Athletic performance and sharp mental performance go hand-in-hand. As someone who is very reactive to sugars, I learned quickly that Energy drinks with lots of sugar in them led to a terrible crash when the good energy wore off. I needed something I could drink every day that would keep my energy and alertness high -- without the risk of a crash or other physical harm.
I first discovered energy drinks when I took up mountain biking in my early 40's. I was trying to keep up with more experienced riders in their 20's and 30's and it was tough, though I had been a daily jogger for years.
I found that products like "PowerBars" were mostly sugar and killed my energy during competitive runs, and black coffee didn't give me the energy I needed to keep up with the mountain bikers I was riding with. But I did find one energy bar -- "Thunderbar" -- that contained guarana that really made climbing steep hills and long rides FUN.
Then I learned about a convenient liquid fuel called CytoMax, which also contained guarana and B vitamins that was very effective for long, grueling rides... but had too much sugar to be used on a regular basis. Guys and gals who could handle that much sugar could enjoy it without a problem, but I couldn't. I needed something with less sugar that still tasted good.
Along the way in my search, I learned that pro athletes and sports teams don't really drink Gatorade. They use better-quality blends to extend their performance -- and drink them out of a Gatorade cup or cooler. They need scientific-quality performance enhancing energy drinks, not the cheaply-made, sugar-filled products that are sold to the amateurs.
So, after much experimentation, I found a company, Youngevity, that makes a guarana-powered, low natural fruit flavored energy drink that wouldn't let me down (but also let me sleep well to get ready for the next day's exertion).
My favorite is the A.C.T. Energy Drink in powder form (a bargain and inexpensive to ship!), but now there are many more in Youngevity's line-up to try.
Dr. Wallach himself drinks the "Pollen Burst" to help him keep up with a grueling schedule of travel and doing long lectures on health 300+ nights a year. Doc also created the "Rebound" specifically for pro basketball players, to replace the minerals and electrolytes they lose in sweat. No-one else has such a formula with competition-tested success!