Energy Drinks and Caffeine
Slick packaging, edgy themes, exotic ingredients, and special formulas are all part of the hype about energy drinks. A growing number of beverages promise quick energy as well as performance and nutritional benefits to athletes, students, partygoers... basically anyone who wants a pick-me-up. Yet, claims about these products often are inflated while health risks such as dehydration, overstimulation, and the double danger of combining energy drinks with alcohol receive little attention.

With names that suggest extreme power, a growing number of beverages are aimed at anyone who wants to improve athletic performance, study late, dance all night, or just counter a mid-afternoon slump. These products are sold with claims that include boosting energy, raising alertness, lowering reaction time, improving concentration, speeding up metabolism, increasing stamina, and enhancing nutrition. Perhaps the most powerful energy drink is named after an illegal drug. Although this product does not contain the drug, it promises a high followed by a long-lasting energy buzz.

While most of these products include small amounts of vitamins, minerals, and tropical extracts, the main ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine. Energy drinks have at least as much caffeine as coffee and much more than soft drinks. As for other ingredients, scientific research has not confirmed the health effects of taurine and glucuronolactone in energy drinks. To compare, for most people, three 8-ounce cups of coffee (about 250 milligrams of caffeine) per day is considered a moderate amount of caffeine. Ten 8-ounce cups of coffee per day is considered an excessive intake of caffeine.

Caffeine perks up the central nervous system and provides the lift that energy drinks are all about. The central nervous system, which includes the brain and the spinal cord, is the main "processing center" that controls all of the body's organs and systems.

Caffeine can speed up a person's heart and raise blood pressure.

The amount of caffeine in energy drinks is not good for children. Caffeine may cause a child to become agitated, irritable, or nervous.

Also, energy drinks contain carbohydrates (carbs for short) that we need to fuel long exercise sessions. However, energy drinks provide more carbs than most people need for exercise. The result - excess calories - is just what we are trying to avoid or burn off. And because carbs make it harder for the body to absorb fluids, they can cause dehydration, especially in hot weather.

You should not use energy drinks when exercising. Energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants that can dehydrate the body, just what you don't want when you are sweating through a workout. Dehydrate your body means that you do not have as much water and fluids as you should.

Drink plenty of water before and after intense physical activity and smaller amounts in between. For activities lasting more than an hour, try a sports drink. These products provide just the right amount of carbohydrates, or "carbs," and electrolytes such as potassium and sodium to replace fluids and keep your nerves and muscles working. Don't confuse sports drinks with energy drinks.

While an energy drink every so often will not be a problem for most people, make sure you understand which ingredients energy drinks contain and the effects they produce. Many other products or just plain water can give you the lift you are looking for, often at a much lower cost than an energy drink.

Source: family.samhsa.gov/monitor/energydrinks.aspx

I'm not surprised that energy drinks are full of a bunch of caffeine. I'm not a big fan of them myself and never drink them and I wouldn't recommend drinking them when exercising either.