I am relatively new to the subject. Always used to get buy on coffee, but now looking for ways to "boost" my studying and wanted to get some info before I get out there and start experimenting.

I know there's an abundance of energy products out there: from simple caffeine pills to energy drinks (Red Bull, Rockstar, Doubleshot) to the concentrated stuff (5 Hour energy and the likes).

Question: What is the difference among the different products? Any info is appreciated: the "type of buzz", length of the effect, possible side effects, crashes, etc.

Post any experiences you had with either or just your personal preferences.

Here's a pile of sugar. Enjoy.

weirdo

Coke

unless you do sugar free red bull (which a lot of ppl don't like), the rest of the full-sized stuff has a ton of calories in it. i like 5 hour energy and the stacker version of it--i don't remember the name. the "shot" energy drinks have very few calories in them--but i guess that only matters if you're watching your weight.

i don't really crash after the 5-hr energy--if i do, i just take another one! problem solved.

Do not alter (increase or decrease) your caffine intake near the LSAT. Begin getting up every day at the time you'll need to get up on test day at least 2 weeks out. Don't attempt to increase your focus with caffine overdose. One caffinated beverage (coffe/soda) at the break is probably a good idea, but don't try to gain an advantage by ODing with three red bulls. You'll make yourself jittery and probably have to piss about 3 minutes into section 4.

Physical activity seems to be the most reliable boost that consistently helps my performance. Even if you just get your blood flowing immediately before the test, you will noticed improved focus. As an added benefit, if you are active during your preparation, you will be more likely to be comfortable during the test itself due to increased stamina under stress, better posture and less back pain sitting for long periods of time, etc.

+1.

I went to the gym the morning of my exam (test was at noon). Had plenty of energy during the test.

Ive used a bunch of energy boosts for PT's and just regular studying and personally energy drinks of any sort don't really do much for me, 5 hour energy drinks worked OK but made me feel sick a few times, actually had some of my highest PT scores when I drank one before. But what works best for me are the Starbucks double shot expresso cans. Within the last few months of LSAT studying I have become ridiculously addicted to them...but it works well for me.

I would stay away from anything with much sugar in it (Red Bull, or any sweet Caramel Macchiato type bullshit from Star Bucks).

If you can dig black coffee (which I do), I would say that is the best. It is sugar free (sugar = crash, eventually), and it's natural, and potent as hell.

The downside to coffee is that you have to drink a decent amount....which could mean mid-LSAT pissing. Thus, pure espresso (a double-shot, perhaps) might be better -- a good amount of caffeine without much liquid.

I have little experience with the energy shots, but 5-Hour is sugarfree, I think.

In addition, caffeine itself is a diuretic (makes you pee).

Right, what I hear is that it dehydrates you.. Makes you pee even if you have been drinking small volumes.

Do energy drinks have this effect?

Many energy drinks contain caffeine.

When I took the LSAT, I was high on life.

Yes, caffeine can definitely make you pee. I would just say experiment -- starting now -- and see what works for you. Energy drinks -- most of them -- have caffeine too, so it's hard to get around. There are other natural (and artificial) stimulants too, but anything which is going to stimulate your system reasonably is also probably going to make you more likely to pee.

I'll stick with my personal assessment that espresso will give you the most caffeine with the least amount of additional bullshit in the least amount of liquid possible. It might still have to make you piss, but I would imagine less so than any energy drinks. Give it a shot and see what works for you. I personally drink 2-3 cups of coffee before my PT's -- that's like 24 ounces -- and as long as I stop about an hour before the test, or even 30 minutes, I usually can get all of my peeing done before we get started. I'll have to go again during the break, but I can handle that.

Bottom line -- everyone is different, so the safest thing to do is experiment and see what works well for you!

it'll hit you faster if you snort it.

I tried those 5 hour energy shots... it did nothing for me. I'll be sticking to my standard morning coffee probably about 2-3 hours before the test.

Never anything more than a soda or two. The day of the test, nothing (and barely any carbs at all). Jitters and crashes make it harder for me to do RC.

But I did take Advil before and during the test to head off headaches.

This is incredibly obvious but people tend to forget it. Don't forget that your brain requires glucose to function. If you're downing diet soda, or calorie-and-sugar-free energy drinks, they can depress your appetite and its easy to forget to eat. That could be adding to your low energy so don't forget to eat something with those energy drinks.

A friend of mine is an M.D. and recommends carb loading before the test- just like marathon runners. Have a nice pasta dinner so you have lots of glucose stored up on test day. Might help- who knows!

well unless you're glycogen depleted there won't exactly be a difference.

my answer is here

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=25293#p476076

I've read some great articles that support the idea of eating smart and providing glucose for the brain before a test. And now I have a doctor's opinion agreeing with that, so I'll take it. Its reasonable, easy and it will likely help so why not? But to each his own.

Now I use B-12 + carbs to stay awake. When I used to pull all-nighters, I used ZipFizz. ZipFizz is amazing, and better than Red Bull or Monster in my experience. Be warned though- every time I have used ZipFizz, I have found myself unable to sleep for 24-48 hours (which was necessary in the instances in which I used it).


Otherwise, have you ever heard of a caffeine nap?

I've been on a low-carbohydrate diet for a year. I don't recommend anyone start this diet a few days or even weeks before the test. You'll feel like crap as your body adjusts to lower and more stable blood sugar. If you normally eat 200-300 grams of carbohydrates per day, then do that before the test, as well.

All food turns into glucose in the body; some convert more slowly. Simple carbohydrates are useful when you need to run a marathon or engage in other physically strenuous activity. Your brain, though, can function off the glucose you get from any food, as long as you're consuming enough. And there's the added benefit of not having blood sugar spikes and crashes that leave you and your brain feeling depleted. You don't realize how much blood sugar swings affect you until you go off the carbs. I remember feeling so tired after lunch and dinner because I'd have these big meals with intense carbohydrate loads. Now that I eat 6-8 snacks (rather than meals) a day that are all very low in carbs, I have much more energy and my brain doesn't get as fatigued.

I don't know how much residual effect you'd have from carb loading the day before the test. Unless you're diabetic, your body will have already used and processed the glucose in your body for energy. It'll be stored as fat, not excess glucose. After all, do you feel more energetic the day after a huge meal of any kind? Probably not because the spikes and crashes have come and gone. Carb loading right before the test (1-2 hours) might be to your benefit if you normally eat a lot carbs, though, but be prepared for an energy dip and extreme hunger after the fourth or fifth hour as your pancreas releases a lot of insulin to compensate and your blood sugar shoots downward.