Weird Science

Red Bull found to mitigate pain

The idea that pounding a Red Bull may increase the amount of pain a person can tolerate has to be one of the more bizarre pieces of science ever. Somewhere in America, there’s a Red Bull marketing team that’s probably enjoying a fat bonus for convincing biology and math students at Winona State University in Minnesota to conduct this study and get it published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Here’s what I’ve figured out from the abstract: First, test subjects submerged their hands in frigid water and the researchers recorded when the subjects felt pain and then how long they could endure it. The subjects were handed a Red Bull, and 30 minutes later, again plunged their hands into the ice water. The study abstract pointed out that “there appeared to be a significant increase in pain tolerance after Red Bull consumption.”

Armed with this info. I suppose rock climbers can now justify hauling cases of Red Bull to the base of their climbs and knocking back a can after setting every pitch—“It helps make the pain go away!” And I also expect that Red Bull’s cadre of stunt athletes will now be handed a can of Red Bull to slug back before the ambulance hauls them off to the hospital to repair whatever body part they shattered. Of course, I can’t forget the army of college students who will now turn to Red Bull to help them get over their hangovers.

Sorry to sound cynical: I just can’t escape the feeling that this is one of the shrewder marketing ploys of all time. I’ll leave you to test whether or not Red Bull does boost your pain tolerance. Personally, I could do without the blue and silver can’s dense jolt of caffeine and sugar.

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READERS COMMENTS

Caffine is a vasoconstrictor, and thus decreases circulation in the extremities, ( ever notice how your hands get cold after your morning coffee?). Weather this would starve nerve cells of oxygen, making them less sensitive is a long shot.

More likely, the reason for the observed result is that caffine is also a mood elevator. Many people (including contributors to Backpacker) have observed that pain, fatigue, and even survival is related to mental state. The test subjects were probably just enjoying the pain more.
Posted: Aug 01, 2008 FIZZY

how did the study compare those with the redbull stimulant to the control group that should have had some sort of placebo?
Posted: Jul 28, 2008 random bob

Thanks for picking up the snafu. We fixed it.

Posted: Jul 28, 2008 Grant

This study sounds misinterpreted. Redbull is full of stimulants... which would lead one to think that increased circulation may make submerging ones hands in cold water take longer to cool down to the point of pain since the warm blood is carrying heat to the region faster as well as carrying cold blood out faster... maybe?
Posted: Jul 25, 2008 Anon

Didn't see those other comments b4......
Posted: Jul 25, 2008 Anon

The first line makes it sound like RB reduced pain tolerance, the rest of the article sounds like it increased pain tolerance. Just sayin.
Posted: Jul 25, 2008 Anon

increase, not reduce
Posted: Jul 25, 2008 bob

So the beginning of your article clains that Red Bull reduces pain tolerance, and the latter half says that it increases pain tolerance.

/confused.
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 Rob

"The idea that pounding a Red Bull may reduce the amount of pain a person can tolerate..."

Surely you mean Increase the amount of pain a person can tolerate.
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 JC

I see no mention of a control group which put their hand into cold water twice without the Red Bull. Maybe all it takes is putting your hand in cold water and then waiting half an hour.
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 Topher

"The idea that pounding a Red Bull may reduce the amount of pain a person can tolerate has to be one of the more bizarre pieces of science ever."

Not as bizarre as dyslexic writers and editors.
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 AT Hikerman

"The idea that pounding a Red Bull may REDUCE the amount of pain a person can tolerate has to be one of the more bizarre pieces of science ever."

Uh, don't you mean "increase"?
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 F Hawthorne

Gee, sounds like a really scientific study to me. You don't think after the first exposure to the cold water the participants could then tolerate the exposure better for the second group. And where's the control group. Which monkeys write these articles? In fact it's an insult to link this to science.
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 Anonymous

"The idea that pounding a Red Bull may reduce the amount of pain a person can tolerate has to be one of the more bizarre pieces of science ever."

Sorry to do your editing for you, but shouldn't that be 'Red Bull may increase the amount of pain a person can tolerate'?
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 Grammer Joe

Grab a Red Bull effortlessly from a bin of ice water, drink up, repeat.
Posted: Jul 24, 2008 Stile E. Coyote