Introduction
Energy drinks are beverages like Redbull, Bullet, Power Horse, Rockstar and Monster, they contain large doses of caffeine and other legal stimulants like guarana and ginseng. The amount of caffeine in an energy drink can range from 75 milligrams to 200 milligrams per serving. This compares to 34 milligrams in coke and 55 milligrams in Mountain Dew. If the caffeine content of an energy drink is not indicated as a constituent, the energy comes from guarana, which is an equivalent of caffeine (Attila and Cakir, 2012).
The consumption of energy drink containing large amount of caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng, B complex vitamin is on the increase especially among the youths. It is even worrisome with the trend permeating the adult and elderly population. It is estimated that energy drink consumption among the adolescent and middle aged population between 2001,-2008 ranged from 24-56%. A survey of energy drinks consumption among student’s athletes revealed that it is taken to replenish lost energy after training and competition to improve performance and to reduce fatigue (Buxton and Hagan, 2012).
Energy drinks consumption is higher among athletes who are involved in sports; student who did not have breakfast on regular basis, other reasons given for the consumption of energy drinks includes staying awake, boosting performance while obtaining energy and fluid to the body. Energy drinks are also popular as drink mixer; on August 14, 2012 the word energy drink was listed in the first time in the American Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Consumption of a single energy drink will not lead to excessive caffeine intake but consumption of two or more energy drinks in a single day has adverse effect. Caffeine consumption, in amounts greater than 400 mg include nervousness, insomnia, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) (Winston, 2005).
Conceptual framework
Energy drink is a type of beverage containing stimulant drugs, chiefly caffeine, which is marketed at providing mental and physical stimulants. They may or may not be carbonated and many also contain sugar or other sweeteners, herbal extracts and amino acids. They are a subset of large group of energy product which enhance sports performance; there are many brands and varieties of energy drinks (Forbes, 2007).
Caffeine and tea and other naturally caffeinated beverage are usually not considered as energy drinks; soft drinks such as cola may contain caffeine but are also not energy drinks, energy drinks appear to be part of soft drink and part of nutritional supplement. According to Pennsylvania Medical Society (2014), the taste falls within the same range for people who have tried energy drinks and have described the taste as ranging from “medicinal” to molten sweet tart”. Energy drinks are also popular as drink mixers, many people mix energy drinks with alcohol to make a high energy cocktail energy drink which acts as a stimulant; Alcohol is depressants, it has a tranquilizing effect on the body, alcohol and energy drink cause dehydration.
History of energy drinks
Energy drinks were an activity subset of early soft drink industry. Pepsi for instance was originally marketed as an energy booster. Coca cola name was derived from its two active ingredients both known stimulants cocoa leaves and kola nuts (a source of caffeine) (Howard and Marczinski, 2010).
Fresh coca leaves were replaced in 1904, because concern over the use of caffeine coca-cola company pressured into reducing the amount of caffeine in its first formula by 1916, these developments brought an end to the first wave of energy drink in 1929 as a hospital drink for aiding their recovery, it origin date back to 1949, when a Chicago businessman named William Mark Swartz was urged by co-workers to formulate soft drink fortified with vitamins as an alternate to sugar, soda full of empty calories. He develops an energy booster drink containing B vitamins, caffeine, and cane sugar. Energy drink became popular in Asia long before they reached United States in 1962.
In the early 1980s, it was promoted as an energy drink for replenishing lost energy, energy drink introduce in America was Red bull which began distributing its drink in the United State in 1997.
Constituent of energy drinks and how it works
Caffeine
According Alford, et al (2001), caffeine is the most widely used drug and has been used for centuries for its stimulating effects; this common stimulant is found naturally in coffee and tea, but is also placed in energy drinks and soft drinks by manufacturers. Most energy drink contains 70-200 mg per can.
- A cup of drip coffee contain 110-150 mg
- A cup of percolated coffee contain 65-125 mg
- A cup of instant coffee contain 40-80 mg
- Dr papper delivers 41 mg
- A can of coke provided 34 mg
- A full can of Rockstar has 160 mg
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system giving the body a sense of alertness as well as dilates blood vessels; it raises heart beat, blood pressure and dehydrates the body. People experience side effects above 400 mg (Alford, et al., 2001).
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that is naturally produced by human body. However, the versions found in energy drinks are manufactured. It helps regulates the heart beat, muscles contractions and energy levels. Usually the body makes enough taurine so there is no need for supplement under stressful conditions like illness, physical exertion or injury. If the body does not create enough taurine, supplement can help (Yeomas et al, (2002). Taurine increase the effectiveness of heart muscles contractions, improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart cells.
Guarana
Guarana comes from a plant native to South America. Amazonians have used it for long time to increase alertness and energy. Guarana is different from caffeine because it contains a couple of other related molecules such as theobromine and theophylline. They are also found in different concentration in coffees, tea and chocolate. Some people respond differently to guarana as compare with regular caffeine which is commonly used in energy drinks which promotes alertness (Alford, et al., 2001).
B Vitamins
B vitamins are found naturally in the foods we eat and are the most widely used in energy supplement ingredients; these essentially help the body to convert sugar to energy.
Ginseng
Ginseng has been used in some countries as a medical herb and is believed to increase energy, have some anti fatigue properties, relieve stress and boost energy level. It is also suspected that ginseng helps stimulates the hypothalamic and pituitary glands, which then secretes the hormone adrenal corticotrophic hormone. 200 mg/day seems to be the standard dose. In a typical ginseng including energy drink but most people can safely take up to 2700 mg through supplementation. Rare side effects such as diarrhoea, headache have been reported.
A 2014 state-wide patient poll conducted by the Pennsylvania Medical Society Institute for good medicine found that 20 percent of respondents aged between 21 and 30 had used energy drinks in high school or college to stay awake longer to study or to write a paper; 70 percent of respondents knew someone who had used an energy drink to stay awake longer to study or work (Pennsylvania Medical Society, 2014).
L-Carnitine
L – carnitine is an amino acid created naturally by the liver and kidney. The amino acid helps to speed up the metabolism and increase energy levels. It may act as thermogenic to help increase endurance during exercise; most people take 2-6 grams without supplement, it contains L-cartinine and not D-cartinine which is “inactive” and may actually hurt endurance levels (Yeomans et al., 2002).
Sugar
Glucose is the body’s preferred fuel; standard energy drinks contain a lot of sugar, it is a carbohydrate and a lot of exercise requires a good dose of carbohydrate. However, too much sugar intake has been linked to obesity, diabetes and can spike insulin level which can lead to a “crash” feeling after about an hour.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules that help the body gracefully recover and prevent the damage from free radicals; Vitamin A, C and E (also known as retinol beta-carotene) and selenium are all antioxidants with vitamin C probably the most popular in energy drinks. Antioxidant helps fend off lines and prevent cellular damage. But vitamin A can build up in the body fluid and cause liver damage when too much is consumed.
Yerba mate
Yerba mate is derived from leaves of a shrub in the Holly family. It is a natural source of caffeine, but some believe that the form of caffeine in yerba mate doesn’t produce the negative side effects like the caffeine in coffee and guarana.
Acai Berry
Acai is finding its way into more and more energy drinks. Acai berry comes from the Acai palm tree which is found in South America; the barriers are rich in antioxidants, but not as much as a concord grape or wild blue berry. The amount of acai in energy drink is very low and real acai berry juice no doubt taste nothing like “acai flavoured“.
L-Theanine
L –thianine as an amino acid that according to recent studies has been shown to calm the brain to enhance concentration; this amino acid comes from tea leaves and green tea has the highest concentration, tea has been known for centuries for its ability to relax its drinkers and many tea cultures.
Types of energy drinks
There are different types of energy drinks namely Red Bull, Power Horse, Bullet, Rockstar and Monster.
Energy shots
Energy shots are a specialized kind of energy drink; whereas most energy drinks are sold in cans or bottles, energy shots usually sold in smaller 50 ml bottle. Energy shots can contain the same total amount of caffeine, vitamin or other functional ingredients as their larger version and main be considered concentrated forms of energy drink. The marketing of energy shots generally, focuses on their convenient and availability as low calories instant energy drink that can be taken in one swallow or “shot” as energy drink that encourages users to drink an entire can which contain 250 calories or more (Klinerman, 2008).
Biochemical effects of energy drinks
Consumption of energy drink in large dose causes Type II Diabetes because many energy drinks are also high in sugar; they can eventually wear out insulin producing cell of the pancreas, which lead to type II diabetes. Energy drinks causes systolic blood pressure by average 3.5 points and cause potential fatal irregular heartbeats; causing a dangerous risk, heart rhythm disturbance is higher if the person has an underlying cough condition or high blood pressure. When signals are sent to the nervous system as a result of stimulant action of energy drink, it can cause cardiac problem such as heart arrhythmia a deviation from the normal rhythm of the heart (VanDen, 2008).
It can lead to cardiovascular events such as cardiac arrest excessive intake of energy drink at one time could be lethal especially those with underlying heart conditions can cause seizure and death. It blocks the receptors for adenosine, a neurotransmitter which sends fatigue signals to the body, increases secretions of the hormones adrenaline and nor adrenaline which spark alertness and contribution to feeling of nervousness. It cases the neurone in the brain to fire thinking the body if there is an emergency; the pituitary gland initiates the body fight or flight, response by releasing adrenaline, this hormone makes the heart beat faster and the eyes dilates. Excessive intake of energy drink can leads to severe headache and migraine, the amount of caffeine ingested daily can cause insomnia. It causes the liver to release extra sugar into the blood stream for energy (VanDen, 2008).
Demographics
Globally, energy drinks are typically attractive to young people; approximately 66 percent of consumers are between the ages of 13 and 35 years, with males being approximately 65 percent of the market (Mintel Energy Report, 2006).
Excessive consumption of B vitamin such as niacin or pyrdocaino can results to liver or nerves injuries. Caffeine affects the level of dopamine, a chemical in the brain’s pleasure centre; all of these physical responses make you feel as though you have more energy. Caffeine is also diuretic; it causes the kidneys to remove extra fluid into urine that leaves less fluid in the body while doing exercising, combination of diuretic effect and sweating can lead to dehydration.
Conclusion
Energy drinks are not necessarily bad, but should not be seen as a natural alternative; excessive consumption of energy drinks is associated with varieties of biochemical, physiological and psychological effects.
Energy drinks are supposed to do just what the name implies that is give you an extra burst of energy; as it turns out most of that energy comes from two main ingredients, sugar and caffeine. These findings also reaffirm the recent stand of the International Society of Sports Nutrition on energy drinks that diabetes patient; individual with pre-existing cardiovascular, metabolic hepatorenal, neurological disease and those who are taking medication may be hyper-glycaemia. Foods containing caffeine, and other stimulants, high and unregulated amount of caffeine should be avoided, unless approved by the Physician (Seifert et al, 2011).
It may be inferred that the health abnormalities previously associated with consumption of energy drink, the cardiac abnormalities may also be partly attributed to disorder in lipid metabolism as evidence by significantly evaluated plasma triglyceride is also associated with significant alterations in some biochemical parameters. Therefore, energy drinks should be consumed with caution.
References
Alford, C., Cox, H. and Wescott, R. (2001). The effects of red bull energy drink on human performance and mood” Amino Acid 21(2):139-50.
Attila, S. and Cakir, B. (2012). Energy consumption in college students and associated factors. Nutrition 5(22):45-51
Buxton, C. and Hagan, J.E. (2012). A survey of energy drinks consumption practices among students, athletes in Ghana: less in for developing health education intervention programmes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 56: 333-342.
Forbes, S.C., Candow, D.G., Little, J.P., Magnus, C. and Chubeck, P.D. (2007). Effect of Red Bull energy drink on repeated wingate cycle performance and bench press muscle endurance. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 17(5):433-44.
Howard, M.A. and Marczinski, C.A. (2010), “Active effects of a glucose energy drink on behavioural control”, Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology 18(6):553-61.
Klinemain, J. (2008). “Little competition energy shots aimed for big profits”. Retrieved from http://bernet.com on 21st May, 2015.
Mintel, K. (2006). Energy drink report 2006. A Review on Marketing of National Monitored Beverages. Edinburgh. pp. 108-111.
Seifert, S.M., Schachter, J., Hershorin, E.R. and Lipshults, S.E. (2011). Health effects of energy drinks on children, adolescent and young adults. Paediatrics 127(3):511-28.
VanDen, L., VanBaelen, F., Portzky, P.C and Andernaert, K. (2008). The effects of energy drinks on cognitive performance. Copenhagen Educational Review 2008 pp. 12-15
Wiston, A.T. (2005). Neuropsychiatric effects of caffeine” Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 11(6): 432-438.
Pennsylvania Medical Society (2014). Energy Drinks bursting your health. Pennsylvannia: Buzz News Wise Inc. pp. 7-8
Yeomans, M., Ripley, T., Davies, L.H., Rusted, J.M. and Rogers, P.J. (2002) “Effects of caffeine on performance and mood depend on the levels of caffeine abstinence. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 67(33): 45-52.
