Being in college, it is safe to say we have all had one of those weeks where we have an essay due, three exams, a quiz, and five worksheets due, there never seems to be enough time. When pulling an all-nighter, the main resource one uses to stay away is energy drinks. There are various brands of energy drinks such as Red Bull, Rockstar, and even Starbucks Expresso Shots, but they all claim the same thing; an increase in your energy. Pulling an all-nighter is extremely hard for me so, I have tried every energy drink out there to make it a bit easier. Have they worked for me personally? No, if anything I feel like I lose energy and become even more tired. Now is this the case for everyone or am I just immune to the super powers of energy drinks.
The contents of energy drinks typically include a great amount of caffeine, along with sugar and other ingredients. Great amounts of caffeine can cause, “nervousness, irritability, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure” (Zeratsky, 2012) The caffeine in energy drinks is supposed to increase ones stamina by blocking the tole of adenosine, which is the chemical in the brain that involves sleep. Although many of the drinks distributors claim they do in fact make you energized, most health experts would disagree. A study was conducted in Spain to test this specific theory. The researchers recruited a group of people to drink a ordinary energy drink and a placebo that had no caffeine. The experiment was blind so the participants didn’t know which drink they were getting. The study concluded that “a dose of 1mg of caffeine/kg of bodyweight did not display any significant effects on muscle performance” (Wortman, n.d.) Although when the dosage of caffeine was increased, there was a noticed difference.
Energy drinks can have an effect if they have the right amount of caffeine, which varies for everybody. A greater dosage of caffeine may make you more energized, but is not necessarily the healthiest route to take.
Photo courtesy of breakingmuscle.com
Works Cited
Watson, Stephanie (2006) How do energy drinks work? Retrieved from science.howstuffworks.com
Wortman, Joshua (n.d.) Science says: Energy Drinks Really Do Work. Retrieved from breaking muscle.com
Zeratsky, Katherine (2012) Can energy drinks really boost a person’s energy? Retrieved from www.mayoclinic.org
I found your post really interesting since many people drink energy drinks. Last year i did a study on energy drinks and sports drinks. I found that sports drinks are really different from energy drinks. Sports drinks are made from several groups including vitamins of group B. In the case of Vitamin Water and Gatorade, there is a substance called vitamin. Indeed, a vitamin is necessary for the body organic substance. Among the several existing groups of vitamins, B vitamins are most present in energy drinks. These components are essential. Indeed, they are essential for energy metabolism including the use of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Moreover, they are involved in the functioning of brain, muscle and nerve cells. Finally, they provide a maintenance of skin and mucous membranes to provide a good mental balance.
In my opinion it would be better to consume sports drinks such as gatorade since there is sugar in it and it gives energy, rather than energy drinks. Caffeine can be really dangerous if it is consumed everyday.
I personally have never consumed an energy drink. The study you found of course be due to chance. Also, reverse causation could be the cause of the results, as well. People who were awake and ready to go may have felt the need to consume an energy drink because why not, the results therefore showing that they were not tired. Check out this site on the negative effects of energy drinks: http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20131202/energy-drinks-affect-heart-mri-scans-show