Saturday, December 20, 2008

Tight!


In the realm of energy products, you've also got your weight-loss and workout aids, often times in the form of drinks. By a stroke of luck, I've come across Tight!, a fat-burning workout aid energy drink, which I found at a dollar store. The fact that this was only a buck could mean something about this drink, but I'm not too bothered; I'm only glad to have a drink like this for under two bucks. Tight comes in a unique package, a compact 8oz aluminum bottle with a twist-off plastic cap. The word "Tight!" is slapped upon the front of the bottle in big, bold, stylish small-cap letters and beside it, it claims to burn fat and increase energy. Tight! also tells us that it contains natural and artificial flavors and is Aspartame-free. I like the simple and clean packaging of Tight! and its use has me eager to test it out.

Tight! has me remove a plastic wrapper and twist off the bright yellow cap. I decide that it makes sense to shake and I shake the bottle vigorously. Peering into the wide opening, I notice the color to be a sort of cloudy pinkish-tan color. When I catch a whiff, I'm half disappointed and half excited. The smell isn't too pungent, and it smells like a half-natural, half-artificial black cherry and not much else. Sipping this, the first thing I notice is that it's very thin, which is very good if you're expecting to exercise. You don't want a drink that'll choke you with its gumminess. When I get to the flavor, I'm very delighted. I meet a very, very nice, sweet cherry with a little clean nuttiness on the side that adds texture. Tight! is not carbonated which also makes it very smooth. The sweetness associated with this is also very tasty, coming from a combination of Ace-K and Sucralose. I must say this drink is very refreshing and also extremely tasty, already making it a winner with me. The cherry is a perfect combination between fruity, pulpy, natural cherry and smooth artificial cherry, and I'm getting the feeling that there's some almond in here. At the end of your sip, the Ace-K and Sucralose linger as they do in every drink. Depending on your stance on artificial sweeteners, this may be irritating or no problem at all. This drink is only starting to get old about a third of the way in, but I'm not stopping for that reason. A third of the way in, I'm already feeling a good boost, and I feel like I could work it off right now. This is where I will pause and let these supplements work their magic.

Wow! When this drink claimed to increase energy, it wasn't kidding. One-third of a bottle delivered heaping mounds of energy, which blew me away. I knew this would be huge when I started feeling jittery right after taking a few sips. I can't begin to comprehend what in a normal energy drink would yield such an intense boost. I have to look closely at Tight!'s energy list, or what they call, "Proprietary Thermogenic Complex." A mere 375mg of this complex amounts to insane amounts of energy. This thermogenic blend contains a plethora of new substances for me: Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, EGCG, Synephrine, Pure Guggulsterones E &Z, Sclareolide, Yohimbine, Vinpocetine, and Bioperine. I think I'm in for a good fifteen minutes of researching nearly each one of these one by one. First, EGCG is a substance abundant in tea that is an antioxidant, and may protect the skin from UV rays. This substance is also believed to be and has been shown in tests to promote weight loss by burning more calories in the body. Now that I know that, I understand why it's found in Tight! And I think I'll drink more green tea. Next is Synephrine, a drug that is also aimed at promoting weight loss, although there might be slight concern with this one as it could pose risks in conjunction with caffeine. Guggulesterones, from what I've found, are another type of substance aimed at burning fat. This one scares me a bit, seeing that it's related to body building, but I'll bypass that for now. Sclareolide, as far as I can tell, is used for fragrance and flavor, which I find odd, but whatever. Yohimbine is another drug, coming from the bark of a West-African tree, that claims to be an aphrodisiac, although it also is meant for, once again, fat burning. In higher doses, Yohimbine, like a lot of these other substances, has its risks, including high blood pressure, insomnia, and anxiety. At this point, I'm not too comfortable with this ingredients list, but I am thankful I only drank a small portion. The second to last ingredient is Vinpocetine, which is what they call a vasodilator, an agent that dilates, or opens up, your blood vessels, which would improve your performance in exercise. Vinepocetine also improves memory, being a cognitive enhancer. All of these very odd and interesting ingredients have their risks, which worries me. I might now understand why this is at the dollar store. The contents of this, to most people except body builders, are extremely potent. A mere one-third bottle was enough to keep me wired and totally pumped for a good thirty minutes, or about as long as it took me to workout. From then, I felt a little fatigued and decided to eat. Overall, I wouldn't straight-out recommend Tight!, but I would remark upon its incredible energy-giving and fat-burning formula.

Taste: 7.6 - A very strong, sweet flavor, to be expected from a thermogenic
Kick: 9.8 - Intense energy, even a bit dangerous
Overall: 8 - I wouldn't take my chances with one, but this is very potent

Reviewed by: Jeff

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Reviewers

Jeffery "Jeff," Chandler "Chan"