Red Bull and Flying

ZLIN 142C · Post by **ZLIN 142C** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:09 pm

I tried this stuff for the first time a few days back, and found it to be pretty effective - almost scary effective, in fact. It occurred to me that on a long flight ending with a challenging approach in poor conditions, it might be a real godsend to have one of these things handy to get rid of the fatigue and help you focus on the task at hand. But at the same time, it's not too far removed from the idea of using amphetamines or something similar to improve your performance, which I am dead against. Any thoughts on the subject? Anybody know what the legal or medical implications of drinking this stuff in flight would be?

EI-EIO · Post by **EI-EIO** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:18 pm

RB ups your heart rate quite a bit and adjusts your sleep pattern so could have implications for rest periods and for people with dicky tickers.

I find RB "borrows" - you always end up repaying later. Probably not a good call.

Socially, never a good idea after midnight unless you plan to be awake until 5-6am.

TTail · Post by **TTail** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:34 pm

And to think, when I was back home overseas, everyone was drinking Redbull and vodka's all night long!

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:41 pm

Hah...I knew a guy that took RB right before a ride about two months ago.

He failed it, and puked his brains out afterwards. And he had RB many times before, so why he puked I don’t know…

I have seasonal allergies and I'm still hesitant (regardless of what my AME says) with taking non-drowsy anti-histamines. I'll only pop one in if I really need it (ie sneezing so much that I can't do anything).

It’s an interesting question though, and I can understand why you'd ask. I personally would not take RB especially in the plane. Wash your face with a wet-nap or some water on a cloth. As simple as it seems it does the trick….

flyincanuck · Post by **flyincanuck** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:42 pm

LJDriver wrote:And to think, when I was back home overseas, everyone was drinking Redbull and vodka's all night long!

Apparently that's why they're dropping like flies

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:42 pm

Caffeine, alcohol, pot, viagra. They're all drugs that affect your mind and body. Moderation and common sense.

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:11 pm

I just use nipple clamps to stay awake now. Then I don't have to worry about the diuretic effect of stimulant beverages.

yak driver · Post by **yak driver** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:15 pm

Do be careful with redbull. I scared the hell out of myself with it a couple years ago. Had a 15 hour driving day after a night of partying. I had one red bull with breakfast and one probably every 4 hours on the trip. 3am I got home, wired didn't have any problem staying awake on the drive. Got into bed, and I was still wired. My girlfriend at the time was a nurse, she checked my heartrate resting in bed. It was 155.... I didn't die before morning

Moderation, always had a tough time with that....

cooksbaybandit · Post by **cooksbaybandit** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:41 pm

I love dancin the night away at Rocky's with a Red Bull in one hand and some Unionville High School skanks in the other - the pilot shirt, neatly pressed chinos and mirrored blueblockers definitely help...anyway flyboys, see ya in the lineup

airliner · Post by **airliner** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:19 am

You guys need to read the ingredence a little closer red bull is only one of many types of caffine beverages out there. Sure there are other things in the beverage but nothing more then in a strong multi vitamine. The anphedimine that was in there is no longer legal in Canada or the US. So the effect you are feeling is nothing more then a Pez flavoured X-large Tims coffee.

cyyz · Post by **cyyz** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 9:43 am

airliner wrote: The anphedimine that was in there is no longer legal in Canada or the US. So the effect you are feeling is nothing more then a Pez flavoured X-large Tims coffee.

Well you just killed the placebo for 1/2 the pilots on here...

nite_owl · Post by **nite_owl** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:29 am

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/file ... h/redbull/

Well here's the goods on Red Bull!

scm · Post by **scm** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 10:43 am

airliner wrote:The anphedimine that was in there is no longer legal in Canada or the US. So the effect you are feeling is nothing more then a Pez flavoured X-large Tims coffee.

Are you talking about ephedrine? If so, it's still legal in 8mg doses.

ZLIN 142C · Post by **ZLIN 142C** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:32 am

It seems there's no such thing as a free ride or a free lunch. If you take something to keep awake and it f@*ks up your sleep patterns or causes you to crash later, then you're really no further ahead.

Thanks for all the input. After due consideration I think I'll just stick to the old tried-and-true trick of getting lots of sleep before I fly anywhere. It's worked so far - I'm still here.

wha happen · Post by **wha happen** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 11:52 am

Are you talking about ephedrine? If so, it's still legal in 8mg doses.

That true. Ephedrine was not banned, just regulated. All the products (canadian) that contained ephedra had to be downgraded to a lesser degree. I beleive that the states can still produce full ephedra products.

teacher · Post by **teacher** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:27 pm

Ephedrine was giving people heart attacks because it got your body going and than some. I tried Red Bull and I got a better buzz from a can of coke or some coffee while flying. Nothing like a big thermous full of Java to drink at 3am.

wha happen · Post by **wha happen** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 12:41 pm

TTail · Post by **TTail** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 2:23 pm

wha happen wrote:I beleive that the states can still produce full ephedra products.

Actually, they banned it over a year ago and now its back in a regulated or lower dosage form. Same as North of the border I guess.

YWGVOR · Post by **YWGVOR** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 5:13 pm

Red Bull (and all other supplements) have different effects on different people. I race bikes and eveybody looks for an advantage to get that "jump" on the other guy legally and illegally. My friend swears by that shit and says he feels it working, I tried it, never felt a thing. He takes 2 of the things before we go ride, it seems it lasts for a little while then the effects seem to wear off quick on him but he still takes it. Sad thing is 50km from home he dies and I end up doing all the work on the way home

An interesting article on caffeine from one of my cycling websites:

Note Red Bull has 80mg of caffeine per serving

Caffeine and sport
The International Olympic Committee [currently] permits 12 ug/mL of caffeine in the urine. This is the equivalent of consuming 600 to 800 mg of caffeine within 30 minutes. To put this in perspective, I offer the following table:*1

Substance Caffeine (mg)
28g (1 oz) chocolate 45
355 mL (12 oz) Mountain Dew 54
177 mL (6 oz) instant coffee 54-75
177 mL (6oz) iced tea 70-75
177 mL (6oz) drip coffee 181
Standard Dose of some aspirin products 30-128
Standard dose NO Doz, Vivarin 100-200
Standard Dose Dexatrim, Dietac 200

Caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant, has been proven in double-blind studies to be an endurance ergonomic aid and is on of the most widely used drugs in the world. Dosages as low as 330 mg 1 hour before exercise have been shown to increase an individual's performance time. On the down side, moderate to high doses of caffeine can result in nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, and tremors. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which might increase the risk of dehydration and heat related illness. Caffeine can be addictive and result in severe headaches, fatigue, irritability and gastrointestinal distress after withdrawal from the substance. In addition, individual differences in caffeine sensitivity may account for the lack of an ergogenic effect.*2

Caffeine has been reported to elevate arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Chronic caffeine ingestion is associated with a decrease in cerebral blood flow and an increase in mean arterial pressure.*3

The most disturbing aspect of the lifting of any control on this drug is going to be the supplementation of juniors. These are young bodies with usually little known health histories just because of their immaturity. I am not a doctor, but I would assume training and racing with regular supplementation from a coach or parent of over 800 mg of caffeine along maybe with a possible undetected heart defect may be disastrous. Add to that a cold tablet consisting of pseudoephedrine that was taken before a race to clear that stuffy head...

This is not only irresponsible but possibly criminal on the part of a parent, coach, or organization that would knowingly, with all the viable studies and information out there, allow or encourage supplementation of caffeine of juniors.