Energy drinks can enhance performance and mental clarity. However, they may be causing more harm than good. The drinks may increase tolerance, blood pressure, present risk of stroke, present problems in psychiatric patients and present risks for irregularities in heart rhythms.
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Stephanie L. Ballard, PharmD, BCPS, said energy drinks contain ingredients that may not be healthy.
“The drinks have their place in public endeavors but they need to be recognized as substances with active ingredients,” said Ballard.
Most energy drinks contain caffeine, taurine, sucrose, guarana, ginseng, niacin, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin.
However, caffeine is the main ingredient. Ballard said the Food and Drug Administration limits caffeine to 71 mg per soft drink, but some energy drinks contain up to 505 mg, which is equivalent to 14 cans of Coca-Cola. Ballard said, the more caffeine a person ingests, the more they will need over time to achieve the same effect.
“People don’t think about how much caffeine they are receiving. It’s easy to drink coffee in the morning and an energy drink later,” said Ballard. “Daily caffeine intake creates tolerance. Benefits are subject to diminishing returns over time.”
Tolerance can be lowered by avoiding the drinks for seven days and then consuming it right before intense activity, like a 5K run.
Taurine is another main ingredient in most energy drinks.
“Some taurine doses are high. There isn’t enough research to know the extent of its effect or a recommended daily value, so it can’t really be known what’s too high,” said Ballard.
The sugar found in energy drinks is supposed to increase performance.
“People might drink them to lose weight, but if they’re full of sugar, it’s not a good idea,” said Ballard.
However, not all the ingredients in energy drinks are potentially harmful. Ginseng has no evidence of bettering performance, but enhances mental ability. B vitamins like niacin, pyridoxine and cyanocobalamin increase metabolic rates.
Brandon Sherlock, junior biology major, said he experienced both the benefits and pitfalls of energy drinks.
“Energy drinks keep me awake and give me a rush for the first hour after consuming them. But afterwards I get really exhausted,” he said.
Ballard said many people choose to ingest energy drinks even though they are aware of their faults because of accessibility. However, she said that energy drinkers could develop what is called “toxic jock identity,” which is characterized by hyper masculinity and risk-taking behaviors in college-age athletes.
“People combining energy drinks and alcohol end up not feeling as inebriated, but their judgment is just as impaired,” she said.
Ballard, Jennifer J. Well-born Kim, PharmD, BCPS, and Kevin A. Clauson, PharmD, published the article “Effects of Commercial Energy Drink Consumption on Athletic Performance and Body Composition” in April in The Physician and Sports Medicine journal.
