What is in My Energy Drink?
Written by: Katie Hovda, RN, BSN, MHA

    We’ve all been there; we’re feeling a bit under the weather with a cold so we haven’t been sleeping well, have testing all day at school then have to be ready for a two hour practice before heading home, eating dinner, and doing homework.  We fall into bed for another fitful night of sleep only to wake up six hours later to do it all again. Life can be exhausting! We swing by the gas station to grab an energy drink to get us through the day, only to end up feeling worse than we did before.

    So why does our energy drink sometimes make us feel so bad?  Did you know that energy drinks are classified as supplements so they are not subject to the strict regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration?  

    Without the oversight of the FDA, the label on the energy drink doesn’t even have to be an accurate reflection of the true amount of caffeine in the drink itself.  This means that, even when the label says there are 140mg of caffeine, it is possible that there is considerably more. The proprietary energy blend developed by the manufacturer often contains hidden caffeine that is not reflected on the label.  Even more caffeine could be contained in the many natural ingredients the manufacturer uses like guarana, yerba mate, ginseng, etc. It is so important to carefully read not only the label but also the ingredients to know what you are actually consuming.

    Along with the actual caffeine content of the drink being hard to discern, serving size matters!  Many energy drink containers actually have more than one serving of the drink. This means that, if you consume an energy drink whose label says it has 140mg caffeine per serving, but you drink the entire container that has two servings, you could be drinking more than 400mg caffeine in one drink.  Did you know that the “safe level” of caffeine for adults is generally recognized as 400mg per day? For children between the ages of 12-18, the recognized daily dose of caffeine is only 100mg per day. That means you could consume significantly more than a daily recommended dose of caffeine in one drink!  No wonder that drink made us feel so bad!

    Too much caffeine can be associated with restlessness, insomnia, high blood pressure, jitters, high heart rate, anxiety, seizures, nausea and vomiting, chest pains, and headache.  It takes much less caffeine in children to cause the same side effects as one could see in an adult, and every body tolerates caffeine differently. This means that your friend that can drink two or three energy drinks per day and reportedly feel fine may tolerate that amount of caffeine much better than you can.

    You have likely seen news accounts of young adults who have been hospitalized due to caffeine overdose related to their consumption of energy drinks.  Not only does the caffeine increase blood pressure, but it also increases production of stress hormones which can adversely affect your heart.  

    In summary, consume energy drinks with caution.  Pay close attention to both the caffeine content and ingredients as well as the serving size in the container.  Keep a close eye on any side effects you may experience and stop drinking the drink if you start feeling strange.  Water is always the best option for hydration and a healthy diet and good sleep hygiene will help boost your energy levels naturally!

Source:
Lohmann, R.  (June, 2018).  U.S. News & World Report.  Teens and Energy Drinks: A Potentially Dangerous Combination.  https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2018-06-06/teens-and-energy-drinks-a-potentially-dangerous-combination