Effects of Energy Drinks on Your Health
People often consume ultra-processed “energy drinks” as a much-needed pick-me-up to get them through the day. But while the promise of increased mental and physical performance is attractive, it hides the lesser-known health risks that could be causing harm.
Popular energy drinks contain additives, including caffeine, sugar, and legal stimulants like L-carnitine, guarana, and taurine. While those legal stimulants increase alertness, attention, and energy, they also raise blood pressure, heart, and breathing rate and contribute to dehydration, insomnia, and anxiety. Research also suggests that the adverse effects of energy drinks on blood vessel function may connect to more severe cardiovascular problems.
In one study, researchers at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston conducted a controlled experiment on 44 students and the effects of energy drink consumption. They discovered that all the subjects' blood vessels narrowed to nearly half their size 90 minutes after consuming a large energy drink.
The smaller the vessels, the more challenging it is for the heart to pump blood to various body parts, including the lungs and brain. The decreased blood flow can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, or even a heart attack. According to the researchers, these problematic effects are likely due to the energy drink's combination of caffeine, taurine, sugar, and "herbals."
Another report in the US declares that 1,499 adolescents aged between 12 and 17 got rushed to hospital for an energy drink-related emergency in 2011 alone.
Many scientists agree that caffeine can help improve individual cognitive performance in moderate doses, such as vigilance, attention, and alertness. And caffeine enhances endurance more than short-term, high-intensity, or strength activities.
Regardless of which energy drink you choose or whether you prefer naturally caffeinated drinks like coffee or green tea, here are five tips to remember about caffeine:
Tips for Caffeine Drinkers
Tip #1: If you choose to use caffeine to increase performance, try it before the day of an event or occasion to assess your tolerance. Caffeine may help, but you might not need it.
Tip #2: More caffeine won't improve your performance, and higher doses may have adverse side effects.
Tip #3: Avoid caffeine for at least six hours before bedtime so it doesn't interfere with sleep.
Tip #4: Caffeine can boost mental performance temporarily, but it's not a substitute for quality sleep and nutrition.
Tip #5: Watch out for caffeine supplements combined with other stimulants. Very little information exists about the safety of combining caffeine with other ingredients.
References & Further Reading
https://newsroom.heart.org/news/just-one-energy-drink-may-hurt-blood-vessel-function?preview=48c0
Seifert SM, Schaechter JL, Hershorin ER, Lipshultz SE. Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatrics. 2011:127(3), 511-528.
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. The DAWN Report: Update on Emergency Department Visits Involving Energy Drinks: A Continuing Public Health Concern. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; 2013.
Al-Shaar L, Vercammen K, Lu C, Richardson S, Tamez M, Mattei J. Health Effects and Public Health Concerns of Energy Drink Consumption in the United States: A Mini-Review. Front Public Health. 2017;5:225.
Ehlers A, Marakis G, Lampen A, Hirsch-Ernst KI. Risk assessment of energy drinks with a focus on cardiovascular parameters and energy drink consumption in Europe. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2019 Aug 1;130:109-21.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Buzz on Energy Drinks. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/energy.htm Accessed 8/21/19.
Pound CM, Blair B; Canadian Paediatric Society, Nutrition and Gastroenterology Committee, Ottawa, Ontario. Energy and sports drinks in children and adolescents. Paediatr Child Health. 2017 Oct;22(7):406-410.
De Sanctis V, Soliman N, Soliman AT, Elsedfy H, Di Maio S, El Kholy M, Fiscina B. Caffeinated energy drink consumption among adolescents and potential health consequences associated with their use: a significant public health hazard. Acta Biomed. 2017 Aug 23;88(2):222-231.
Wiggers D, Asbridge M, Baskerville NB, Reid JL, Hammond D. Exposure to Caffeinated Energy Drink Marketing and Educational Messages among Youth and Young Adults in Canada. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Feb 21;16(4).
