ENERGY DRINKS

“Energy drinks” have become very popular in today’s society and many people are unaware of the dangers of these beverages.  These beverages can contain multiple stimulants, especially caffeine.  These drinks can have as much as twice the amount or more of caffeine than a cup of coffee.  Not all energy drinks are the same and have different contents.  Guarana and ginseng are also common stimulants found in most energy drinks. 

This is a dangerous practice for an athlete and can have very powerful and negative effect on the body and performance.  These drinks provide a supply of mental and physical stimulation for a short time and athlete energy can diminish after the effects of the drink wear off. 

Energy drinks should not be confused with sports drink, such as Gatorade or Powerade.  Sports drinks provide sugar and electrolytes to create energy and hydrate the body.  While, energy drinks are actually causing dehydration.  Dehydration will lead to heat illnesses, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.  Dehydration can also be life threatening and energy drinks increase the chance of dehydration.

Some symptoms of using energy drinks are an upset stomach, anxiety, headaches, leg weakness, being jittery, nervousness, sleeplessness, electrolyte disturbances, nausea and vomiting, heart irregularities and palpitations, and increase blood pressure.  The effect on the heart is the most concerning of all the symptoms and can be life-threatening, especially if an athlete has a pre-existing or underlying heart condition.

My recommendation is to avoid all energy drinks, learn about proper nutrition and always read all labels before consuming any product. If you are unaware of any of the ingredients in any drink, you should research and understand the ingredient before consuming.  Energy drinks are regulated as a dietary supplement and are not regulated by the FDA.  This raises some concerns over the safety of these beverages and can obviously endanger the safety of the athlete.

*See the link for Sports Nutrition for proper guidelines for increasing energy and performance!