Are Energy Drinks Worth Consuming?

The Energy Drink

The modern day energy drink is a non-alcoholic drink that is advertised as being an ideal way to increase energy levels, thereby improving general feelings of well being. Whereas traditional sources of energy come from food (caloric energy), energy drinks are designed specifically to increase mental awareness and physical performance through the addition of certain substances. These include ingredients such as caffeine, vitamins, and supplements. Combined together they create a stimulant effect greater than that which can be achieved through the intake of caffeine alone.

Typically, energy drinks contain vitamin B, taurine, acai, and guarana, as well as caffeine, ginseng, maltodextrin, and ginkgo biloba. Many also contain high levels of sugars, or some type of artificial sweetener. The main additive is caffeine, the same stimulant that is found in coffee or tea, although the effects in an energy drink have been enhanced through the addition of the other additives.

Energy drinks have been on the market, though not necessarily touted as such, for far longer than generally thought. The most common brand, Red Bull, was introduced in 1997. Considering that this product makes up nearly 50% of the global market for energy drinks, it is incorrectly assumed that the energy drink is something that has only appeared in the late 20th century; this is most certainly not the case. Asian cultures have been putting herbs into drinks for centuries as a means of stimulating the imbiber.

The modern energy drink can be traced back to the product from Scotland called Irn-Bru, (pronounced Iron Brew) in 1901; at the time it was simply known as Strachan’s Brew. In Japan the modern energy drink appeared on the shelves as recently as the 1960s with a product called Lipovitan, the original recipe for what is now sold as Red Bull. Known as genki drinks, in Japan, such beverages are usually sold in small glass medicine bottles or cans, rather than marketed as a soft drink. Gatorade was probably the first mass-marketed drink designed and marketed specifically for the enhancement of athletic performance, but it does not contain stimulants; rather, Gatorade relies upon electrolytes and rehydration as a means of improving performance levels.

Today, the energy drink market is a massive and very profitable one. In 2007, the worldwide market was worth $5.4 billion, and Goldman Sachs and Mintel have predicted that it will reach $10 billion in 2010. Ironically enough, the organizations behind the most successful energy drinks are smaller companies, and while the major brands such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola have tried to match the success of these smaller companies, they have not as yet succeeded.

The Good, The Bad

Energy drinks produce a variety of so-called beneficial psychological and physiological effects. These effects are only short-term as defined by the drink’s nature – a stimulant. Even so, there have been studies undertaken to determine whether or not energy drinks can improve mental and cognitive performance as well as physical performance. While there is little doubt that over short periods of time there may be improvements in cognitive and physical response times, the long-term effects of stimulants can lead to “crashing” or “burnout”, wherein the body literally shuts down.

Energy drinks have actually been banned in certain countries. Denmark considers Red Bull to be an illegal substance. France had banned Red Bull up until 2008 due to the fact that an 18-year-old athlete died while playing basketball, having consumed four cans of the drink. The French Scientific Committee determined that the young person died as a result of excessive amounts of caffeine in his bloodstream (i.e., as a direct result of consuming Red Bull).

Fit and healthy adults are also warned about consuming too many energy drinks in one session. Excessive caffeine intake can lead to some fairly serious side effects. Many other stimulants within the drinks can also enhance the effects of the caffeine, such as ginseng, and these enhancements have been linked to nausea and abnormal heart rhythms. Emergency room visits have resulted when patients have experienced a seizure as a result of the “crash” when ‘coming down’ from an energy drink high. Since energy drinks do not provide electrolytes and the caffeine in these beverages extracts water from the body to dilute the high concentrations of sugar entering the bloodstream, the body can quickly become dehydrated without the individual realizing what has occurred.

The Ugly

According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate amounts of caffeine are not enough to cause harm to a normally proportioned adult. A moderate amount is generally defined to be between 200 and 300 milligrams. Massive doses, however, or those around 500-600 mg daily, can lead to insomnia, restlessness, tremors, and impaired cognitive abilities. Recent studies have focused upon investigating whether or not excessive amounts of caffeine have any effect upon blood pressure. Some studies have shown that caffeine can cause a short-term spike in blood pressure. Other studies have shown a marked decrease in blood pressure; in one case specifically when a woman consumed six cups of caffeinated coffee a day and had a drastic decrease in her blood pressure as opposed to the anticipated spike. Since the evidence is relatively inconclusive at this point, it is still the subject of ongoing research and no definitive conclusions can be made.

The 8.3oz can of Red Bull only contains 80mg of caffeine, although the larger cans of brands such as Rockstar can contain up to 160 mg. Consuming either of those brands would still require an individual to drink several cans a day to reach the amount that the Mayo Clinic considers to be within the acceptable range.

Despite the fact that the caffeine levels are not dangerous, the American Heart Association has advised limits on energy drink consumption, specifically for those people who are already exhibiting signs of hypertension. This conclusion is based upon a 2007 Wayne State University study.

The study involved 15 healthy young participants who were monitored for seven days and were drinking a single can of an energy drink per day. These individuals exhibited a significant rise in their heart rates by day seven. No one is quite sure why this happened, but it is thought likely to be linked to the various other minerals and vitamins within energy drinks that combined with the caffeine to produce a stimulant effect that the body was ill-prepared to handle. While there is nothing conclusive at this point there is sufficient evidence to warrant caution when consuming these products.

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