| I received a submission recently from a reader | | | | You shouldn't take an energy supplement too |
| who was advocating the use of 'energy pills' to | | | | close to bedtime or your sleep will be affected. |
| help with exercise motivation and workout | | | | People who drink coffee don't usually get the |
| energy. | | | | same effect as non coffee drinkers as their |
| Had the submission been made through email, I | | | | bodies are exposed to caffeine every day and |
| would have deleted it as spam, which it is was, | | | | therefore less sensitive to stimulants than a non |
| but it was also a good lead-in to an article on the | | | | coffee drinker. |
| subject of energy pills. | | | | Women usually do not need the same amount as |
| At first I thought that, yes, it would be helpful if | | | | men to feel the effect. They can probably get |
| you could have a burst of energy prior to and | | | | the desired effect at half the dosage. |
| during a workout so that you could make the | | | | This kind of stimulant shouldn't be taken for more |
| most of your time in the gym. I didn't know much | | | | than 3 months at a time and should not be taken |
| about the product he mentioned, so I did a little | | | | every day. If you take them, also take a regular |
| research. | | | | dosage of essential fatty acids to maintain the |
| The pills he was pushing, according to the | | | | health of the adrenal glands, as they are stressed |
| manufacturer, contain vitamins B-2 and B-12. | | | | and overtaxed by the stimulant. |
| They also contain Caffeine, Citrus Aurantium and | | | | Be warned that stopping the use of a caffeine |
| Taurine which are intended to produce energy. In | | | | supplement can result in headaches for several |
| there as well is Citrus Aurantium, Alpha Lipoic Acid | | | | days as your body goes into a type of |
| (ALA) and Chromium Picolinate, which are | | | | withdrawal. I can vouch for this personally as I |
| intended as fat burners. Lastly, there is Yohimbe, | | | | recently quit drinking coffee. |
| Evodiamine and White Willow Extract, which are | | | | For years I drank several cups daily, but I was |
| supposed to effect endurance and mood. | | | | beginning to have trouble sleeping at night and I |
| The product is advertised as an organic | | | | was having real trouble staying awake in the early |
| formulation, or nutriceutical and of course, they | | | | afternoon. I quit coffee altogether and |
| say theirs is different from other products | | | | experienced constant headaches for several days |
| because it contains the 'right' amount of caffeine, | | | | before they subsided. |
| not too much, so that it will supposedly produce | | | | I also learned that caffeine withdrawal has been |
| energy without the jitters. | | | | officially recognized as a disorder. There are |
| The manufacturers website does a pretty good | | | | several different clusters of common withdrawal |
| job of selling the 'benefits' of the pills, but is a little | | | | symptoms: headache; fatigue or drowsiness; |
| short on health warnings. | | | | dysphoric mood including depression and irritability; |
| For starters, the use of energy pills is not for | | | | difficulty concentrating; and flu-like symptoms of |
| everyone. 'All natural' doesn't necessarily mean | | | | nausea, vomiting, and muscle pain or stiffness. |
| 'not harmful'. | | | | Chronic caffeine use causes certain neurochemical |
| When it comes to supplements containing one or | | | | changes, which can't be reversed |
| more stimulant classified herbs or energy | | | | overnight...withdrawal symptoms can last for a |
| enhancing ingredients you should check with your | | | | week or more. Mainstream advice is to NOT quit |
| doctor before you start using them. Because of | | | | cold-turkey, but rather to phase out caffeine use |
| the effect energy pills have on your metabolic | | | | gradually, in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms. |
| rate and your adrenalin production, it could be | | | | It is not smart to take energy supplements on an |
| dangerous to take them if you have high blood | | | | empty stomach since all vitamins and supplements |
| pressure, as the stimulants will increase your | | | | should be taken with food. Taken on an empty |
| heart rate. | | | | stomach could result in a stomachache or |
| If you have a family history of heart disease or | | | | indigestion. |
| heart conditions you should not take energy | | | | Always consult a physician if you feel unsure or |
| supplements or fat burning products at all since it | | | | have questions regarding whether you should take |
| could give you heart palpitations and an irregular | | | | an energy supplement or not. |
| heart beat, if only temporary. | | | | |