Taurine & flying

[planck]

Greetings,

Does anyone have any experience whether or not taurine (Red Bull) affects your flying ability somehow?

From my experience, it improves your concentration and responsiveness, however I have only been flying to low altitudes;

Maybe an airline pilot can tell us how taurine affects hypoxia and high cabin altitude flying? (6000ft - 8000ft).

[Furia]

Do not forget to mention your findings on you next medical. I am sure your medical examineer would be most interested on it. :)

[B2N2]

What is that supposed to mean?
Taurine is an aminoacid which is even produced by the body itself.
Red Bull - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull)
Taurine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine)

[planck]

Well, I don't disagree.

It's just something that i heard from a Flying Instructor, that taurine is bad for flying, and I want to check it...

This is interesting:
Impact on driving
Joris Verster and collegues from Utrecht University concluded that Red Bull Energy Drink reduces driver sleepiness and enhances driving performance during prolonged highway driving.

I corroborate this :) :ok:

[Loose rivets]

Yes, but in what quantities?


I witnessed a parked car full of teenage girls, middle of the day, all bouncing up and down and honking the horn in time to music. People were shouting at them to shut up.

Their red cheeks were perhaps a sign of the fact they were all holding red bull tins. Even I got some cheeky wey-heys.

Obviously, they were as high as kites on the damn stuff.

[homonculus]

Morphine is even produced by the body itself

[DX Wombat]

Read this. (http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/15-07/st_redbull)
Obviously, they were as high as kites on the damn stuffWhat a load of complete rubbish! How on earth do you know that? Have you developed some sort of wierd esp which tells you what is the cause of certain behaviour? How do you know they were not just a particularly happy, bouncy group or had taken drugs or alcohol or a combination of all these? The ONLY way to know would be to perform a proper, medically conducted test - usually involving a specimen of blood from the subject. :*

[cavortingcheetah]

I feel sure that in the example given all it would take would be a urine sample.

[boeingbus2002]

It is a sudden extreme dosage of high sugar and caffeine. The 'hit' only lasts a short duration after which the come down is perhaps more pronounced.
A strong cup of coffee would also have the desired effects.
AME's may be interested if over a significant period, the sugar and caffeine levels 'may' be evident in tests to excess levels.

[gingernut]

It only works for me when laced with vodka. And then it gives me a bad headache.

My favourite "legal high" used to be a Jack and a Black.

Necking Jack Daniels, (in one) soothing the throat with a Black Russian, followed by a dance to Abba. All in moderation of course.

Kid's these day's don't know how to live, it's all weed and bubble. Where's the fun in that:bored:

[gingernut]

ps, caffeine is known to heighten concentration, but there are downsides.

[B2N2]

Well a quickie Google search brought the following gems:
Energy Drink Side Effects, Beware! (http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/energy-drink-side-effects.html)
Energy Drink Breakdown: What (http://www.organicauthority.com/health/energy-drink-breakdown-whats-in-a-red-bull-anyway.html#s.abss2zhgabiaa)
Energy Drink Side Effects (http://www.energyfiend.com/energy-drink-side-effects)
What is in Energy Drinks - Awakening Blog (http://www.awakeningblog.com/what-is-in-energy-drinks.html)
How Caffeine Affects the Digestive System (http://www.aboutgastro.com/news/how-caffeine-affects-digestive-system)

You make the decision.....:E

[Pequena_Inquieta]

Does anyone have any experience whether or not taurine (Red Bull) affects your flying ability somehow?

I'm a flight attendant, but I have experience in flying after drinking taurine, and have even shared with captain and FO in a flight at dawn. Seemed to me that the captain was used to it, since he was the one who suggested we bought some. My ex is a captain and drinks taurine sometimes as well.
When I drank with the flight crew during the flight I felt better, specially since I have trouble sleeping during the day for the night flights. But in one occasion I crossed the line and drank 600ml, and felt awful. Didn't affect me psychologically, but felt like I had a dinossaur in my stomach. After that, I preferred to stick to coffee. :}
So I guess it's alright, unless you drink to much.

By the way, all in FL360+.

[stuckgear]

Red Bull and other high energy drinks have an effect on the heart, sometime quite serious and even in small does can induce tachycardia.

my wife, a senior cardiac physiologist has had pateinets, under 30 with tachycardia problems that are regular users of such products.


in health and medical, like aviation, you get nothing for nothing, there is always a trade off.

[air pig]

Could always try cat milk instead or cat food as it is usually added to it as a pate with melba toast, just by the way of a change.