There is an interminable war going on in the college world. This is not a war highlighted by the six-o-clock news on CNN, nor is it a war read about in AP U.S. History books — it is a war known only by students, and quite frankly, it isn’t receiving enough attention.
The war revolves around the energy crisis. Don’t worry, this article is not referring to the crisis advocated by sustainability-enthusiasts; this energy is most-often sustained with a pot of hot coffee and taurine-filled beverages. As the lids start opening and the bottle caps start popping, student soldiers drink up as many energy drinks as they can to stay awake and alert during their battles.
Cecilia Rokusek, program director for the masters of science in nutrition program, said that energy drinks aren’t bad in moderation, but students need to be wary of the amount of each ingredient in drinks, especially since they are the target market for companies.
Rokusek said that the top three things students should pay attention to are the amount of caffeine per eight-ounce serving, added ingredients and preservatives. She explained that energy drinks, such as Red Bull, often contain 300 to 400 milligrams of caffeine in a can, which can be lethal.
“Anything that has more than 400 milligrams of caffeine, I would watch and make sure you don’t have more than one can a day,” she said. “All that you want in your energy drink is caffeine to help you stay awake. You don’t need all that extra stuff in it. Get your drink as natural as possible.”
As far as added ingredients and preservatives go, Rokusek said to pay close attention to sugar substitutes, such as aspartame, and herbal supplements, such as taurine, guanine and ginseng. She explained that there are not many published studies on the long-term effects of consuming too much of these ingredients, but consuming too much of them is correlated to appetite loss, nervousness and dizziness because they enhance the effects of caffeine. The hidden danger of these ingredients is that they are often advertised as improving performance, endurance and concentration.
A 2012 study on the impact energy drinks have on an individual’s well-being and quality of life found that although energy drinks have short-term benefits, there is no evidence to suggest they improve an individual’s well-being or quality of life. The study, which was published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, found that the dosage of ingredients within the drink can result in different effects, and people should be more cautious about the ingredients taurine, caffeine and sugar because many energy drinks contain much more than the recommended dosage.
Rokusek said that nutritional information labeled on energy drinks can be confusing and misleading because, oftentimes, the containers hold more than one serving. The Department of Nutrition at the University of California showed this in a comparison of popular energy drinks. The sheet depicted that drinks such as Full Throttle, Monster Energy and Rockstar have multiple servings per container.
The researchers from the Department of Nutrition found that the multiple servings per container combined contain approximately 160 milligrams of caffeine. Rokusek said that even though that amount is lower than the recommended daily dosage, many people consume multiple containers per day.
“Most people who are addicted to these drinks are drinking three or four cans a day,” she said. “Always read the label, and always look at the ingredients.”
The Battle of Midterms, Battle of Graduation and Battle of What-to-Do-After-Graduation are fought by college students far and wide. These trudging soldiers fight through with all of their might, attempting to win the war that is college, but, sometimes, the pots of good ol’ Joe are not good enough to sustain the march on to the next battle. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the heavy artillery has to come out at some point.
Because the battles of college are continually being fought, with little rest in between, students can have a difficult time selecting a source of energy that is more beneficial than detrimental. As the Battle of Midterms approaches, it is crucial to keep in mind that not all energy drinks are made the same. Buck up, soldiers. It’s time to prepare your arms and get your wallets and Shark Cards ready to purchase the most energy-sustaining fuel for the march ahead.
