Energy Shot Blog

Energy shots and drinks are only as effective as the stuff that’s in them. So in the first round of the Energy Drink Comparison: Shot vs. Can the ingredients of the shot and canned drink are scrutinized.

In the case of some ingredients, less is definitely more. In the 5-Hour Energy shot there are only 4 calories as opposed to the 200 or more in the 16 oz. can. Sugar and the resulting carbohydrates are huge contributors to these calories and in a leading canned drink there are plenty. 5-Hour Energy has zero sugars and zero carbs. The chart below compares the contents of the two contenders.


In the case of other ingredients, more is definitely better. While the canned energy drink contains a mere smattering of vitamins, 5-Hour Energy contains a much more robust blend. While the sugary energy drink may provide a quick spike and possible crash, 5-Hour Energy’s B-vitamin barrage offers a steadier feeling of alertness.

Let’s consider what you can expect after a year of consuming either the shot or can. On average Americans grab five energy boosting beverages a week, that’s about 260 drinks during the year. Also keep in mind that there are 3,500 calories in one pound of fat.

With zero sugar and zero carbs, choosing the 5-Hour Energy shot for one year will not even add 1/3 of a pound to your waistline. And don’t forget all that extra energy void of herbal stimulants and the dreaded crash*. By comparison, consuming those five 16-ounce canned drinks each week throughout the course of a year will add 26,000 calories or roughly 7.5 pounds to your waistline, the majority of calories coming from sugar.

Round one is over. Who is the winner? Try 5-Hour Energy and compare it to your current energy drink. Then you can be the judge.

Check out Round Two: Convenience and Portability

Labels: 5-Hour Energy, canned drink, energy drinks, energy shot, ingredients, nutrition

With the popularity of energy shots it’s not uncommon to see new competitors pop up almost daily, many of which try to mimic 5-Hour’s formula. But hey, copying is one of the best forms of flattery. Even more recently, big beverage companies have spun off some of their brands into shot sized drinks. Clearly, energy shots have caught on in a big way, but why?

5-Hour Energy became a leader in the energy drink market for two reasons: 1) the product really works, and 2) it dared to go small. But what about canned energy drinks? A lot of people buy them and there are a lot of brands from which to choose. So how does one decide between energy drink and energy shot? The team at 5-Hour felt it only fair that it give a side-by-side comparison of the regular 5-Hour Energy shot to a popular 16 oz. canned drink to help you decide which is best for you.

The match will be between a leading 16 oz. canned energy drink and a regular 5-Hour Energy shot. In each round we will compare a different attribute which consumers give careful thought to when choosing their boost.

Stay tuned for round one, a nutritional comparison.

Labels: energy drinks, energy shots

May 20, 2009

What started as a state-level proposal from New York Governor David Patterson has become a national idea among U.S. lawmakers as a means to cover the rising costs of the nation’s healthcare.

The proposal seeks to implement a tax on beverages high in sugar, including soda and energy drinks – those deemed unhealthy and a possible cause for the rising obesity rates among Americans - 5-Hour Energy shots contain no sugar and would be free from this tax. We first looked at the proposal in our February blog post titled Sugary Beverages May Carry "Obesity Tax." At the time the Gov. Patterson unveiled arrangements to add an "obesity tax" of about 15 percent on the sale of unhealthy beverages as part of the state’s new budget plan.

That same idea has been outlined by the Senate Finance Committee during a closed-door meeting to reevaluate the aims to provide affordable healthcare to all Americans. Simply put, if implemented the taxes collected on the sale of these beverages would help finance affordable healthcare for all, including the 46 million without medical insurance.

According to an article from Reuters, President Obama would like to see a $635 billion "reserve fund" as foundation to expand medical coverage to the uninsured. Others believe that the final costs could be upwards of $2.5 trillion in order to control the rising medical costs. The committee is expected to have a draft of the legislation passed through the Senate by August.

The committee is considering the correlation between sugary beverages and increased obesity, which in turn increases healthcare costs. Beverages that would be exempt from the tax would include sugar-free drinks like 5-Hour Energy shots and artificially sweetened beverages, both of which would be categorized under healthier choices like milk, juice and water.


Sources:

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Washington-Watch/14280

http://health.yahoo.com/news/reuters/us_usa_healthcare_financing.html
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/would-an-obesity-tax-curb-calorie-filled-drinks/?apage=1

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/12/14/2008-12-14_governor_paterson_proposes_obesity_tax_a-1.html

Labels: energy drinks, energy shots

Do you remember the movie There's Something About Mary? There is a scene in the movie that reminds me of what's going on in the energy shot market. Ted, played by Ben Stiller, has just picked up a hitchhiker played by Harland Williams. The scene goes like this:

♦ HITCHHIKER: You heard of this thing, the 8-Minute Abs?

♦ TED: Yeah, sure. The 8-Minute Abs – the exercise video.

♦ HITCHHIKER: Yeah, well this is going to blow that right out of the water. Listen to this – 7-Minute Abs.

♦ TED: Yes. Right. OK, I see where you're going.

♦ HITCHHIKER: Think about it. You walk into a video store. You see 8-Minute Abs sitting there, and 7-Minute Abs sitting right beside it, which one are you going to pick, man?

♦ TED: I'd… I'd go for the seven.

♦ HITCHHIKER: Bingo, man. Bingo. 7-Minute Abs. And we guarantee just as good a workout as the eight minute folk.

♦ TED: Guarantee it? So how do you do that?

♦ HITCHHIKER: If you're not happy with the first seven minutes, we're going to send you the extra minute free. See, that's it. That's our motto. That's where we're coming from. That's from A to B.

♦ TED: That's… that's good. That's good. Unless, of course, if somebody comes up with 6-Minute Abs. Then you're in trouble, huh?

♦ HITCHHIKER: No. No. Not six. I said seven. Nobody's coming up with six. Who works out in six minutes? You won't even get your heart going. Not even a mouse on a wheel.

♦ TED: Good point.

♦ HITCHHIKER: Seven's the key number here. Think about it.

Funny, right? But the same thing has been happening in the energy shot market for years. Since we introduced 5-Hour Energy in September of 2004, unimaginative competitors have tried to fool consumers by claiming to provide six, seven or even eight hours of energy. Some of them have tried to copy our formula. Some of them even directly copy our directions and warnings word for word.

Yeah, well this is going to blow that right out of the water. Listen to this – 9 Hour Energy! No, wait – 10 Hour Energy! Damn, this could go on forever.

It can be confusing out there, but please be mindful that 5-Hour Energy is only 5-Hour Energy. We have not, nor will we ever, release anything other than a 5-Hour Energy brand energy shot. We do not have a 6-hour, 7-hour or 8-hour version.

Competitors continue to enter the market. 5-Hour Energy continues to widen the gap. To this we say, thank you. Your loyalty to 5-Hour Energy is impressive, and we appreciate it.

I got it! 13 Hour Energy! Bingo, man. Bingo!

Labels: energy drinks, energy shots

With the Cinco de Mayo celebration kick starting the month of May, we decided to keep the cultural theme alive and revisit one of 5-Hour Energy’s most popular uses, combating the Siesta Syndrome.

There are few who do not suffer from that tired feeling that piggybacks the lunch hour. Some call it the "food coma" or "afternoon lull" and it seems to decrease afternoon production rates and cause the work time to drag on. Fortunately, there are many like you who suffer from Siesta Syndrome. A recent study by UK Company Avenance showed that 74 percent of people hit that wall and need a nap.

Many blame Siesta Syndrome on poor lifestyle choices such as the lack of exercise, poor diet and insufficient sleeping habits. Although they may be contributing factors, the medical field has a more natural explanation. Siesta Syndrome can be attributed to what the medical field calls circadian rhythm. This conglomerate of brainwave activity, hormone production, call recognition and other activities maps out the sleeping and feeding habits in animals. Taking this medical explanation into consideration, humans are simply programmed to need some sleep in the afternoon.

Now you have an excuse for your diminishing production following the client luncheon. We don’t recommend using it, but the facts are there to back it up. Just rest assured that when the excuse doesn’t workout, 5-Hour Energy Shots offer a quick boost that will carry you through the afternoon and into your evening routine without the *crash. With the way things are in this economy, our fans can’t afford to fall behind or miss an opportunity because of a biological clock that they didn’t program.

Labels: energy drinks, energy shots