Energy Drink Info

What's the energy drink buzz all about?

Energy drinks - They're everywhere!

When was the last time you had a can of Red Bull?

It seems these drinks are becoming more and more popular.

Everywhere you can get a can of Coke, you can probably get one of these "energy boosters".

Red Bull is one of the major brands that really brought these products to the mainstream.

Here are some of the other popular names:

People use these drinks to stay focused at work, to study for exams, and even to party at night.

Using them once and awhile is probably fine, but try not to make it a regular thing.

Personally, I've used them to study for exams, or to stay awake when working long hours at a night club.

At the bar I worked at, when I made a vodka red bull for someone, sometimes I would stash away the left over red bull can for when I needed a good boost.

Some days the red bull would really help you get through those long shifts. At least temporarily :)

For the most part they did their job pretty well. But using them on a daily basis is not the healthiest choice.

In sports, their popularity has grown quite a bit.

Especially with the more extreme sports.

Red Bull and some of the other top brands are sponsoring extreme athletes like crazy.

Whether it's race car driving, skateboarding or mixed martial arts, these companies are always there pumping out their marketing.

In mixed martial arts, when the winner has his armed raised in victory, he's usually always holding an energy drink. Same with snowboarders.

But are these products safe?

If we look past all the marketing that's out there, are these products really worth it?

Are there things you should worry about?...

Are these drinks dangerous?

With every kind of supplement or product, there always seems to be people who abuse it. Too much of anything is dangerous.

This certainly applies to these types products.

The recommended dosage on most of these products is 2 cans per day. And that's usually 2 of the smaller 250 ml cans. I wouldn't have more than 1 of the larger 500 ml cans per day.

If you're drinking the stuff all day long, or if you chug 3 or 4 cans in a few hours, you're bound to have some sort of side effect. It might be a headache, an upset stomach, or the shakes.

Also, some of these products are known to dehydrate you, and therefore mixing with alcohol is not considered safe.

I have had a few vodka red bulls before and I'm still alive :) One or two of these at a party probably won't do you any real harm, but drinking them all night is not the best idea.

I would never use them as a sports drink either. These are not the same as a Gatorade or Powerade. These sports drinks re hydrate your body, but energy drinks are known to actually dehydrate you more. I would never drink these after a workout.

Are energy drinks dangerous? - More information

What are the common ingredients?

Most of these products have a combination of caffeine, sugar, taurine and different herbs.

The amount of caffeine in a typical can is fine for adults. It's less than a normal cup of coffee.

However some brands do differ in the amount of caffeine they have. Some have much more than a typical coffee, so you should always check the labels before drinking.

A regular cup of coffee usually has around 100 mg of caffeine. You can compare this number to the energy drink.

It is recommended that children do not use these products.

Sugar is one of the main concerns. You're getting a lot of sugar in the form of calories which is not healthy.

Some of these drinks come in the larger 500 ml cans and those can pack over 200 calories of sugar. If you're trying to be healthy, that's way too much sugar.

Taurine is the ingredient that people seem to think is some magical thing that can help you stay alert. Some people claim it works but there's no scientific information to back that up.

The same thing applies to some of the herbs that are found in these drinks. People claim that they can improve your health, but no real facts about their effectiveness are available.

Why are they so popular?

No doubt about it, this is a big business. Over a few billion dollar a year business acutally.

These products are generally marketed towards young adult males, 18 - 30 years old.

Putting together a marketing spin made up of extreme sports and flashy logos has really worked for this industry.

These products have really created a hip and cool image that their target market really likes.

Also, they do give benefits to some people.

There are many people that can't go a day without a cup of coffee. Some people can have a bad day simply because they didn't get a coffee in the morning.

Well, for this younger market, energy drinks are similar to coffee. Hopefully these guys aren't having them for breakfast, but when they need a caffeine fix, they would rather turn to a flashy energy drink which sponsors mixed martial arts and skateboarding, rather than an ordinary cup of coffee.

Once again, marketing is a powerful thing.

Should you use energy drinks?

Like I said, I personally wouldn't recommend you take energy drinks. Try to avoid them if you can.

If you have no other option, and you really feel like a boost, an energy drink once and awhile is not going to kill you. I wouldn't make it a regular thing though.

It's just not your best option. There's too much sugar in them. Usually any short term benefit in energy you get, is followed by an energy crash. This is not always the case, but many people have experienced this.

If you feel that you really lack energy during the day and constantly need a boost, turning towards energy drinks is not your best solution.

Lack of energy is usually tide to a poor diet and exercise program. Trying to fix it with an energy drink won't help.