Energy drinks have become somewhat of a fad in recent years. Teenagers and young adults are the most common consumers of these drinks, which on average contain significantly higher levels of caffeine than a regular cup of coffee of the same size. I personally just stick to coffee when it comes to my caffeine intake but I have quite a few friends who also drink Red Bull and Monster frequently and I have always wondered if these drinks are any worse than coffee or tea or have any significant long term effects on the body.
One study measured the short term effects of energy drink consumption on the heart using MRI technology. The study contained fifteen men and three women of good health with an average age of 27.5 years. The researchers took cardiac MRIs of the subjects before and one hour after they drank one energy drink containing 32mg/100ml caffeine. The results of this experiment showed that after consuming an energy drink, the participants showed increased strain on the left ventricle of the heart, which pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. Scientists revealed that it was inconclusive if this would impact daily activities or athletic performance, making it a soft endpoint.
This study does draw some conclusions that could be consistent with the hypothesis that energy drinks are unhealthy, but the size and execution of the study does not make it reliable. As there were only fifteen people involved and a mere three females among them, it is difficult to call this a legitimate study. It may have been received more credit if more information had been gathered such as participants’ physical responses compared to a control group.
Most scientists can agree however, that energy drinks that are mixed with alcohol, such as Four Loko or Joose, pose strong potential hazards to health. Observational data over the years has been all but conclusive in pointing to alcohol laced energy drinks as the cause in some critical health problems experienced by otherwise healthy young people, a statistic that has doubled in the years between 2007 and 2011.
Because I personally do not drink energy drinks, I cannot say whether I think they are worth giving up based on the data presented. For those that do consume energy drinks, I suppose it is a personal choice as to whether the benefit of drinking that Red Bull outweighs the potential risks associated with it.
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This post frightens me only because I am up at 11 o clock commenting on blogs and just drank an entire energy drink. I rarely drink these products but tonight it is necessary. Its difficult for me to stay awake so I viewed it as my only option. I do however feel a lot more energized but am afraid that I will quickly crash and burn and wake up feeling even less energized than I was before. The cardiovascular system is definitely the main body system that is affected by these drinks. To learn more about the impacts of energy drinks and their affect on the human heart; check out this link! http://www.liheart.org/latest-news/the-impact-of-energy-drinks-on-your-heart/