When it comes to energy drinks, many people wonder if they're actually safe for you. We see news stories on social media of teens being taken to hospitals after consuming energy drinks. It's understandable to be concerned after seeing stories like that.
Another concern is whether or not energy drinks actually work as advertised. Do you really get a jolt of energy that keeps you alert and focused for 6 hours? Or do you crash hard after a couple of hours?
In this article, we're going to address both of those concerns, citing available research and studies that give us the whole story on energy drinks.
How do energy drinks work?
The basic premise of energy drinks is that they're a tasty super-dose of energy stimulating ingredients in a can. The most popular among youth are carbonated energy drinks, but there's also a market for non-carbonated energy "shots" in many varieties of flavors.
The most common ingredients in popular carbonated beverages, such as Monster and Rockstar, are caffeine and sugar, with some energy-stimulating herbal extracts like guarana seed, or amino acids like taurine, which is thought to support athletic performance and recovery.
The issue of using "energy drinks" as an umbrella term is that no two brands are the same, and there are many brands of energy drinks. One beverage will have a completely different formula and ingredients than another.
In the case of "are energy drinks bad for you?" that boils down to the specific brand you're consuming and your body's reaction to the listed ingredients. In that case, it's important to know your body, such as if you have a high sensitivity to caffeine or if you have a rare allergy to natural products like Ginkgo Biloba.
Have energy drinks sent teens to hospitals?
In most of the "energy drink overdose" stories we read, there's often an underlying factor - a pre-existing sensitivity to caffeine or using energy drinks not as intended.
In this case of a Dublin teen being taken to the hospital after consuming two energy drinks, the teen played an intense game of football and had drunk only energy drinks for hydration. The hospital treated him for dehydration, not any kind of caffeine overdose.
An athlete should know that water or sports drinks are the best forms of hydration for intense physical activity.
Natural energy drinks and common ingredients
In response to the popularity and growing concern of energy drink safety, particularly the sugar-laden soft-drinks in a can, some companies have started marketing all-natural energy drinks, such as organic juices with natural herbal extracts.
These natural ingredients are appealing to the health-conscious and eco-friendly consumer market, who may also have concerns about drinking coffee.
Other energy drinks such as C4 Energy are not "all-natural" in an organic juice sense but use a natural powder formula of extracts, amino acids, and supplements to enrich athletic performance.
Some of the natural ingredients you may encounter on these energy drinks are:
Caffeine
The most common ingredient, caffeine, can be naturally sourced from beans or green tea. Around 200mg of Caffeine Anhydrous would be equivalent to about 2 cups of coffee.
Beta-Alanine
An amino acid that reduces anaerobic muscle fatigue, which helps to support muscular endurance for extended workouts. In other words, beta-alanine promotes longer exercise endurance and muscle recovery.
A 5-week study of 30 men also found that beta-alanine can improve strength, such as a 7% increase in squat strength, than the placebo group.
Beta Power Betaine
A form of betaine which is derived from beets, which is considered a superfood. Betaine supports the body's hydration process, which helps to improve performance.
To finally answer whether energy drinks are safe and if they actually work, the answer depends on the type of energy drink you are consuming.
If you are sensitive to caffeine, you may have an adverse reaction to the super-caffeinated energy soft drinks. You can also experience caffeine and sugar crashes when the effects of the stimulants wear off. You'd also want to be aware of caffeine dependence and withdrawal symptoms at such high doses.
For natural energy drinks, your mileage may vary. Again you want to consider caffeine doses, but the ingredients would be safer and more in line with a sports drink, which will promote athletic activity. A caffeinated version of Gatorade would not be a detrimental thing to reach for when you really need an energy boost during intense physical activity.
