With hundreds of brands available in the United States, the energy drink industry accumulates billions of dollars a year and continues to grow. Many mistakenly assume that these energizing beverages are just like drinking soda, and so they proceed to consume several cans a day to keep them up and running. But the huge amounts of caffeine and sugar that make up the formula for such drinks to “give you wings,” as famously promoted by Red Bull, or “unleash the beast” as hyped by Monster, make them equally as bad, if not worse, than soda. This can be a recipe for harmful health effects, especially to the young adult and overwhelmingly teenage audiences that they attract.
Due to cleverly marketed titles and advertising tactics, downing an energy drink can make a person feel as though they could become invincible. Just a few swigs and you are no longer a lazy student or tired cubicle gopher, but instead a shirt-tearing, muscle-flexing powerhouse with the ability to lift cars and kick down doors—or, at the very least, it will help you keep your eyes open for a few more hours. Plus, it seems much cooler than holding a grande Starbucks cup of coffee with an inspirational quote on the side.
Red Bull’s website claims that to best feel its effects “you should drink it at times of increased mental and physical strain…on long sleep-inducing motorways, during intensive working days, prior to demanding athletic activities or before tests and exams.” Rockstar, in a likewise fashion, describes its original formula as “Bigger. Better. Faster. Stronger...Scientifically formulated to provide an incredible energy boost for those who lead active and exhausting lifestyles—from athletes to rock stars.” Such instructions and exciting promises of better sports performance and alertness, along with the accompanied heart-racing caffeine high, have made energy drinks particularly appealing to young males.
A report on enerdydrinks.factexpert.com said that “male teenagers and people in their 20s are also most likely to believe in the veracity of the energy drinks’ claims. As a result, the majority of energy drinks are developed for and advertised to this younger generation.”
Some teens and young adults have come to rely on energy drinks to help peel back their heavy eyelids and shake them up and out of their routine sleepy daze. According to a report by Tara Parker Pope of The New York Times, “about a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States.” While it appears that the industry is benefiting from this, the high levels of caffeine and sugar can be dangerous to all of its drinkers, but most notably to the still-developing bodies of teenagers. With the risks involved, the promotions that target such a vulnerable crowd now appear just as threatening.
“Many of these drinks do not label the caffeine content,” says Roland Griffiths, PhD, professor and senior author of a new report on energy drinks in an article for WebMD, and some drinks can contain as much caffeine as found in 14 cans of soda. Here are examples of the caffeine content in some of the most popular energy drinks, along with the average amount in a typical can of soda and cup of coffee:
· Coca Cola: 34-37 mg per 12 oz. serving
· Coffee: 200 mg per 12 oz. serving
· Red Bull: 80 mg per 8.3 oz. serving
· Rockstar: 160 mg per 16 oz. serving
· No Fear: 174 mg per 16 oz. serving
· Monster: 150 mg per 16 oz. serving
· Full Throttle: 142 mg per 16 oz. serving
Although coffee contains more caffeine than all of these drinks, coffee is sipped. Energy drinks are designed to be guzzled down quickly and easily, which leads to a harder hit and a desire to crack open another can, especially for younger drinkers. And while energy drinks don’t even have to list the amount of caffeine they contain, the levels in soda are carefully monitored. Griffiths mentions in his article that the FDA “limits the caffeine contents of cola-type soft drinks to 71 milligrams per 12 fluid ounces, [while] no such limit is required on energy drinks.” Many argue that energy drinks with high caffeine content should be obligated to contain warning labels that list the amount. Caffeine in the right proportion is great for a boost, but too much at once may be difficult for any body to handle.
Consuming such large doses of caffeine at once can affect heart rate and blood pressure. According to Mr. Burgundy of Associated Content, heart rate can actually become so accelerated that it may lead to an irregular or quickened heartbeat that can last long after the initial effects of the drink. For those with heart conditions, this can prove to be much more risky. Although it may sound extreme, some have actually reported addiction-like symptoms from routinely drinking too much of these pumped-up energy potions. And according to the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal, 41 cases of caffeine abuse from caffeine-enhanced beverages were accounted for from 2002 - 2004.
The combination of caffeine and sugar in energy drinks also dehydrates the body and inevitably leads to a crash. Of course, with any caffeinated or sugary beverage there is a crash, but since the caffeine level is elevated to such an extent in energy drinks, so is the collision to reality. So while teenage boys might think to drink a few Red Bulls in the morning to get enough energy for football practice, the crash they’ll inevitably have at the end of the day can lead to poor performance in class and on homework. There have even been cases of schools banning energy drinks because students were walking in on a daily basis already high and jittery on caffeine, or falling asleep on desks due to midday crashes.
It is also argued that energy drinks can lead to risk-taking behavior and can become a gateway to harder substances for its young audience. As an example, it has become popular to mix alcohol with energy drinks, an extremely dangerous practice that can make a person feel like they’re alert enough to drive.
Find out more about energy drinks and the possible effects they can have on teenagers with this Today Show interview with Meredith Vieira, provided by msnbc.com.
Marisa Musto is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked in kitchens and the food industry for several years. She is currently studying communications at New York Institute of Technology, where she is also editor-in-chief of the college’s newspaper, The Campus Slate.