Spring Break
UTSA grad develops energy drink
NERD boosts memory, increases focus
By: Joaquin Villegas
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: News
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He formulated the drink in 2006 during his senior year. He is now a medical student in the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Montes said NERD is the first energy drink to have a memory-boosting blend of ingredients. The unusual mix of energy and focusing capabilities has made the drink a hit among athletes, gamers and college students all over the world.
The drink's formula calls for traditional energy supplements, such as guarana, taurine and caffeine, among others. However, the ingredients that help enhance memory are rarer among other energy drinks.
The ingredients range from the traditional, such as Chinese gingko biloba, to the most advanced supplements such as vinpocetine, the most powerful memory-enhancer known to date.
"I was working 40-50 hours a week, taking 17 credit hours and studying for the MCAT," Montes said, "and I needed a drink that could provide me with energy but also help my focus, not just make me bounce off the walls with energy."
Because he couldn't find a drink to fit that description, Montes decided to create one of his own and began to research medical journals for ingredients that helped with energy, focus and memory retention.
"My organic chemistry professors were of great help," Montes said. "They helped me improve on the quality of the drink."
Montes attributed his decision to go to medical school to NERD.
"If it weren't for NERD, I would have never been able to pull all the [all]-nighters I did," Montes said.
Noticing Montes' unseemingly limitless focused energy, he said his friends started asking for his secret.
"I was making up to 50 bottles a week for my friends," Montes said, "and some suggested that I should start selling it."
NERD has become a favorite among many college students. In a blind taste trial by an independent source of over 500 students, 87.5 percent of students picked NERD over other leading energy drinks in the market like Monster, Red Bull and Rockstar.
Jack Lopez, a senior marketing major, is an avid believer in the drink.
"When I first tried NERD, it didn't have that weird aftertaste most energy drinks have," Lopez said, "and it really does help you retain information better when you are studying."
Another way in which NERD helps students reach their true potential is through scholarships. The scholarships are awarded to students at UTSA. The first one was awarded in 2008. Montes wanted to give the scholarships in order to give back to the university where NERD got its start.
"NERD helped me become what I am now," Montes said. "So I want NERD to help other students reach a higher level of learning."
NERD is distributed by Temple Dr. Pepper Bottling and can be found at H-E-B and local gas stations.
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