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Energy overloadDate: 14.02.2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info Team United States
As more and more energy drinks come on the market, some are starting to question what, if any, health risks these drinks pose
Getting a dose of caffeine in the morning is a longtime habit for Shannon Gilbert.
So when energy drinks began to hit the market, he thought he would give them a try. He found Red Bull to be his favorite, not so much for the taste but for the amount of energy he felt it gave him to start the day.
However, recently Gilbert of Decatur began to cut back on his consumption of the product.
“I’ve really stopped drinking them as much because I really didn’t know how good it was for me,” he said. “There is not a lot of research done about how the ingredients in energy drinks react. It’s a lot of unknown.”
Touting names such as Monster Energy, Full Throttle, Cocaine, Red Bull and Rockstar, energy drinks have exploded into a $3.4 billion-a-year industry, usually costing more than $2 a can. The energy drink market has grown by 80 percent since just last year, and young adults are consuming the drinks at a skyrocketing rate.
According to a report by The Associated Press, 31 percent of teenagers in the United States say they indulge in energy drinks, and some admit to downing several in a row to get a buzz. Because there are no regulations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many feel the stimulation from the drinks is harmless. Health professionals, however, are beginning to caution more and more about possible medical side effects.
Most energy drinks are composed of caffeine, the major ingredient, as well as amino acids, such as taurine and carnitine, and stimulants, such as ginseng and guarana, among others.
Many also contain large amounts of glucose, or sugar. While most energy drinks have about the same amount of caffeine as one cup of coffee, not stopping at just one drink is where problems could begin.
“Some of these stimulants, when taken in larger amounts, we don’t know what they can cause,” said Dr. Vijay Roy, a cardiologist with Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants Ltd. “Some students in college or high school get up in the morning and take an energy drink with them. Instead of a healthy meal, they are replacing that with fluids that are not natural in the body.”
Too much caffeine can lead to insomnia, tremors, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pains and neurologic symptoms, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians. But bringing possibly the most concern to health professionals is the way the stimulating drinks are popularly combined with alcohol, a depressant.
“People mix alcohol with a stimulant, thinking they are getting a high. You stop drinking alcohol naturally when the body feels tired and slows down,” Roy said. “But the stimulants in the energy drink cut out the toxic effect of alcohol so you are more alert and awake and think you are OK, which can put people in dangerous situations, like thinking they can drive safely.”
Energy drinks also have taken on the role of study partner, with students using the temporary kick to stay up and study throughout the night or raise their level of alertness during an exam. It is all too common for young adults to get inadequate sleep due to studying, watching TV or browsing the Internet for hours each night, and when it comes time to get ready for school or work the next morning, they often look to a product for help, said Ann Chelette, certified school nurse and health services coordinator for the Decatur school district.
While Roy said the jolt of energy doesn’t usually help in the long run or even during immediate tasks, the rising popularity of energy drinks shows people feel otherwise.
Tony Little, former Junior National Bodybuilding champion, is well-known for his “hyperactivity” on TV and radio shows, which he attributes to a lifelong habit of using energy drinks and products. His most recent product, called Hyperactive Extreme Energy Drink Mix, is a powder substance poured into a cup of water to create an energy drink, and is one of more than 500 new drinks to hit the market in the past year.
In a powder form, Little said, the product is able to contain more vitamins and minerals than the typical energy drink, such as vitamins C, B12 and B6, as well as being sugar-free.
“It’s better when you get the supplements in them that you don’t get throughout the day,” he said.
All energy drinks “have a place,” however, Little said.
“We’re all tired; we’re all working two jobs to make ends meet, and it’s such a fast-paced lifestyle,” he said. “The hardest thing after work is to get into a workout mood. When you take an energy drink to have before you work out, you stimulate the central nervous system and other parts of your body.”
But the temporary lift doesn’t replenish the body with fuel, Roy said.
In fact, most energy drinks cause dehydration, said Becky Wolter, exercise physiologist and manager of the Decatur Memorial Hospital Wellness Center.
“Using an energy drink solely to help you with working out is not recommended,” she said.
“Staying well hydrated is a very important aspect to good workouts. A more efficient drink for boosting workouts would be one such as Gatorade that helps replenish lost fluids.”
Currently there is no research to show that the ingredients of energy drinks are unsafe. But although the drinks’ effects have not been thoroughly studied, Chelette said she feels there is also no reason to believe energy drinks are healthy products. An extra boost is not needed if a healthy lifestyle is followed, including good nutrition, activity and getting a good night’s rest, she said.
“It’s appropriate to be concerned, and education is needed,” she said. “I’m sure the majority have not thought the product could be harmful.”
Contact Courtney Klemm at cklemm@herald-review.com or 421-6968.
McClatchy Tribune News Service contributed to this article.
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