As early as the 19th century, beverages became popularized for boosting energy. Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola were launched in 1885-1886 as “tonics” that boosted energy with caffeine. Beginning in the 1980s, the addition of vitamins, minerals and amino acids such as taurine was promoted as increasing energy levels. Red Bull was an early promoter of using energy drinks to improve athletic performance.
Cultural impact
As energy drinks became associated with performance, lifestyle and social identity, sponsorships of extreme sports, music festivals and e-sports helped solidify their popularity among younger demographics. By the mid-2000s, energy drinks had become a mainstream beverage category with a multi-billion-dollar global market that continues to evolve today
Energy drinks are widely promoted as products that increase energy and enhance mental alertness and physical performance. Next to multivitamins, energy drinks are the most popular dietary supplement consumed by American teens and young adults. Men between the ages of 18 and 34 years consume the most energy drinks, and almost one-third of teens between 12 and 17 years drink them regularly.
Types of energy drinks
There are two kinds of energy drink products. One is sold in containers similar in size to those of ordinary soft drinks, such as a 16-ounce bottle. The other kind, called “energy shots,” is sold in small containers holding 2 to 2½ ounces of concentrated liquid. Caffeine is a major ingredient in both types of energy drink products — at levels of 70 to 240 mg in a 16-ounce drink and 113 to 200 mg in an energy shot. (For comparison, a 12-ounce can of cola contains about 35 mg of caffeine and an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 100 mg.) Energy drinks also may contain other ingredients such as guarana (another source of caffeine sometimes called Brazilian cocoa), sugars, taurine, ginseng, B vitamins, glucuronolactone, yohimbe, carnitine and bitter orange.
Consuming energy drinks raises important safety concerns.
Between 2007 and 2011, the number of energy drink-related visits to emergency departments doubled. In 2011, 1 in 10 of these visits resulted in hospitalization.
— About 25% of college students consume alcohol with energy drinks, and they binge-drink significantly more often than students who don’t mix them.
— The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that drinkers aged 15 to 23 who mix alcohol with energy drinks are four times more likely to binge drink at high intensity (i.e., consume six or more drinks per binge episode) than drinkers who do not mix alcohol with energy drinks.
— Drinkers who mix alcohol with energy drinks are more likely than drinkers who do not mix alcohol with energy drinks to report unwanted or unprotected sex, driving drunk or riding with a driver who was intoxicated, or sustaining alcohol-related injuries.
— In 2011, 42% of all energy drink-related emergency department visits involved combining these beverages with alcohol or drugs (such as marijuana or over-the-counter or prescription medicines).
— The amounts of caffeine in energy drinks vary widely, and the actual caffeine content may not be identified easily. Some energy drinks are marketed as beverages and others as dietary supplements. There’s no requirement to declare the amount of caffeine on the label of either type of product.
Medical impacts
— Large amounts of caffeine may cause serious heart and blood vessel problems such as heart rhythm disturbances and increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Caffeine also may harm children’s still-developing cardiovascular and nervous systems.
— Caffeine use may also be associated with anxiety, sleep problems, digestive problems and dehydration.
— Guarana, commonly included in energy drinks, contains caffeine. Therefore, the addition of guarana increases the drink’s total caffeine content.
— People who combine caffeinated drinks with alcohol may not be able to tell how intoxicated they are; they may feel less intoxicated than they would if they had not consumed caffeine, but their motor coordination and reaction time may be just as impaired.
— Excessive energy drink consumption may disrupt teens’ sleep patterns and may be associated with increased risk-taking behavior.
— A single 16-ounce container of an energy drink may contain 54 to 62 grams of added sugar; this exceeds the maximum amount of added sugars recommended for an entire day.
How much caffeine is okay for children?
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks have no place in children’s and adolescents’ diets.
What you can do
— Teachers and other school staff can educate students about the danger of consuming too much caffeine, including energy drinks.
— Coaches can educate athletes about the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks — and potential dangers of highly caffeinated beverages.
— School nutrition staff can provide healthy beverages such as fat-free/low-fat milk, water and 100% juice (if a la carte items are sold in the cafeteria).
Parents, school staff, and community members can:
— Join the school or district wellness committee that sets the policies for health and wellness.
— Establish or revise nutrition standards to address the sale and marketing of energy drinks in school settings.
— Everyone can model good behavior by not drinking energy drinks in front of kids.
— The National Federation of State High School Associations recommends that young athletes should not hydrate with energy drinks. The organization also states that facts about the potential risks should be widely distributed to young athletes.
Fast facts: access to energy drinks at school
— As many as 11.6% of secondary schools in some districts sell energy drinks in vending machines, school stores and snack bars.
— Nationwide, 75% of school districts do not have a policy about these types of highly caffeinated drinks for sale at schools. The drinks may be in high school vending machines, school stores, or a la carte in the cafeteria.