake, respectively), are DANGEROUS and TOXIC (symptoms of excess consumption of B6 include pain and numbness of the extremities, and in severe cases difficulty walking; symptoms of excess consumption of B12 include diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems) unless you drink a LOT of water (since vitamin B is water soluble) to flush out your system.

*** Conclusion ***
I would not recommend this product to any of my clients. I'd do it only when I necessarily have to, and then, only in small amounts. It is essentially the same as drinking an espresso coffee drink from Starbucks without the after-effects. Half the bottle should be sufficient to give a huge boost of energy to anyone... doing the whole bottle will F you up (try it for yourself, it's a crazy little drink). Don't do too much, I guarantee it will F your body up, and fast. Balance is the key to life, so do everything in moderation and you should be fine. Make your own call.

Sources: Me (Michael McCarty), 21 year-old GA Tech student, ACE certified personal trainer. Add me on Facebook if this article was helpful to you =)! I love meeting new people!

By mmccarty33 - Nov 18, 2008

Fantastic.

These absolutely do their job. While they do make me a little shaky, I am totally in love with how much energy they give me.

By Dooby on Vitacost - Aug 23, 2012

Great energy boost

I love this product, use it often throughout the week. I don't drink a whole bottle at once, but just sip it when I start feeling sleepy or unmotivated at work. 5hr energy keeps me alert and focused, even when I haven't been getting much sleep.

By MaxPowers on Vitacost - Oct 26, 2011

Unhealthy Energy Alternative

Strengths: Decent taste.

Weakness: Produces jitters and crash through delivering an unhealthy dose of ingredients.

The bottle says no jitters and no crash. My experience has been the opposite... I felt wired and when it wore off I was miserable. After reading the first article on this blog, I now see why. This products contains unhealthy levels of ingredients that could harm you. Note there are 2 servings in each shot... so you need to DOUBLE the amount contained per serving. Bottom line, I do not recommend...
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The bottle says no jitters and no crash. My experience has been the opposite... I felt wired and when it wore off I was miserable. After reading the first article on this blog, I now see why. This products contains unhealthy levels of ingredients that could harm you. Note there are 2 servings in each shot... so you need to DOUBLE the amount contained per serving.

Bottom line, I do not recommend this product.

By Angie_S1969 - Apr 16, 2009

Never, Ever Again

Strengths: Gives you a boost Lasts for hours

Weakness: Tastes awful Caused jitters Caused heart palpitations Huge crash later

I bought some 5-hour energy to try before a long marathon training run. I drank one whole bottle with some water, because I found the citrus taste pretty unpleasant, frankly. While it certainly gave me a boost, it also made me feel like I was completely out of control-- as if I were having an allergic reaction, or as if I'd taken some illegal drug (not that I would know). I sweated, I had...
Read Full Review

I bought some 5-hour energy to try before a long marathon training run. I drank one whole bottle with some water, because I found the citrus taste pretty unpleasant, frankly.

While it certainly gave me a boost, it also made me feel like I was completely out of control-- as if I were having an allergic reaction, or as if I'd taken some illegal drug (not that I would know). I sweated, I had jitters, I felt very, very sick. I also had severe stomach discomfort, which really isn't ideal when you're stuck 10 miles from home. I have since switched to the Spot On Energy patch (www.spotonenergy.com) which provides a good, steady burn without sending me crazy. If you were a gamer looking to stay up all night and shoot things, I could see the point of using 5-hour. It's not for athletes, though.

By mrsrower - Jan 13, 2009