Customer Reviews

5 Hour Energy Energy Shot

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

TV commercials like the vendor uses make me skittish. I wouldn't have gone near this with a ten foot pole had I not been behind a woman in scrubs purchasing some in a convenience store. I asked her if it worked, she was very favorable and her doctor/boss was positive about it as well. I went home, did more research, saw that the results ran the gamut, but I saw no one experiencing any severe side effects. I took the plunge.

I have Hashimoto's (hypothyroid) that is under control with medication, but I'd been recently finding myself extremely tired from early afternoon to the end of my work day (and beyond). I started out with half a bottle of 5-hour after lunch and am extremely happy with the result. It's not dramatic - it just gets me from "tired" to "not tired" for the afternoon and early evening. I've experienced none of the side effects that others have, but two things that I'm doing are (1) not drinking on an empty stomach, and (2) only using 1/2 bottle.

I'm by no means downplaying anyone else's experiences - we're all different, our bodies react differently to all sorts of things, but I would definitely recommend to anyone to give it a shot. Above all - listen to your body.

I have a strange relationship with caffeine. In the form of coffee, it doesn't always do what I want it to do. A cup of coffee consumed midday sometimes seems to make me sleepy, but that same cup might also have me tossing and turning in bed if I drink it too late in the day. In the pursuit of energy, by which I mean the capacity to do sustained mental or physical work, coffee often comes up wanting.

Enter "5-hour Energy," with its promise of immediate energy with no crash to follow later. There are many good reasons to be skeptical of any energy potion's claims, especially since there are only so many things a manufacturer can legally include in its product's formulation that actually have an effect on alertness. The most obvious choice is caffeine, and many products on the market include a frighteningly high dose of the stuff.

"5-hour Energy" does not disclose its caffeine content other than in a cryptic reference to its being "comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee." If we are talking about Starbucks here, this could easily be on the order of 150 mg of caffeine, which can provide a significant jolt. I've found, however, that this product does not make me jittery, nor do I get that feeling in my stomach telling me that I overdid it on the caffeine.

The most profound effect I've noticed is its consistent beneficial effect on my mood. I restrict my use of this product (at least partly due to its expense) to mornings before I go to the gym, and I always take it after a light snack. I seem to develop more of a positive, can-do, all-is-right-with-the-world attitude within minutes of my taking it. I find that to be quite a bonus in my hectic and sometimes dispiriting life as a graduate student. Although coffee sometimes has this mood-boosting effect, it is not nearly as consistent.

This is the best energy product I've tried largely because its effects are fairly subtle. I simply want the capacity to do my work, mental or physical, without a nagging reminder that I've taken a drug in order to assist me in doing it. If you prefer a more obvious rush, you may need to look elsewhere.

Also, it is worth noting that "niacin flush" has not been a significant side effect for me when using this product, while it has been with others. Having a little something in your stomach before taking it may help in this regard as well.

Of all the energy solutions out there, this is easily the best one. However, it still has its drawbacks.

First, the PROs -

Instant energy - Works almost immediately (within 1 minute for me)

Not a lot of "jitter" - Many other energy bars and drinks give you that shaky feeling. This one does not

No Crash - Its true, there is no crash. Though when you come back to your previous energy level, it might feel like a crash.

A very positive energy - In addition to the physical energy you also get a very refreshing mental energy. It can almost be described as a very focused high. A feeling of clarity and motivation all at once

Small amount goes a long way - I like that you dont have to drink a big 16 oz bottle of this stuff. Most energy drinks have a taste about as appealing as bath water. So, its nice to only have to drink an oz or two

Now, for the CONS

Taste - See above

Thirst - I get very thirsty on this stuff. I always have to make sure to have a big bottle of water around

Its addictive - The "mental" energy you get from this makes you want to do it all over again. Probably not for people with addictive personalities

Big initial blast - The first 10 minutes for me are almost too much. I seem to want to do everything all at once. After that, i calm down a bit and become intensely focused. But, those first 10 minutes are usually spent just trying not to knock anything over in my office

Bear in mind, different people have different metabolisms and different tastes. From past experience, I avoid anything lemon-lime flavored. I went with orange, which tastes like watered down OJ. Just two ounces, small bottle fits in a knapsack or desk drawer. When I'm crashing, caffeine just gives me the jitters and I still feel tired, no matter how much coffee or tea I drink. I had a bad mid-afternoon crash and could hardly keep my eyes open so I drank a bottle of this stuff. Instantly, I had mid-morning perkiness again. Magic. No after effects, but if you're dead tired to begin with you should probably treat the cause rather drinking energy drinks which relieve only the symptoms. Also, if you have a high metabolism, take a small sip and wait 5 minutes. Drink only what you need.

My wife and I recently took a trip from San Diego to Great Basin National Park in east-central Nevada. It's about a 750-mile drive and we attempted to do it in a day. On the way there, I was getting real drowsy by the time we got to Las Vegas and we still had another 5 hours of driving. We'd stopped at a truck stop for gas and I noticed the little bottles of "5-hour Energy" drink. I'd seen them advertised on TV but had never tried any kind of energy drinks. Being somewhat cautious, I sipped about half or the small bottle, saving the rest for later. Well, it seemed to work fine.

On the way back to San Diego, I was tired and drowsy right from the beginning. I was fighting sleep all the way from the park to Las Vegas, where we gassed up. Remembering the "5-hour energy" drink, I bought another little bottle for the seven-hour drive to San Diego. After driving for about an hour, I consumed the whole bottle. I was wide awake almost immediately. It was amazing! I still felt very tired, but I was awake and alert and remained that way for all the remaining drive to San Diego.

Other than the awakeness and alertness, I experienced no side effects at all. My wife hated the taste and said she would not drink it again, but then she wasn't the one who was driving. The taste seemed fine for me. Somewhat medicinal, perhaps, but no problem.

This stuff is effective! I'll now always have a couple bottles in my car for any long drive. It's expensive, but well worth it. The cost by the case, by the way, is substantially less than the cost of single bottles in the truck stops.

Gary Peterson

I am VERY sensitive to Caffeine. It can send me into a full blown anxiety attack. This product, for some reason had NO adverse effects for me. If this is usually an issue for you, I would suggest trying 1/2 a bottle and seeing how you tolerate it. I had energy. Since it has B12 vitamins in it, my mood was also enhanced. I felt excited and energetic. The berry flavor tastes like Crystal Light Pink Lemonade. Almost exactly like that. There was no crash AND I was able to sleep well that night. Sound too good to be true!? It was for me. I am SERIOUSLY trying to resist the urge to stock up and buy a whole case. This stuff is great. I was in a show with someone who had trouble focusing, was moody and forgetful. We were on stage and he was often a mess... One night he did an amazing job, and I asked him what was different... He said... I took a 5 Hour Energy drink. I was stunned and still not convinced... but saw the drink in a store and had to try it. WOW! That is all I can say! WOW! It's great!!!

So I'm the kind of person that hates getting up in the morning. I get tired, groggy, uncomfortable, and begin to doze off again if I sit down for too long. I get pretty tired throughout my day too, especially in the afternoons. So, when I heard about Five Hour Energy I simply HAD to try it. I had never drunk a lot of caffeine before, and I wasn't too thrilled about it being in this stuff in the first place, but I thought I'd try it out.

I read online that some people need a whole bottle to feel any effects but that some people only need a teaspoon. So, I started by drinking 1/4 bottle in the morning: NOTHING. Still tired, still unhappy. So I upped it to 1/2 bottle in the morning: NOTHING. I had read somewhere that it tends to work better on an empty stomach, so I tried it first thing when I got up in the morning: NOTHING. I was really hesitant to drink a whole bottle and consume all of that caffeine, so I thought maybe it would work better for me in the afternoon. I tried a half bottle when I got home: NOTHING. I finally decided I would drink a whole bottle in the afternoon thinking all that caffeine had to do something: NOTHING. My next thought was to take a whole bottle in the morning, but after eating something as that helps lessen the chances of having a niacin flush from it: NOTHING. Disappointed, I wad down to the last resort: having it in morning AND on an empty stomach: BINGO! Within five minutes, I was awake, refreshed, and ready to start the day! It was one of the most amazing feelings I've ever experienced; being awake in the morning felt SO good.

Needless to say, I now LOVE Five Hour Energy. I feel awake and alert in the mornings whenever I take it. However, I limit myself to 4 bottles per week, as I don't want to get hooked on caffeine or become dependent on the stuff. The only problem (and the reason this is not a 5 star rating) is because it only works in the MORNING and on an EMPTY stomach. I wish I could use it any time during the day but it just doesn't seem to work.

If you're hesitant to try it, don't be! Go into your local drugstore and pick up a small pack and try it out. Experiment with different amounts at different times during the day. It seems to work really well for some but not at all for others, so the only way you're going to know if it works for you is by trying it yourself.

And there is no crash like the bottle states: it wears off slowly, and if you're moving around all day anyways then you'll wake yourself up naturally by the time it truly wears off. It's great for students who need to stay up late to study, although I've never tried to use it after pulling an all-nighter. You probably need at least a couple of hours of sleep in order for it to work.

Amazon.com has the best prices for this stuff in large quantities. You can get a 12-pack here for around $1.80 a bottle, which is really good. Flavor-wise, grape is my favorite, but I've tried most of them. The grape seems to have the least bitter taste; it's pretty sweet. The Lemon-Lime is really sour/bitter and the orange has a really potent 'orange-flavored-medicine' taste. Berry is my second favorite, but I'm eager to try the pomegranate.

So PLEASE, if you're considering trying this stuff, DO!

This is the best stuff, it may not make you crazy with energy, but your focus and general energy is elevated for hours.

I have tried pills, (Stacker, Hydoxicut, etc). I tried the drinks, (Rock Star, Amp, coffee,etc). But all of them made me jittery and made me feel uneasy, even before an intense workout. I go to the gym at 5:30AM everyday and take one of these on the way out the door. As soon as I get halfway to the gym, I cannot wait to hit the weights! Now sometimes I will add a sugar free Red Bull on leg day, but one of these usually does the trick on regular days. I love this stuff. I hate the feeling most pills and drinks give me. This stuff just makes me feel alert.

5 hour energy drink definitely works I have not experienced any side effects. Also it doesn't taste that bad for anyone to gag on it. That's definitely exaggerating. Within minutes of taking 5 hr energy drink my thinking is increased, I'm totally awake and I just feel so aware. It's definitely great when you have to get up for work everyday at 5am and get home about 7pm. I'm definitely not a morning person, but this helps me. It's great for working out because it gives you that increased energy to actually get up off the couch and workout. But there are some things you should remember. Try not to take on an empty stomach, because this drink increases your energy and your body needs something to burn to fuel that energy. Another thing is only drink half of the bottle. Why? because a whole bottle will have your hands shaking and your heart beating really fast. I learned this the hard way. Maybe it's just my body that couldn't take the whole bottle, but to be on the safe side drink only half and see how you feel and if it's not enough then drink the other half. I find that a half a bottle gets me through the whole day until I get ready to go to sleep that night.