Energy drink sales go up every year. It’s no wonder.
Names like Red Bull, Monster Energy, Rockstar Energy and 5-Hour Energy sound powerful. And their ads feature extreme athletes and popular celebrities who appear to have the world by the tail.
Today, 30 percent to 50 percent of teens and young adults say they use them.
“People assume energy drinks are like Gatorade on steroids,” said Jessica Corwin, a registered dietician for Spectrum Health’s Healthier Communities. “Yes, they may give you some short-term energy, but they’re loaded with sugar and there’s nothing nutritious about them.”
Need to wake up and focus? Corwin recommends a cup of coffee or tea, a stick of gum or a brisk walk. Most importantly, get enough sleep.
“No energy drink is going to make up for sleep deprivation,” she said.
Corwin, who admits she tried energy drinks in college, debunked popular myths with solid facts.
Myth: Energy drinks have the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee
Fact: The amount of caffeine in both coffee and energy drinks vary widely, but energy drinks could have five times the caffeine as coffee. A cup of home-brewed coffee might have 100-200 mg of caffeine, while a venti coffee from Starbucks may have more than 400 mg. By comparison, energy drinks have up to 550 mg in each can or bottle.
Part of the issue is portion size, noted Corwin. “They go down very quickly. People tend to slam an energy drink, or maybe two, where they might sip a cup of coffee.”
Myth: Energy drinks are harmless
Fact: The caffeine and sugar in energy drinks can be excessive. Too much caffeine can cause anxiety, elevated heart rate and raised blood pressure. And the sugar—as much as 15 teaspoons in a single serving—is far beyond the American Heart Association’s daily recommendation of six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men.
More than 20,000 people ended up in the emergency department because of energy drinks in 2011, and one out of 10 victims were hospitalized, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Myth: Energy drinks will help you focus and give you extra energy
Fact: Because they’re loaded with caffeine and sugar, you may get short-term energy. But your energy level will crash again just like it will anytime you have a lot of sugar.
In fact, a report published by the National Institutes of Health also showed that users experience “excessive daytime sleepiness” the day after consuming an energy drink.
Myth: Energy drinks are a healthy way to get a mental edge because they’re packed with herbs and vitamins
Fact: When you read the labels, they sound like healthy concoctions because they often include B vitamins, ginseng and less familiar ingredients like taurine (an amino acid found in breast milk and baby formula) and guarana (a source of caffeine using seeds grown in Brazil). Manufacturers of energy drinks aren’t required to include the caffeine content in their nutritional information. So you can’t be sure what you’re getting.
To add to the healthy impression, you’ll find 5-Hour Energy shots beside dietary supplements on retailers’ shelves. The New York Times reports that Monster Energy and Rockstar Energy recently moved their beverages next to sports drinks in stores so they can avoid reporting related injuries and deaths to the Food and Drug Administration.
Myth: Energy drinks will improve athletic performance
Fact: Although the ads feature athletes, there’s no good evidence to support the idea that they improve performance. Some include ginseng and taurine, which could improve athletic performance, but there’s not enough of these ingredients in energy drinks to make a difference.
Myth: Mixing energy drinks and alcohol will help you get high without getting sleepy
Fact: While it’s true that caffeine can cover up the feeling of being drunk, that doesn’t mean it’s safe or a good idea.
“This can quickly lead to alcohol toxicity,” Corwin said.
Studies also show that people who consume energy drinks with alcohol were more inclined to be involved in risk-taking behaviors.
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Great post Jessica, thanks for helping us separate myths from facts.
It’s nearly impossible to find knowledgeable people about this
topic, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about!
Thanks
You’re welcome! And thank you for being readers of Health Beat. Check back often for stories as we update our site several times a day with new content! 🙂
These facts are not inline with the FDA. Biggest mistake is the first FACT: There is only about 1/3 the amount of caffeine in an 8 ounce energy drink versus brewed coffee. If you are at a coffee shop that number is about 1/4 the amount. Get your facts straight.
Exactly, David. “Energy drinks can have up to 550mg per can or bottle.” Yeah, if you’re drinking a 24+oz, screw-top can. 16-oz energy drinks commonly have 160-240mg of caffeine; this is a lot, but nowhere near the nightmare number that was rather cherrypicked.
The facts spewed out here are both unfounded and blatantly wrong. 1 can of RedBull has 80mg of caffeine while a single cup of black coffee has 150-300mg. The cans actually state the numbers on the back, yet people believe this over what’s written. The sugar is high, yes, but compare it with any other beverage. Hot cocoa has 60g+, a triple triple coffee (yes it’s common) has 51g while a single can of an energy drink has 0 (SF options), 27g (regular RedBull) and even less in some others.
Your post, although well done, needs to have more backing data. It’s very biased against these beverages. Seems everyone wants to bash them. People tell me every day “they’re so bad for you”, yet when you ask WHY … they can’t give an answer. Oh they’re super high in caffeine, as they suck back their 3rd coffee of the day. They’re way too high in sugar, as they eat two donuts from a cafe.
Exactly. If people actually read the can, it tells you how much caffeine from ALL ingredients.
Example is take Monsters Zero Ultra. Its 140mgs of caffeine for the whole 16 oz can. 0 grams of sugar. B-vitamins, perservatives, taurine (https://examine.com/supplements/taurine/ ), panax ginseng (on same examine site)
Only thing I can see people truly bashing is the preservatives but they are in about everything we eat unless we are conscious about it.
Black coffee would probably be healthier in terms of natural antioxidants but we all know chronic coffee consumption has a relation with cholesterol even if filtered. Lattes a little different. Then how many people just drinking black coffee. Usually somethings added to make it more pallable for there taste.
Basic coffee mochas have 30+grams of sugar usually in a 10-12 oz serving.
I never knew where the stigma came from with energy drinks. I guess its easier for high school kids to grab a can instead of pouring or making coffee
Lol
Where’d you get these “myths” and “facts”
Your caffeine contents and sugar contents as stated are not listed on any of the energy drinks I occasionaly(1-2 x / month) partake of, when I’m on a sixteen or 18 hour shift, climbing ladders and working my butt off, trying to keep awake and alert. I have a rock star drink in front of me that does happen to have 240 mg of caffeine IN TWO servings, 1 gram carbohydrate-0 sugar, 180 mg sodium-8% of RDA…..etcetera
Really love this article, helped me a lot with my project. xoxo<3
Very not true, as I’m reading this article I’m drinking a strawberry lemonade monster. It is said in the article that it has way too much sugar and the caffeine contents are through the roof, it clearly states on the can that it only has 3 total grams of sugar, which’s nothing compared to drinking pop or something similar, it also shows the caffeine content even though the article said the producers don’t put them on there, the total caffeine content is only 160mg in this can, basically as much as a cup of coffee, and not 500 mg either. I fully understand that these things aren’t the healthiest things to drink but they aren’t as bad as people are making them out to be.
Hello