Caffeine And Sugar In Energy Drinks: A New Health Crisis?

Energy drinks are full of caffeine and sugar. Popular with youngsters and adults, are these drinks really sparking a health crisis in children's nutrition?

Energy drinks mix caffeine and sugar with good old-fashioned water. Some children, youth and adults drink several cans of sports beverages daily, to feel better or to boost athletic performance. Are we drinking ourselves into a health crisis?
The Nutrition of Energy Drinks

Most energy drinks contain carbohydrates and caffeine. Some include more exotic ingredients, such as ginseng, guarana or taurine. Vitamins and minerals may be found in some energy drinks.

Sports drinks, by contrast, include electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which an athlete loses by perspiring. They also have lower concentrations of carbohydrates, and may include caffeine.

Whether explicit in their advertising or implicit in the name, energy drinks are intended to help people feel more energetic and alert. A stimulant, such as caffeine, can certainly have this effect. So can ingesting sugar or any quickly digested carbohydrate. All of these are temporary stimulants.

Comparing Caffeine in Coffee and Energy Drinks

Regardless of the source - coffee, energy drinks, tea, soft drinks, or pills - the same amount of caffeine will affect an individual in the same way. The beneficial effects include being more attentive in boring situations, feeling more energetic, and having a higher pain tolerance. Caffeine increases kidney activity, so an athlete may become dehydrated more readily. Later, however, when the effects wear off, the person may feel very fatigued.

Negative effects of an overdose include inability to concentrate, insomnia, and increased heart rate. Over a longer term, caffeine is addictive - a person will require a larger dose for the same benefit, and may experience withdrawal symptoms including fatigue and headache. As well, caffeine use is linked to a loss of calcium, potentially leading to brittle bones.

Often writers will compare the amount of caffeine found in another source, to that found in a cup of coffee. The alarmists who see an energy drink crisis warn that a can may contain the equivalent of "several cups" of coffee. Usually an industry spokesperson responds that the caffeine levels are actually about the same.

Energy drinks may minimize the reported amount of caffeine, if the label mentions an herb which contains caffeine. This is similar to disguising the amount of carbohydrate by listing dextrose, galactose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose separately. The consumer may not realize how much caffeine, or sugar, is being consumed.

Another potential danger from the caffeine in an energy drink comes from the mix of active ingredients. Specifically ephedrine plus caffeine is a controversial mixture, since each can cause an increased heart rate.

Health Canada suggests limiting a child, aged four to six, to 45 mg of caffeine, as found in one caffeinated soda per day - with no other caffeine from chocolate or other sources. Health Canada suggests a maximum daily limit of 400 mg of caffeine - about 3 cups - for healthy, non-pregnant adults. A pregnant woman should limit herself to 300 mg.

Sugar: A Possible Diet Hazard from Energy Drinks

Another potential hazard arises from the calories found in the simple carbohydrates in many energy drinks. Some are free of sugar; most contain between 100 and 200 calories of sugar. This is very similar to most soda pop, which is under attack for contributing to childhood obesity and possibly to Type 2 diabetes.

From a nutritional standpoint, it is difficult to burn off the extra hundred calories of sugar from just one energy drink. A 75-pound child would have to run over 1.75 miles to use up that extra food energy. A 138-pound woman only needs to run one mile.
Choices and Healthy Choices

Perhaps the most heavily-advertised energy drink is Red Bull. Their Canadian web site's ingredient list includes caffeine and the carbohydrates glucose, glucuronolactone and sucrose.

A well-known sports drink is Gatorade. Their web site states that it contains 6% carbohydrates - six grams per 100 ml of water, or about 14 grams (64 calories) in a bottle. It also has sodium, potassium and chloride as electrolytes.

If your child has to work a double shift operating heavy machinery, perhaps she needs that second energy drink. If he is too tired to play video games after midnight, perhaps a doctor would recommend some sleep.

First published Jul 27, 2010 Mike DeHaan

References:

Helen Branswell, Winnipeg Free Press, "Journal slams caffeine-loaded drinks", published July 27, 2010, referenced July 27, 2010.

Noni MacDonald, MD, MSc (et al), Canadian Medical Association Journal, PDF: "'Caffeinating' children and youth", early release published July 27, 2010, referenced July 27, 2010.

Leslie Bonci, M.P.H., R.D., Gatorade Sports Science Institute, "SSE #84: Energy Drinks: Help, Harm, or Hype?", published 2002, referenced July 27, 2010.

Author unknown, Health Canada, PDF "Caffeine", modified March 2010 , referenced July 27, 2010.

Author unknown, Health Canada, "Caffeine in Food", modified March 19, 2010, referenced July 27, 2010.

Author unknown, Red Bull.ca, publication date unknown, referenced July 27, 2010.

Author unknown, Gatorade.com, publication date unknown, referenced July 27, 2010.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.