Coffee and soda were once “all the rage” when it came to needing a quick fix. But these days, traditional caffeinated drinks have given way to a wildly popular craze. Energy drinks.
Drinks like Red Bull and Rockstar have become the focus of consumers looking for pep. These Big Boys claim to have the answer to everything from exhaustion to athletic stamina.
In fact, Red Bull sponsors well-known athletes like racer Bryce Menzies and snowboarder Travis Rice. And Rockstar sponsors a line of BMX racers, skiers, and surfers.
Sure, these captivating ads make drinks like these seem exotic and necessary. However, there’s a dark side to energy drinks. And that dark side can be translated to just one word: DANGER.
If there was a cautionary flag in the way of beverages, it would fly front and center on these seemingly innocent finds. Companies plaster health benefits like vitamins and herbal supplements across these drinks. Some are even labeled as “dietary supplements.” But these not-so-innocent finds can lead unknowing consumers straight to the hospital.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an alarming amount of emergency room visits has been seen as a result of energy drinks. And this number is on the rise.
In 2007, just over ten thousand emergency room visits were attributed to energy drinks. However, this number had doubled by 2011, with more than twenty thousand emergency room visits reportedly connected to these liquid concoctions.
Even more concerning, middle-aged Americans are partaking in this trend. While the highest number of emergency room visits was seen in those between the ages 18 and 39, the biggest increase in overall numbers was seen in those forty and over, with an increase of 279 percent. (The numbers jumped from 1,382 reported emergency room visits in 2007 to more than 5,000 reported visits in 2011. That’s one heck of a leap.)
But just what makes these drinks so dangerous?
One of the biggest concerns of energy drinks is cardiovascular risk. According to Live Science, one particular study concluded that drinking one (yes, just one) 16-ounce energy drink raised both blood pressure and a hormone called norepinephrine (a relative of adrenaline) in study subjects.
And that’s not all.
According to Seconds Count (SCAI), other studies have linked energy drinks to heart palpitations. In one such study, nearly 20 percent of college students who consumed energy drinks had heart palpitations.
Perhaps one of the greatest reasons for this cardiovascular risk lies in the amount of caffeine that can be found in energy drinks. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, energy drinks can contain up to 357 milligrams of caffeine. However, that number differs based on the drink. For example, one 16-ounce Rockstar contains 160 mg of caffeine. But one Rockstar Citrus Punched contains 240 mg of caffeine.
Here’s where the problem emerges. Medical professionals say that the average adult should limit caffeine consumption to about 400 mg per day. So if you have just one Rockstar, you’re still in the limits of health. That said, many people don’t stop at just one. They consume energy drinks throughout the day, which makes the amount of caffeine consumed reach well beyond recommended limits.
Excess caffeine in general can lead to a number of health conditions in adults. Not only can it cause jitteriness, it can reduce insulin sensitivity and increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. In addition, it can cause nausea, vomiting, and even convulsions.
At the center of this debate, some argue that the caffeine found in energy drinks is no different than that in other beverages. However, experts disagree. Research published in the journal Frontiers compares the effects of caffeine in coffee to caffeine in energy drinks. “Although some types of coffee can have caffeine levels comparable to energy drinks, coffee is typically consumed hot and consequently more slowly,” note the authors.
Also of concern is adolescent behavior associated with energy drinks. According to Elsevier, it is estimated that 31 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 consume energy drinks regularly. This comes with dangerous risks.
Research shows that adolescents who consume energy drinks may engage in sensation seeking behavior, smoking, and binge drinking. In addition, the risk of depression is increased. Further, experts say that some adolescents who consume energy drinks struggle with behavior modification and cognitive capabilities.
In addition, experts argue that energy drinks may elevate the risk of alcohol dependence, saying that neuropharmacogolic effects associated with caffeine in general drive one’s ability to become addicted to other substances.
Plus, energy drinks can be loaded with sugar. According to Today’s Dietician, the average amount of sugar in an energy drink has been determined to be about 25 grams in an eight ounce serving. But authority figures say that some of these larger drinks contain as much as 108 grams of sugar.
The World Health Organization recommends that the average consumer limit sugar to about 25 grams per day. So a sugar-loaded energy drink could be laced with more than four times the recommended daily intake. This means that rather than promoting caffeine-induced weight loss, sugar-loaded energy drinks could actually drive weight gain.
Researchers are just now beginning to piece together the effects of energy drinks on weight gain. For example, “a small study of 10 healthy young women found that energy drink consumption increased carbohydrate oxidation and reduced lipid oxidation relative to a lemonade drink with an equivalent amount of sucrose,” according to Today’s Dietician. “The researchers suggested that energy drinks could cause lipogenesis and contribute to obesity. They also recommended that the longer-term effects of combined caffeine and sucrose intake, particularly in sedentary individuals, on the promotion of lipogenesis and insulin resistance in relation to frequency of consumption needs to be studied.”
And even more concerning are the consequences of combining energy drinks with alcohol. According to the CDC, caffeine can mask the effects of alcohol when energy drinks and caffeine are combined. However, blood alcohol content is not reduced by caffeine. So it can feel like you’re less intoxicated than you are. Consequently, those who drink combinations of alcohol and energy drinks are three times as likely to binge drink compared to those who don’t mix alcohol and energy drinks.
Makes you think twice about reaching for an energy drink, doesn’t it?