Energy Drinks: What are they all about?

As of August 2012, “energy drink” was officially listed in Miriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.  They define an energy drink as “a usually carbonated beverage that typically contains caffeine and other ingredients (as taurine and ginseng) intended to increase the drinker's energy.”

In the last ten years, energy drink sales have skyrocketed.  Between 2001- 2006, energy drink sales increased by 50% each year!  Currently, the industry is worth about $13 billion.

So where did energy drinks get their start? 

In the United States, energy drinks were around as early as the early 1900’s.  In 1904, the Coca-Cola Company was forced to decrease the amount of caffeine in their product which put an end to the first wave of energy drinks.  What we currently think of as an energy drink first became popular in Japan in the 1960’s.  The United States didn’t catch the wave until Jolt Cola was introduced in 1985.  This product’s slogan was “All the Sugar and Twice the Caffeine” and was a hit on college campuses.

In 1995, Pepsico came out with Josta but discontinued it in 1999.  They didn’t return to the energy drink arena until the introduction of AMP in 2001. 

Red Bull, one of the most popular energy drinks, was put on the market in 1997 in the United States and continues to be one of the most popular brands.

What is in an energy drink?

The main purpose of an energy drink is to give the drinker more…energy!  Most energy drinks contain high doses of caffeine.  This is the same ingredients found in soft drinks and coffee.  The difference is the amount that is in a serving.  Energy drinks can contain almost twice as much caffeine as coffee BUT do your research ahead of time.  Some brands of coffee contain more caffeine than some brands of energy drinks.  Three other popular stimulants include taurine (used in Red Bull), ginseng and guarana.  Most drinks also contain high amounts of sugar which can be detrimental to health for many other reasons.

Surprisingly, in the United States, caffeine dosage does not have to be listed on the bottle.  Many lawmakers are working to try to get that policy changed.   

Why are people drinking them?

College campuses are where you will find the highest use of energy drinks.  Students use them as a way to maintain focus during long nights studying, and also as a legal means to get “high.”  Many brands target the male teenagers and 20-somethings for their products.  A FoxNews article stated that Red Bull is becoming too mainstream and the target demographic is turning more towards Monster and Rockstar because of the punk rock and partying edge it offers.

A problem on many college campus’s is the mixing of energy drinks and alcohol.  Because alcohol is a depressant and energy drinks are a stimulant, they counterbalance each other and those who drink may feel like they are alert and okay to drive, but are actually very drunk.  They may also drink more because their body can’t tell how much alcohol it has really had.

While energy drinks are legal and highly used, even on BYU-Idaho’s campus, there are still dangers associated with drinking them.  If you do decide to have an energy drink, drink only one regular sized can to help give you the energy you need.  If, for some reason, you feel you need more, you may want to check out your sleeping/ studying habits to find where you can schedule more time for your body to naturally rest and receive energy.  Don’t let your body become dependent on artificial substances! 

Check out other posts on this blog about eating healthy and exercising for more tips on garnering as much energy as possible for your day.

The Gospel Perspective

Ever wonder what our church leaders are saying about Energy Drinks?  Check out this Ensign and New Era article that shed some light on their dangers and consequences.

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2008/12/the-energy-drink-epidemic?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/new-era/2008/12/energy-drinks-the-lift-that-lets-you-down?lang=eng

Sources: 

Associated Press. (2006, October 31). Teens abusing energy boosting drinks, doctors fear. Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/2006/10/31/teens-abusing-energy-boosting-drinks-doctors-fear/

Brown University. (2012). Energy drinks. Retrieved from http://brown.edu/Student_Services/Health_Services/Health_Education/alcohol,_tobacco,_&_other_drugs/energy_drinks.php

Energy drink. (2013, October 15). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_drink

Energy fiend. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.energyfiend.com/

Watson, Stephanie.  "How do energy drinks work?"  04 October 2006.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/energy-drink.htm>  15 October 2013.

Zelman, K. (2013). What's the buzz about energy drinks. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/whats-the-buzz-about-energy-drinks

 Pictures:

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/11/15/1194451/energy-drinks-dangerous/

http://doubleawesome.com/2009/07/jolt-cola/

http://www.energydrinksports.com/what-is-the-best-energy-drink/