Energy drinks are commonly advertised as goods that provide a boost in energy while also improving mental alertness and athletic performance. Energy drinks are the most common dietary supplement eaten by teenagers and young adults in the United States, second only to multivitamins. Men between the ages of 18 and 34 years use the greatest number of energy drinks, while almost one-third of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 years consume them on a regular basis.
There are two types of energy drink products on the market. One comes in containers that are comparable in size to those of typical soft drinks, such as a 16-ounce bottle of soda water. Energy shots, on the other hand, are concentrated liquids that are supplied in little canisters that accommodate 2 to 212 ounces of the concentrated drink. Coffee is a key component in both kinds of energy drink products, with amounts ranging from 70 to 240 mg in a 16-ounce drink and 113 to 200 mg in an energy shot. Caffeine is found in high concentrations in both types of energy drink products. (By way of contrast, a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has about 35 mg of caffeine, while an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains around 100 mg of caffeine.) Other components that may be included in energy drinks include guarana (another source of caffeine that is frequently referred to as Brazilian cocoa), carbohydrates, taurine, ginseng, B vitamins, glucuronolactone, yohimbe, carnitine, and bitter orange, among others.
It is very dangerous to use energy drinks, which creates serious safety issues.
- Over a five-year period, the frequency of emergency room visits associated with energy drinks more than doubled. In 2011, one out of every ten of these visits ended in a hospital admission.
- About a quarter of college students combine alcoholic beverages with energy drinks, and they binge drink substantially more often than those who do not mix the two beverages.
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinkers aged 15 to 23 who combine alcohol with energy drinks are four times more likely to binge drink at a high intensity (i.e., consume six or more drinks per binge episode) than drinkers who do not combine alcohol with energy beverages.
- Consuming alcoholic beverages while also consuming energy drinks increases the likelihood of reporting unwanted or unprotected sex, driving while intoxicated or riding with a driver who was intoxicated, and suffering alcohol-related injuries compared to those who do not consume alcoholic beverages while intoxicated.
- For the year 2011, 42 percent of all energy drink-related emergency room visits included the use of these drinks in conjunction with alcoholic or illicit substances (such as marijuana or over-the-counter or prescription medicines).
The bottom line is as follows:
- As scientific data accumulates, it is becoming clear that energy drinks may have negative health consequences, especially in children and teens as well as young adults.
- Energy drinks have been shown to increase physical endurance in a number of tests, but there is little evidence that they have any impact on muscular strength or power. However, although energy drinks may increase awareness and response speed, they may also impair the ability to maintain steady hand movements.
- The levels of caffeine included in energy drinks vary greatly, and the exact quantity of caffeine present may not be readily discernible from the label. While some energy drinks are sold as beverages, some energy drinks are marketed as nutritional supplements. There is no need that the quantity of caffeine included on the label of any kind of product be declared on the label.
Safety
- Increased caffeine intake may result in significant heart and blood vessel disorders, such as cardiac rhythm abnormalities and increases in heart rate and blood pressure, when consumed in large quantities. Caffeine may also have negative effects on children's cardiovascular and neurological systems, which are still growing.
- The use of caffeinated beverages may also be connected with anxiety, sleep issues, digestive disorders, and dehydration, among other things.
- Caffeine may be found in guarana, which is widely used in energy drinks. As a result, the inclusion of guarana raises the overall caffeine concentration of the beverage significantly.
- Caffeinated beverages combined with alcohol may cause people to lose track of how drunk they are; they may feel less drunk than they would have if they had not consumed caffeine, but their motor coordination and reaction time may be just as impaired as they would have been if they had not consumed caffeine.
- Excessive usage of energy drinks may interfere with teenagers' sleep cycles and may be connected with greater risk-taking behaviour in adolescents.
- Depending on the energy drink, it may include 54 to 62 grammes of added sugar in a single 16-ounce bottle, which surpasses the maximum amount of added sugars allowed for an entire day.
