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5-Hour Energy

*Est. $2.50 for 2 ounces

Reviewed April 2009
5-Hour Energy

Best energy shot

pros
  • Good energy boost
  • No crash effect
  • No sugar, moderate caffeine
  • Four calories per 2-ounce serving
cons
  • Mixed reviews for taste
  • Can cause jitters
  • Expensive
 
 
Where to Buy
 
 
 
5 star:
(11)
4 star:
(2)
3 star:
(3)
2 star:
(0)
1 star:
(1)

Average Customer Review

(17 customer reviews)

for $2.49

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Fantastic, June 16, 2009

Ok now obviously not every product is going to work on every person. Some people are overly sensitive to certain things and have a negative, even horrible, reaction. Some people practically have a caffeine & sugar IV drip in their arm and won't even feel it since their bodies are addicted to something else. For the rest of us though- this product is a godsend. I am NOT a morning person and don't begin to feel alert or energetic till lunchtime, so I take one every morning and I feel great the rest of the day. I used to have the niacin flush but even that wasn't real bothersome. I buy this product in bulk now. *Note- 5 hour energy is not a substitute for ACTUAL SLEEP, nor should it be used as such for very long.

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Subtle but effective!, March 13, 2008

This review was composed over the course of 7 hours, to demonstrate its effectiveness of this product on this reviewer I read various reviews before I bought a "shot" and was mixed on whether or not to try it for myself. This past weekend was Daylight Savings coming into effect and I've been dragging my face on the ground at the office all week so far, so when I saw it at the checkout when I bought gas this afternoon, I bought one. It sat on my desk for about 1/2 an hour until I couldn't take my lagging anymore and thought, "even if it doesn't work, it won't do me any harm," so I opened it and consumed the tonic in the little plastic bottle. Ugh, I must say, it tasted like liquefied chewable baby asprins, a flavor I will never forget remembering how much I hated it intensely when I was a child. I was not disappointed for long, though. At first I felt somewhat relaxed, probably from swinging my head back so quickly to guzzle it down, I was experiencing a head-rush. Then, I could feel a slight awakedness I haven't felt all week. And now, about a half hour later, I don't feel "buzzed" like I have from those energy drinks, but I do feel awake. Not bouncing, not hyper, not doped-up, just alert. What a great feeling! [An hour and a half later note]: Still feeling good. [2 hours later]: The same, cool! [3 hours later]: I can't recall how tired I was this past week, I still feel great after consuming this 5-Hour Energy shot, glad the earlier part of this week is a distant memory, nothing like trying to function when you're tired and out of sorts. This stuff did the trick. [5 hours later]: Still not tired like I was, but I think it is starting to wear off. But - NO JITTERS! And no cravings for more, like I've experienced with the energy drinks. [6 hours later]: No crash. Thanks goodness, that's something I dreaded. [7 hours later]: Not tired, but also not quite as awake as I was a few hours ago. However, if I had used an energy drink, I'd probably be reaching for another one after the usual crash. They say those energy drinks are non-addictive, but anyone who's ever experienced that "can't cope-need more" feeling is addicted, which I had and was to the RB for a whole summer last year. It took me weeks to get over the hump of those cravings, not because I loved the taste, but because my initial tiredness went to a whole new level where no matter what I did with sleeping more, eating better, etc., nothing seemed to perk me up anymore as it had before I ever tried RB. After about 6 weeks I finally felt normal again where fresh foods and the occasional coffee gave me a boost when I felt tired from working all day. I am glad to know the 5-Hour Energy shot works for me. I suppose if someone is an excessive coffee drinker it might not work, or if someone has a slower metabolism, perhaps it might not take full effect. I say to anyone (except to sufferers of any heart conditions, etc, as noted on the label) to give this stuff a try when all you really need is to just "snap out of it" and wake up - not when you're cramming for an exam, leave it to those energy drinks and stuff for that sort of thing. For someone looking to just take the edge off of feeling dragged down, I think this is the best thing out there right now; two thumbs up from me!

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Great but..., September 11, 2007
First time I took this it was awesome. Had so much energy it was nuts.
Second time I took it, I puked my brains out. Had a huge niacin flush, felt like I had a horrible sun burn. As soon as I vomited I was fine. No energy, though.
Worked great for me. Worth a try., July 9, 2007

I'm the type of person that at 3pm, I'm hitting the Afternoon Slump. I've heard that you should take this on an empty stomach, but I don't think I could handle that. This thing kicks like a mule. First five minutes and I was awake. Ten minutes later, and I was ready to rule the world. Keep in mind that products like this don't work on this level for everyone. I just know that this works for me and at 2 dollars a bottle, it's at least worth the try.

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As much energy as a glass of water, April 15, 2007

I've read a lot of reviews on this product. It obviously works for some people, but be aware it doesn't work for everyone. Me being one of the latter. I've taken it twice and both times it did nothing. First time I took it before I left for work. The drive to work I was yawning and about to fall asleep. I didn't get 5 minutes of energy let alone 5 hours. Second time I took it was about 15 minutes ago. Still nothing. I was feeling sleepy and still am. My Mom, on the other hand, says it makes her energetic as hell. It might work for you. It might not, but 5 dollars (2 pack was all they had) is a lot to waste to find out.

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Where To Buy

Our Sources

1. ScreamingEnergy.com

ScreamingEnergy.com doesn't review quite as many drinks as some websites, but two site editors review each product. User ratings and comments are also posted. Four 5-Hour Energy drinks are reviewed, with the orange and lemon-lime flavors generally faring better than berry. The decaf version receives a high rating for taste, but it doesn't provide much of an energy boost, according to this reviewer.

Review: 5-Hour Energy Orange Review, Jason Hargett, May 2, 2008

2. Energy Drink Ratings Blog

The reviews here are based on the tasting of one tester, but the anonymous blogger has a good grasp of his subject matter and seems to make an honest effort at objectivity. He rates five 5-Hour Energy products, with the Extra Strength version getting the highest rating of 9.7 out of 10.The lemon-lime flavor comes in at a close second.

Review: Extra Strength 5-Hour Energy Drink Review, Justin T. ("Oshburg"), Mar. 16, 2008

3. EnergyDrinkReviews.com

Dan Mayer is an energy drink enthusiast. He gives a seven out of 10 rating to the decaf version of 5-Hour Energy, saying he didn't really like the taste, but it wasn't "horrible." He says the boost "got me going."

Review: 5-Hour Energy Decaf, Dan Mayer, Apr. 8, 2008

4. Taurine Rules blog

The "EnergyGuru" doesn't identify himself or his testing methods, but the reviews are balanced. He says the 5-Hour Energy berry version had enough kick to make him feel "loopy" but also queasy, and that the taste "made me gag." He finds the 5-Hour Extra Strength version the best tasting of the bunch.

Review: 5 Hour Energy Shot Berry Review, "EnergyGuru", June 10, 2008

5. RateItAll.com

Nearly 200 contributors give 5-Hour Energy an average score of 3.41 out of five, so opinions are a mixed bag. Some say the "kick" was too short and too weak, while others say they were intensely jittery for longer than they expected.

Review: 5-Hour Energy, Contributors to RateItAll.com

6. MSNBC

Health editor Melissa Dahl personally tests 5-Hour Energy, and even though she isn't crazy about the taste, she enjoys the gradual boost that doesn't make her jittery or cause her to crash once it wears off. She mentions that most energy drinks taste horrible, but she doesn't perform a comparison taste test for this article. After her personal experience with 5-Hour Energy, she reports on a dietician's breakdown of the ingredients and their effect on one's health.

Review: Zip! 5-Hour Energy Packs a Punch, Melissa Dahl, Feb. 12, 2009

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