Energy Drinks Offer a Boost, But at What Cost?

LOS ANGELES -- When Jason Lee, a 41-year-old research analyst in Los Angeles, goes out for a night on the town, he wants to be able to dance until the wee hours. To rev up, Lee will drink three or four cans of Red Bull energy drink.

"It has more zing than a Diet Pepsi," Lee said. "I'm looking for something to help me stay up later, for more energy."

Energy -- that's what drinks such as Red Bull, Monster Energy, Rockstar, Amp, KMX, SoBe Adrenaline Rush and Shark promise. Red Bull, for example, boasts that it "vitalizes body and mind," "improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain, increases concentration and improves reaction speed" and "stimulates the metabolism."

The drinks contain caffeine and sweeteners, as well as various herbs, nutrients and other ingredients (guarana, ginseng, taurine, vitamins, minerals and amino acids). According to their manufacturers, these ingredients give energy.

Consumers seem to be buying the claim: The energy drink market increased by 44 percent between 2002 and 2003, from $454 million to $653 million, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp., a market research firm in New York. Red Bull is the leader in the energy drink market, the company says, and sells more than all of the other brands combined.

"Consumers are interested in the energy function," said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest, a beverage industry publication. "People like the product."

Young people in particular seem attracted to energy drinks, which are marketed heavily to them. The drinks have aggressive names and cool packaging, and many are linked to extreme sports events and musical acts.

The question, of course, is whether consumers are getting what they think from energy drinks. Does a 250 ml can of sweetened, fortified carbonated water really provide energy? And if so, what price do you pay for your pick-me-up? The drinks' worth -- and risk -- varies by user.

Despite their long lists of ingredients, energy drinks get their stimulating effects from plain old caffeine, according to Gail Frank, a professor of nutrition at Cal State Long Beach and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Ingredients such as taurine, an amino acid, are just for show, Frank said.

Amino acids -- which are sometimes given to ill people to help with tissue repair, cell structure maintenance and hormone production -- have not been shown to help healthy people.

Researchers are not sure what the herbs and other "natural" ingredients do because they have not been rigorously tested, Frank said. Aside from guarana, which contains caffeine, she said there is little evidence that the herbs increase energy.

Energy drinks contain a substantial amount of caffeine, either manufactured or from such "natural" sources as guarana seeds.

Some of an energy drink's boost comes from sugar. Nondiet energy drinks contain a good-size dose of sugar -- for example, Red Bull has 27 grams, which is 5 grams more than a Hershey's milk chocolate bar. Ingesting high levels of sugar can lead to a sugar crash 30 minutes to 45 minutes later, about the same time as for a caffeine crash.

Of course, as with coffee or any other beverage containing caffeine, too many of the high-powered drinks can cause muscle twitching, gastrointestinal problems, rapid heartbeats or dizziness.

For some people, the caffeine in even a few energy drinks is too much, said Margaret Savoca, an assistant research scientist at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. In her research, Savoca has found that in teens, caffeine intake may increase blood pressure enough to trigger hypertension in those who are predisposed to the condition.

In her study, published in May 2004 in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, Savoca saw detrimental blood pressure effects in teens who consumed as little as 100 milligrams of caffeine per day. If blood pressure is continually elevated because of caffeine, stress, genetics or lack of exercise, Savoca said, hypertension can occur in susceptible people.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney failure.

Energy drinks are also touted for boosting sports performance. However, other drinks are more effective, said Todd Trappe, an associate professor in the human performance laboratory at Ball State University. To fuel a workout, athletes need water, sugar and, when exercise is heavy, electrolytes, but nothing more. Sports drinks like Gatorade are better for high-performing athletes than energy drinks, Trappe said.

Caffeine can help athletes in the short term -- for example, during a workout done 30 minutes to 60 minutes after consumption, Trappe said. "It does in fact work pretty well; it has a benefit on sports performance."

After a short time, though, the caffeine wears off and performance suffers because the athlete feels tired and sluggish. Energy drinks have shown up at nightclubs, too. An example is the Shark Power Punch (gin, white rum, apricot brandy, vodka, orange juice and Shark energy drink). People think the energy drinks will make them less drunk or speed them through a hangover, but neither is true, Frank said. Energy drinks merely make drunks more alert, and an alert drunk is more likely to engage in such risky behavior as driving under the influence of alcohol.

Grabbing an energy drink once in a while will probably not harm you; it may even help you make that long drive or finish that big project at work. But drinking them regularly and depending on them for everyday energy probably is not a good idea.

If you want to feel revved up, improve your performance and boost your vitality, the best strategy is to eat healthful foods, exercise and get enough sleep. Unfortunately, that is not what people in the United States' fix-it-quick society want to hear, Frank said. "It's not a sexy message, but it works."