What's the Buzz with Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks have become extremely popular, especially among college students looking for a pick-me-up to get through the day. Yet these energy drinks are not all they’re cracked up to be. Energy drinks should not be used to replace nourishing food, or in combination with alcohol, and they may be harmful to your body.
Energy drinks as fuel
Energy drinks should not be used in place of meals or healthy snacks. Though some drinks do contain certain vitamins and carbohydrates, whole foods can provide more nutrients for your body. Snacks such as fruit, yogurt, or whole grain cereal bars are better choices when you are low on energy. Yogurt smoothies and nutritional shakes are drinkable options.
Energy drinks and hydration
For busy students, it may be tempting to replace healthy beverages like water with energy drinks because of the misconception that they will provide more energy. The caffeine present in energy drinks can contribute to dehydration, and energy drinks may also cause gastric distress during exercise due to a high sugar (or artificial sweetener) concentration. Additionally, some energy drinks are carbonated. Bubbles from carbonated beverages take up space in the stomach and can give a false sense of fullness, so one may end up drinking less fluid than needed. Water and/or sports drinks are better choices for hydration before, during, and after a workout. The National Athletic Trainers Association recommends:
- Drink 17-20 fluid ounces 2-3 hours prior to working out
- Drink 7-10 fluid ounces 15-20 minutes prior to working out
- Drink 7-10 fluid ounces every 10-20 minutes during your workout
- After your workout, drink 16-24 fluid ounces for every pound you lost in sweat. Try to do this within 2 hours.
The dangers of energy drinks
Energy drinks often contain amounts of caffeine higher than the maximum amount that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows in cola beverages (45.3 mg/8.4oz.). High intakes of caffeine (greater than 300 mg per day) may have detrimental health effects in the short term, such as headaches, anxiety, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and insomnia. In the long term, too much caffeine may contribute to low bone density and may harm unborn children and nursing babies (if consumed by the mother). Besides caffeine, some energy drinks contain large amounts of calories with few nutrients. Excess calories can contribute to unnecessary weight gain. Check out the table below for the caffeine and calorie content of certain energy drinks and other beverages.
BEVERAGE |
SERVING SIZE (fl. oz.) |
CAFFEINE (mg) |
CALORIES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull™ | 8.3 |
66.7 |
115 |
| Red Bull™ Sugar Free | 8.3 |
69.7 |
10 |
| Sobe® Adrenaline Rush | 8.3 |
76.7 |
140 |
| Sobe® No Fear | 16 |
141.1 |
260 |
| Amp™ | 8.3 |
69.6 |
114 |
| Brewed coffee (black) | 8 |
65-120 |
0 |
| Brewed tea (black) | 8 |
20-110 |
0 |
| Coca-Cola® | 12 |
29.5 |
146 |
| Diet Coke® | 12 |
38.2 |
0 |
| Pepsi® | 12 |
31.7 |
152 |
| Diet Pepsi® | 12 |
27.4 |
0 |
| Mountain Dew® | 12 |
45.4 |
165 |
Energy drinks may contain substances like guarana and taurine. Guarana comes from a South American plant and is a stimulant more potent than caffeine. The FDA has banned the sale of products containing guarana in the United States. Taurine is an amino acid naturally present in protein foods, but it may have harmful health effects when combined with alcohol. Alcohol negatively impacts taurine homeostasis, which can lead to increased impairment.
When drinking a combination of alcohol and an energy drink, the energy drink may blunt a person’s perception of headache, weakness, and dry mouth, but not objective motor coordination and visual reaction time. Thus one may feel less intoxicated and end up drinking more without realizing the full effects of the alcohol.
For more information, make an appointment to speak with a Registered Dietitian at the McKinley Health Center’s Sportwell Center or Health Education Unit by calling 244-0261 or 333-2714.
References
Ferreira SE et al. Effects of energy drink ingestion on alcohol intoxication. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2006; 30:598-605.Fink HH, Burgoon LA, Mikesky AE. Practical Applications in Sports Nutrition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2006.
Finnegan D. The health effects of stimulant drinks. British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin. 2003; 28:147-155.
Jay SM, Petrilli RM, Ferguson SA, Dawson D, Lamond N. The suitability of a caffeinated energy drink for nigh-shift workers. Physiology and Behavior. 2006:925-931.
Kundrat S. 101 Sports Nutrition Tips. Coaches Choice, 2005.
McCusker, RR, Goldberger, BA, Cone, EJ. Caffeine content of energy drinks, carbonated sodas, and other beverages. Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 2006; 30:112-114.
Scholey AB, Kennedy DO. Cognitive and physiological effects of an “energy drink:” an evaluation of the whole drink and of glucose, caffeine and herbal flavouring fractions. Psychopharmacology. 2004; 176:320-330.
CalorieKing Web site, search for energy drinks.