Product Review: Rev3 Energy Drink

* Top Pick *   Product Information

One of my favorite USANA products is the Rev3 energy drink, which comes in two forms: a can or a powder.

There are lots of energy drinks on the market - almost all of them promise a major buzz, surge of energy, athletic performance, mental edge - so how are you going to decide between them?  Same way you decide on anything - try them all.  So, with that in mind, I have had several over the years.  Here's what I thought based on two factors most people use: taste and energy.

• Red Bull - nasty taste - cough syrup is an antidote.  Extreme buzz - my head tingles - not in a good way.  Like drinking 8 cups of coffee - jittery.  People must drink this on a dare and then get hooked.
• Bawls - guarana / berry flavor is tolerable.  My head tingles.  Jittery, irritable.
• Monster - didn't like the taste, and again, the jitters were noticeable, a bit less than the others.
• There was another blue one whose name I forget - its taste put them all to shame.  I couldn't drink enough of it to get an energy boost.  Are they all designed to taste that bad?
  
• Rev3 cans - Citrus / berry / pomegranate flavor is lightly carbonated and pretty good, though it may take a few sips to adapt.  It's not designed to be sweet, but isn't as tart as grapefruit.   Energy wise, it doesn't cause me jitters unless I chug it or combine with coffee.  I get about 5 hours of steady energy boost from one 12 ounce can, measured in mental focus and physical energy - and no crash later.  From what I understand, the L-Carnitine makes a difference in muscle energy.  [Ingredients]
• Rev3 Surge (powder) - lemon tea flavor, with an herbal component.  You control the intensity.  Too much water, and it tastes weak.  Too little water, and you'll pucker.  Read the label and you're good - 12-14 ounces of water is perfect - it tastes like lightly sweetened tea with lemon added. For the energy component, I've used these for 10 hour drives with great success.  Start driving around noon, add a Surge Pack to a bottle of water midway through, and for the last 5 hours I'm totally focused, and can still sleep fine that night.  Without that help, after about 8 hours I'm starting to fade.  Anyone who's driven 10-12 hours until nighttime knows you still want mental focus at the end of the trip. [Ingredients]  Did I mention it's 10 calories and naturally sweetened?  Yes, you read that right.  

One of the main reasons Rev3 is, in my mind, superior, is its natural, low glycemic formula.  No artificial sweeteners are needed if you use the right natural sweeteners.  Think about it - the company that makes it uses real, peer reviewed science and very expensive quality testing in its other products, so why would they cut corners on their energy drink?  The combined sources of natural caffeine have a synergistic effect, so you don't need 200 milligrams.  This has been used by professional athletes to gear up for or recover from a race.

For a winter surprise... Believe it or not, if you put either version of Rev3 in a coffee cup and heat it in a microwave for about 30 seconds, it's actually pretty good heated up.  I try not to exceed 170 degrees to avoid damaging the vitamins and other vital components, so if it's too hot to sip, it's probably too hot.

The only downside to Rev3 in cans is the shipping cost.  It adds about 80 cents per can, when shipped 2,000 miles from Utah to Alabama, so it ends up being a little more than a 16 ounce Red Bull.  I'm told there's a possible freight option for orders of 50+ cases (600 cans), so my plan is to find a few retailers in Mobile that want to stock it.  When I tell the retailers that they're authorized for the compensation plan and can make enough commissions to more than pay for the product entirely, I expect a few will be willing to stock it.

If you're a retailer who has control over what you stock, contact me and I'll be happy to send you a sample and discuss how to begin retailing Rev3.  If you know four other retailers, you can even get your product for free with the compensation plan.

If you're an individual who wants to try it or if you want a local store to stock it, email me at markjholmes@usana.com.

Visit the Product Information link at the top of this post to see a summary or to order.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.