Say adenosine triphosphate 3 times!
It was 3am. I had woken up to a wet nappy, not mine, and had to change it. Normally not an issue, but I had an 8 hour drive in a couple hours. And I couldn't get back to sleep. I lay there thinking, "If I fall asleep now, I'll still get 7 hours sleep." An hour later, still awake, and I'm thinking, "If I fall asleep now, I'll still get 6 hours sleep." Then I remembered that scene in Friends where Chandler does the same thing and ends up moving to Oklahoma. If I'm not careful, I'll end up moving to Pofadder.
Waking up feeling like a zombie before a long drive meant I'd have to delve into the world of stimulants to make the trip, and avoid ending up in the wrong dorpie. I ended up having 3 Red Bulls over the 8 hour drive. It was a lot. And of course then I couldn't fall asleep that night. No wings either. But it made sense considering how energy drinks work.
Most energy drinks are 3 things: sugar, caffeine, and water. As I mentioned before, our bodies use sugar for energy, so that is not the worst thing if you are short of energy. But if you've eaten breakfast, that's not what you need.
Enter... Caffeine!
The basic energy that the cells use is ATP, or adenosine triphosphate. As your cells use this during the day, the ATP is broken down and used. Adenosine is left behind, which binds to receptors in your brain, and the adenosine tells you that you are tired. Caffeine blocks those receptors. So your brain doesn't think you're tired! Obviously, your body knows otherwise.
The interesting thing with "energy" stimulants, is that they are seldom giving you more energy. Rather, they adjust processes in your body. Another example is vitamin B12. It gives you energy, right? Actually, it helps convert glucose into ATP. And you know what happens next.
What's the point? Well, if you find yourself living on stimulants, it's a sign that basic processes in your body are out of whack, and the stimulants are a band aid. Kind of like how having wings is fun for a bit, but they would be a pain in the shower.
First get the basics right. Eat well, get sun, exercise, sleep. And take your Daily Shake. If you get that nailed and you're still experiencing issues, then you can start looking for stuff to add.
Or maybe you just live in a really boring part of the world. Like Oklahoma.
|
