Jun 14, 2024 05:28 PM
https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medica...rgy-drinks
EXCERPTS: Do these energy drinks really deliver on the promise of increased mental and physical energy? As is often the case in nutritional research, there is no clear-cut answer. Some studies show a benefit, others do not.
[...] There was modest improvement in all categories after drinking 250 mL of Red Bull as compared with a flavoured, carbonated water beverage that served as control. Other studies documented improved performance in cyclists and better reaction time in a group of tired volunteers in a driving simulator. On the other hand, female student volunteers at the University of Dammam in Saudi Arabia showed no improvement in any parameter on a standard treadmill test after drinking an energy beverage. Neither was there any improvement seen in elite volleyball players in Costa Rica who were subjected to various performance tests...
[...] Now for the downside. Energy drinks can increase heart rate and blood pressure, normally not a problem for most people ... The effect on the heart appears to be greater than that due to caffeine alone, meaning that other components like taurine and glucuronolactone may be making a contribution. In 2013, McGill University Health Center physicians surveyed the published literature dating back to 1980 for cases in which heart attacks, serious arrythmias, and sudden cardiac deaths were linked with energy drink consumption. They found 17 cases, admittedly a very small number ... In most cases consumption was heavy ... In three of the cases the energy drink was consumed with vodka, a combination that increases risk.
A recent study at the famed Mayo Clinic in Minnesota corroborates these findings...
[...] To complicate matters even more, it is not only cardiac events that have been linked with the consumption of energy drinks. Researchers ... determined that energy drink consumption was associated with poor sleep quality, lower academic performance, anxiety, depression and increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Frequent consumers of energy drinks were also more likely to experiment with alcohol and smoking. As a result, many countries have banned the sale of energy drinks to anyone under age 18.
Where does all this leave us? As with most nutritional issues, somewhat confused. We could certainly live quite nicely without energy drinks, but they are not going away... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: Do these energy drinks really deliver on the promise of increased mental and physical energy? As is often the case in nutritional research, there is no clear-cut answer. Some studies show a benefit, others do not.
[...] There was modest improvement in all categories after drinking 250 mL of Red Bull as compared with a flavoured, carbonated water beverage that served as control. Other studies documented improved performance in cyclists and better reaction time in a group of tired volunteers in a driving simulator. On the other hand, female student volunteers at the University of Dammam in Saudi Arabia showed no improvement in any parameter on a standard treadmill test after drinking an energy beverage. Neither was there any improvement seen in elite volleyball players in Costa Rica who were subjected to various performance tests...
[...] Now for the downside. Energy drinks can increase heart rate and blood pressure, normally not a problem for most people ... The effect on the heart appears to be greater than that due to caffeine alone, meaning that other components like taurine and glucuronolactone may be making a contribution. In 2013, McGill University Health Center physicians surveyed the published literature dating back to 1980 for cases in which heart attacks, serious arrythmias, and sudden cardiac deaths were linked with energy drink consumption. They found 17 cases, admittedly a very small number ... In most cases consumption was heavy ... In three of the cases the energy drink was consumed with vodka, a combination that increases risk.
A recent study at the famed Mayo Clinic in Minnesota corroborates these findings...
[...] To complicate matters even more, it is not only cardiac events that have been linked with the consumption of energy drinks. Researchers ... determined that energy drink consumption was associated with poor sleep quality, lower academic performance, anxiety, depression and increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Frequent consumers of energy drinks were also more likely to experiment with alcohol and smoking. As a result, many countries have banned the sale of energy drinks to anyone under age 18.
Where does all this leave us? As with most nutritional issues, somewhat confused. We could certainly live quite nicely without energy drinks, but they are not going away... (MORE - missing details)