Energy Drinks: Ingredients & Dangers
By BrianX | November 23rd, 2004Since the 1990s, energy drinks have gone from being the latest craze and fad to a permanent fixture in our culture. Given the various seemingly exotic ingredients, here’s a general introduction to the various energy drink dangers and advantages. I won’t go into great biological detail since you could probably write a book about the energy drink craze. Instead I’ll provide you with some information that should let you be a more informed consumer when it comes to energy drinks.
What are Energy Drinks?
An energy drink is a beverage that contains some form of legal stimulant and/or vitamins which are meant to give consumers a short term boost in energy.
The “Magical” Ingredients
In general, these drinks have one thing in common: They all contain a lot of sugar and/or caffeine. These could be considered the “active ingredients.” So before you go bragging about how powerful a certain drink was and how its natural ingredients helped you wake up in the morning or dance all night, consider that you probably got more of a sugar rush than anything else.
Energy Drinks & Marketing
The “thing” about energy drinks is that they are marketed as being all-natural energy boosters loaded with exotic ingredients that popular culture believes to be healthy. Energy drinks are generally marketed towards younger crowds, especially those who go to raves. People are buying energy drinks in record numbers, even at an incredible $2-3 for a can smaller than an average soft drink can. Just FYI, the energy drink industry is worth over a billion dollars in sales annually. Note that Red Bull energy drink leads the way. While Red Bull may have lame TV commercials, energy drinks tend to have cool logo colors and fonts, modern can or bottle shapes, and a “high energy” feel surrounding them. It’s a marketing company’s dream come true!
The Dangers of Energy Drinks: Side Effects & Long-term Effects
I’m just scratching the surface with what I have written here so let me give you some food for thought. When you are considering consuming energy drinks:
- Make a mental note that while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowing companies to sell and market their energy drink products, there is still very little research that has been done on them. I suspect the FDA allows them to be added simply because they do not pose any immediate danger to energy drink consumers.
- The long-term effects of energy drink ingredients, if any, are still not known meaning that drinking a lot of these drinks on a consistent basis may or may not harm you in ways that have yet to be researched.
- Energy drink labels are frequently misleading or at least they are so ambiguous that when you buy them you simply believe what you want to believe. Remember that in most cases, the claims being made have not been proven.
- It remains unknown as to whether any medical conditions and related prescription medication will interact with energy drinks. If you try an energy drink and react poorly to it, consult a physician.
Body Chemistry
Energy drinks all try to stimulate something in your body that leads to your awakening and feeling as though you have more energy. One big mistake that most people make is that energy drinks will have the same effect on them, regardless of the choice of drink, and ignoring an individual’s unique body chemical make-up.
Think about it this way: We know that alcohol has a unique effect on everyone who consumes it (some people get drunk faster, have different allergic reactions to alcohol, etc), so there is no reason to believe that these drinks will have a different result among various consumers.
Sugar
Many raves don’t sell alcohol but in fact focus on water and energy drink sales. While gaining energy from sugar in and of itself is not such a bad thing, be warned that drinking lots of sugar can make you feel full. Carbonation, which can come from soft drinks as well, also makes you feel full. Ravers who become ill frequently keep dancing or remain active, and fail to re-hydrate as they should, in part because they think they’re full. What ends up happening is that their body shuts down due to the lack of fluids, and they collapse.
Are Energy Drinks Addictive?
Since consumption of energy drinks is so prevalent among youth and frequently associated with raves and the nightclub scene, many wonder about their addictive properties. In fact, the only truly addictive part of energy drink ingredients appears to be caffeine. So if you drink enough cans, you may become addicted to caffeine and ultimately suffer from the effects of the addiction.
Energy Drinks, Alcohol & Death
Bars around the world mix vodka with energy drinks, especially Red Bull. This is mixing a depressant (alcohol) with a stimulant (the energy drink). This can have an effect on your heart and claims have been made that this combination has lead to death. As such, some countries in Europe have banned Red Bull and other energy drinks.
Creatine
SoBe is a popular drink. It contains creatine in such minute amounts that it probably doesn’t have any effect. Same with Ginko.
Taurine
The peculiar thing about taurine is that nobody really knows what it does! There is apparently no evidence that it has any major influence but it is possible that it does indeed have some effect on the body which leads to the feeling of having more energy.
Taurine & Caffeine are Key
One must also account for the mixed effects of the different energy drink ingredients. Consider that drinking different types of alcohol during a night of partying can leave you with an awful hangover. (Of course, you could try the anti-hangover pill). In an energy drink such as Guru for example, it is possible that the taurine enhances the effects of caffeine, giving you a slightly larger boost than if you had drank only one of the ingredients. This is just a theory however since it has yet to be scientifically tested.
Vitamins
Some energy drinks offer a variety of vitamins. It’s important to note that your body will take what it needs and pee off the extra vitamins. So this isn’t a major health booster.
Popular Terms
The most popular energy drinks include Red Bull, Monster, XS (get it - excess), Boost, Crunk, Rockstar, Crunk Juice, Full Throttle, Spark, Amp , Rush, SoBe, Pimp Juice, Shark, Piranha, Red Line, Bookoo, Socko, Fuze, Hype, Guru, and Atomic X.
Update
This BrianX Magazine exclusive article was published in 2004 and since then, a lot of email has come in, mostly from parents who were desperate to get information on energy drinks. In most cases, their children were in the hospital or at least at home with severe issues related to energy drinks. Based on these emails, it would appear that the actual number of people suffering from the adverse effects of these drinks is larger than might be gathered from hospital reports.
Comments? Feedback?
If you have any insight into energy drinks, their ingredients, and the validity of studies related to the various ingredients, I’d love to hear them. The beauty of the Internet is that knowledge can grow right here as new info comes in.
I have drank the energy drink full throttle for at least 2 years, usually about 3 a day, and in the last 6 months I have encountered SEVERE joint and muscle pain. The pain was so intense that I had to see a doctor who advised me there were no signs of any damage from the exrays and mri. A family member asked me to cut out the drink and see what would happen.
Well I have not drank it for over 2 weeeks and the joint pain is GONE….It didn’t happen overnight but the pain gradually became weaker and not lasting for days but only hours. I have had 5 days of absolutely no pain and it looks like the reason for the pain was the energy drink. I was just inquiring if you had heard anyone else having this happen to them.
June 9, 2009 at 12:02 am
I have been drinking energy drinks for a few years now. More now as my life has gotten busier. I have noticed when I drink on an empty stomach, and then do nothing afterwards. The drink ends up upsetting my stomach. I am not sure what may cause this, or if this is helpful in anyway as what may other effects may be on energy drinks. Just sharing my personal experience.
June 12, 2009 at 10:57 am
Thanks soooo very much for the article on the harmful effects of the energy drinks that my daughter is consuming.
We thought she was developing some sort of split personality, but based on the times when she drinks these beverages, to when she “comes down” from the rush, I have now figured out what’s been going on.
Anyway, the boyfriend, has her hooked on these drinks. I don’t see much difference between these drinks and taking something like No-doze, or the other uppers that my age group took during our college years…mid eighties…no ages please… :o)
Some days she is so miserable, and has been having acute insomnia for months…
Thanks again, my burgeoning nurse WILL sit down and read your article and the 2 others that I found that support it.
Sincerely
A Mom in Pennsylvania who is losing her mind…
June 14, 2009 at 11:02 am
i have been looking up some info since wed thats how i came about ure article.. Let me tell you my story and maybe you can give me some feed back. I was ordered to take a drug test (urine) on wednesday and well when the judge received the test i was informed that i had failed. Well let me tell you i dont use drugs so i was shocked.
My lawyer and I sat down and tried to figure out exactly what i have been intaking for it to show up positive for methamphetemines (how ever u spell it). I had gone over that i had been taking a prescribtion of prednisone but that wasnt the answere, so she continued any cold meds ? my answere no. any diet pills ? no BUT i do drink RED BUll almost every day.. She doubted red bull would make my test positive.. i asked my family doctor about it and he said possibly so here i am i googled red bull and meth tons of articles came up about it being a liquid meth also i saw something about taurine in energy drinks so I googled taurine and meth and I came to a site wikiansweres.com apperently someone else failed for meth and had asked if taurine was the cause and they received an aswere yes.. hope this might help ure article and maybe if u find any more info about red bull and meth PLEASE let me know.
June 15, 2009 at 11:24 am
I’ve been an energy drink addict for a few years now. Mostly Monster and NOS. After drinking a few of them last weekend I had to go to the hosptial because my back was in such bad pain that it accualy caused me to vomit. I went to the hosptial and they gave me a shot of muscle relaxer. A friend’s mom (who is a nurse) suggested that it my be the enegry drinks I was consuming causing my kidneys to swell therefore putting extra stress on my back. And like this article states I didn’t believe her as there is no proof to long term effects. Nor short term that I have found. However today I drank down 2 bottles of NOS 600ML each and I had to leave work early with the same pain from last weekend. I’m hoping that i have not done any long term effects to my body. But I hope someone reads this before something like this happens to them.
June 22, 2009 at 12:09 am
Felicia
To back up your statement, YES energy drinks can show up as METH. There is a UFC Fighter (Sadly can’t remember his name) On the fight network. that was saying By drinking redbull before a urine test it will show as a meth. Another danger.
June 22, 2009 at 12:15 am
I regularly drink energy drinks and while I was working in a club here in Vegas last year, I was taking to some guy that work for one of the major ones (hint: color - male cow) after they had a few cocktails they started to fill me in that for every can (small) you drink you should drink a least 16 oz of water to flush it out and keep your self hydrated. Just FYI.
BTW ever notice that your urine changes color after drinking certain Energy Drinks.. that can not be a good thing.
June 25, 2009 at 2:17 am
As with anything if you drink too much of something then yes it can cause damage. The term moderation is key to anything… One energy drink every 2 or 3 days isn’t going to hurt you, but 2-3 a day for years then is just plain ignorant. And about failing drug tests before things, I have drank red bull with many smoothies and many other drinks with taurine in it and I passed my drug test for my job, and I guarantee you that if anyone would have failed it due to energy drinks i would have, but didn’t. The other thing is that if you have taken any over the counter weight loss pill there would be your answer to failing drug test. The only KNOWN ENERGY DRINK to have any trace of anything and it is a very SMALL trace is in the R** B**l w cola. So remember MODERATION. Be safe.
July 2, 2009 at 12:08 am
Drink sugar free energy drinks and all of you will avoid half the problems you are having. The FDA has no limits or regulations in place for energy drinks when it comes to legal ingredients such as sugar, caffeine, taurine, etc… If you notice there is no amount of caffeine listed on the side of the cans. This is because there is a massive amount and it is not regulated like, coke and pepsi. Energy drinks fall into their own category when it comes to the FDA. The rules are different. If you want to avoid the joint pains, the back pains, the mood changes, and all the adverse side effects I am reading about here, then switch to sugar free energy drinks. There is no meth in energy drinks whatsoever, that is just a silly myth. If there was meth in energy drinks you would have known about it a loooooong time ago. The media would have ate that up. HEADLINES- Energy drink Red Bull distributes meth to children in the form of an energy drink. If you failed a drug test I would look outside of the energy drink category to find your answer. My advice ask for a retest and submit a hair sample instead of urine. A hair sample is a more extensive test and will probably cost you but it is a more exact science. They can trace drugs very far back and establish a timeline of what you took and when you took it. If you did take drugs and dont want anybody to know then dont give a hair sample because you will fail.
July 9, 2009 at 2:00 pm
The AMP energy drink does not have as much sugar and caffeine as the others. I find that AMP can be useful, but I wouldn’t suggest drinking it 24/7. I drink it on occasions, there is nothing wrong with it once and a while.
July 21, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I drink energy drinks sporadically. Actually, the whole reason I started drinking them was that my schedule suddenly changed from me starting work at 4pm to starting work at 8am. My sleep schedule was off and I was left feeling very tired in the mornings. I started drinking Amp energy drinks. Honestly, they made it a lot easier to get through the day. However, I noticed the effect of how it makes you feel full. I realized that I was not drinking any water during the rest of the day because I wasn’t thirsty.
So then I tried a 5 Hour Energy. At least it didn’t have a ton of sugar. It was smaller and didn’t give me that full feeling. It works sometimes, but not every time. The effects of Amp also began to sometimes work and sometimes not. I think either I was too tired for the drinks to help, or I was building some sort of resistance, at least to the caffeine part.
Also, drinking Amp on an empty stomach makes me feel a little sick. Drinking 5 Hour Energy on an empty stomach makes me feel sick much later as my body tries to digest the stuff.
For a while, I took a caffeine pill every now and again. Actually I only took half of one, because a whole pill made me feel very strange and unpleasant. My head would be buzzing and would nearly set off a panic attack. Amp and 5 Hour Energy at least did not have those effects on me. Perhaps because they are not just caffeine? I don’t know.
Energy drinks work if you drink them once in a while. They don’t affect my personality. But they do sometimes make me feel sick. They do make me feel full so I end up not drinking water. They also don’t work every single time.
July 29, 2009 at 11:24 am
Wow, great article! It has always amazed me at people drinking those things at parties or at the club, and I’ve always wondered if there would be any side effects. Thanks for the info, sounds like others need it too! There are alternatives to the current “energy drink” market.
August 3, 2009 at 9:37 am
Hi,
Attempting to write a term paper on energy drinks for a college class, and in searching the web came upon this. My class is US food laws and regulations and many people have told me there is not enough info to write a term paper on this subject. Being a stuborn and determined person… I am still going forward with the paper. If any one has information that will help me in my direction it would greatly be appericated.
August 9, 2009 at 1:41 am
Has anybody had a bad experience with POWER HORSE energy drink?
August 10, 2009 at 9:47 am
I’ve been drinking energy drinks for years now and i notice when I don’t have one I get head aches and have mood swings but once I have a energy drink I feel okay again also I notice I have problems breathing after I have one. im trying to stop but i find myself wanting a drink cant help it i think they are addtive and people just don’t notices it yet.
August 13, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I have been drinking red bulls and rockstarts for a few years now usually 2 in the morning. Anyhow I am also bi polar documented receive ssi benefits for this and I am on meds. Well when I went to see my doctor the other day he told me I have something called taurine toxicity syndrome which is still a lot of tests being done but there is medical research that shows on animals who were tested that bi polar are more at risk to have side effects from use of traurine products. I have leg pain and numbeness in legs and lower back as well as i have a constant feeling of off balance and have to sit down because I am afraid of falling. The doctor told me I have nervous system damage and that in a few days i will spend a night in the hospital so they can do some more tests. Anyways read up on it it google taurine and side effects and dangers.
August 14, 2009 at 11:34 am
A friend of mine recently introduced me to an all-natural energy drink. Some energy drinks usually have no fruit juice at all.
August 15, 2009 at 9:04 pm
For approximately two to three years, I drank energy drinks on a regular basis; one a day, every second day or so, depending. I also ingested a large amount of sugar along with these energy drinks; about 20 dollars worth, the same days I regularly drank energy drinks.
The problem started after a particularly unsettling event (which I will keep personal, but suffice it to say it caused major mental trauma), after which I binged on sugar and energy drinks (Commonly Full Throttle and Red Rain) for two months straight, upping the dose to two and a half cans per day.
The effect of this was that now, whenever I ingest an energy drink, my stomach begins to hurt, and I have rapid bowel movements. Two energy drinks, and it’s an effective enema. I haven’t experienced this with any common soda products with caffeine in them, and the sugar may have just been an added factor. I believe this could be my body’s way of treating certain chemicals as a poison, and shunting them out.
Any other ideas about this?
August 16, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Darice, I don’t want to even put the name of my energy drink in with these others. But if you want to contact me, I will be glad to tell you and also give you additional information for your term paper. If you email me, please put “Term Paper” in the subject line…
b-b-king@sbcglobal.net
August 17, 2009 at 11:12 pm
I am an amateur bodybuilder. I don’t smoke, do drugs, drink alcohol and i am on a strict diet. These energy drinks (even the sugar free) are bad news. Pepsi’s (No Fear) sugar free was my drink of choice. But just like any other drug it feels good at first and you keep doing more and you don’t even realise that the reason you feel like crap is because of the drug. I learned pretty quick that if you drink one of these things before you lift weights it will ruin your workout. Your heart will be beating so fast that you have to sit. I am in iron man condition and to be sidelined by a drink is un-nerving. I will not be drinking anymore energy drinks, myself. But this is much bigger than me. These things need to be banned along with cigarettes. Just my opinion.
August 23, 2009 at 12:42 pm
What about efusjon? I would really like some opinions about this energy drink. I have been drinking this energy drink for weeks now.
August 25, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I have an 18 year old nephew who has been consuming large amounts of NOS and Red Bull and a couple of other energy drinks. He has been doing possibly 4 to 6 cans a day. His personality has changed dramactically. He has gone from a shy, quiet young man, to a loudmouthed time bomb. He can’t be reasoned with in any way. All problems with him are someone elses fault. He can’t carry on a normal conversation because of his loud to shouting voice, and sometimes he doesn’t realize he is doing it. We are at the end of our patience with him, and do not know what to do. He does not see any problem with the way he does. The younger children are afraid to be around him. Any help or ideas on this problem will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for listening.
James
August 28, 2009 at 1:44 am
Great info with the ingredients. Energy drinks - terribly misnamed, are one of the nastiest things one can put in the body.
September 2, 2009 at 1:16 am
I’m going for a bet that requires me to drink 16 monster energy drinks within 24 hours. Will it potentially do a lot of damage to me?
September 2, 2009 at 3:25 am
If you drink a lot of energy drinks in one short period of time you will overload your organs causing them to shut down causing severe damage and death.
There are reports out already where many young adults (14-25) have died from as few as 4 Red Bull. Do you think its wise to push the limit to anything more than one per day?
Overloads of Vitamin B-6 cause severe nerve damage to the extremities (fingers & Toes) Vitamin B-12 overdose causes central nervous system disorders and liver damage. There are already children waiting for liver transplants from drinking to many energy drinks.
Anything sweetened with sucralose is also going to cause severe kidney issues as this form of sweetener is nothing more than DDT a very damaging toxin to the human body. Run as fast as you can from anything with this sweetener. DDT is a poison and always has been. Why is it showing up in our food? Because the FDA only requires that the label be on the package, not that the ingredients are in the product. They don’t even care if the ingredients are harmful. Any doubts, checkout the other poison that is in our food supply making everyone sick called ASPARTAME. This poison has a very bad track record, every lab rat that was given aspartame died from a cancerous brain tumor. And yet the FDA lets them put that in our food supply every day. If your product says sugar free of diet it contains aspartame.
Google this information and find out for yourself. You will see why our children are getting diseases at such an early age. We as adults are poisioning our own children and this must stop….not tomorrow but today!
September 2, 2009 at 6:34 pm
I been drinking energy drinks for at least 5 years once a day. Now I’ve been experiencing lower back pain and sometimes if i haven”t had anything to eat i have stomach pains. After reading above i do believe the cause is the energy drinks cause i’ve been to chiropractors and they do nothing to make it better unless i use a muscle relaxer. Then back feels okay again. I will stop using energy drinks and see if there is a difference. Any feedback would be appreciated. Anyone have same symptoms?
September 7, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Your best bet to scare yourself away from these drinks is to research each and every ingredient on the labels. You will scare yourself to death when you read what those ingredients do to us, and where they come from. These companies should be held accountable for marketing this poison.
September 9, 2009 at 4:36 pm
What are the mental effects of these drinks. Can a person get so changed in their personality that they might complete suicide? Are there any studies on this topic?
September 15, 2009 at 7:01 pm
I want to say a big thank you for this article, it has opened my eyes. I have been told for months by friends to stop drinking amp and red bull and I laughed it off but after reading this article and these comments (that I can actually relate to) I will stop drinking them after today. I have had pain in my lower back and side, as well as pains in my chest. I already have knee and joint problems but now I see this could make it worse. For all of you still doubting that the energy drink is the problem, God bless you!!
September 17, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I have had the same problems. Significant knee pain and nerve problems including sciatica, mood swings, changing personality on come-downs etc.. I have ADHD and if other people are talking about joint pains and stuff, then I believe that they are related. I didn’t know that stuff about B-vitamins either. I’ve also been taking valium sometimes too, because it relaxes me. But then I get very depressed. I’ve been up and down and all around with my moods. I have noticed that I really want the valium when I take the energy drinks, but I avoided thinking about it because I wanted to keep drinking them. I also have a perpetual tick in my lower eyelid when I drink the drinks and for the next few days.
September 18, 2009 at 11:58 pm
I drink one can of energy drink every day at the beginning of the evening, b/c by then I am tired from the day and need the lift for the evening of domestic duties. But now I wonder whether the energy drink could be the cause of the tiredness? I don’t have any trouble getting to sleep, but perhaps the caffeine and guarana impact on having a deep and restful sleep? does anyone know if that could be an effect of those ingerdients?
September 20, 2009 at 1:45 am
Umm I have a question… how many energy drinks do you need to have before it makes you pass out? Someone said they had 6 cans of rockstar and it knocked them out and they woke up in hospital but I don’t believe them… can anyone help me with this? It would be much appreciated.
September 24, 2009 at 6:57 am
I drink 3 monster energy drinks in the morning. two at lunch, one after I get home and 1 after dinner. I get no side affects. I just feel more awake. I do think that I am addicted to them… but since they have not been affecting my health, and it has been almost a year now. I don’t mind. It’s just a part of my life now and they taste good!!!
September 27, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I have never had an energy drink before and my friends keep on saying I need to have one but I’m not sure if it will do anything bad to my body, so can I have some advice? Thank you :)
September 28, 2009 at 5:28 am
Please, whatever you do don’t ever get drunk off of alcohol energy drinks. I did last night and am having one of the worst days ever. I feel dizzy for hours and am still feeling dizzy as I am writing this. I feel like I’m going to pass out but I feel like this for hours. This is not a pure alcohol hangover because I know what those feel like that and this is something else. This is some kind of horrible crash that goes on for hours and hours and hours and you can’t sleep the alcohol off because your so wired. Really bad combination. STAY AWAY FROM ALCOHOL ENERGY DRINKS.
October 3, 2009 at 11:31 am
All I can say is be careful. Not only can these affect your joints and kidneys but it can do a number on your heart. Also, the sugar content in these absolutely destroys your teeth if you’re not careful. You’ve seen what coke can do to a penny, just imagine what this is doing to your teeth.
October 5, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I have been drinking Monster XXL ever since I had my first child, almost 6 years ago. I drink AT LEAST one a day, sometimes 2, the most being 3. XXL is a 24 oz can, so I usually drink one in the morning and sometimes continue after lunch. I DO find myself wanting another one on some days just because they are so good! I am addicted. I remember when I first started drinking them, I drank the regular size ones and they use to make me grind my teeth! I knew they were powerful back then and then they came out with the XXL and they definitely woke me up! They also suppressed my appetite and I lost ALL the baby weight. Everyone asked me how I lost the weight, and it was because I didn’t eat breakfast anymore, only Monster. 6 years later, I have spent THOUSANDS on monster drinks and do get in bad moods when I am very tired and can’t afford to get one. I have even taken change many times to buy one!! (the taste is addicting, as well as the caffeine, plus I think it has become a daily habit that is hard to break). There are days I try not to have one, but I usually break down and have one later in the day or the very next day. I have not seen ANY side effects except for the actual addiction.
Even when I see a Monster and I am wide awake, I always want another one! My brother was telling me about some of the side effects he had heard about and encouraged me to research it myself, thus here I am. I HIGHLY doubt there are traces of meth or even the false results of it on a drug test because I don’t do drugs and have been drinking minimum 24oz a DAY and have NEVER failed a drug test. But then again, that’s Monster energy drinks.
I have never really liked the taste of any other energy drinks, although my husband says NOS is even more powerful than Monster. (?) When I’m trying to drink something else in substitution of Monster, I have found that Mountain Dew is a good one. They are also the same creators of both drinks.
October 5, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Any experts out there who might explain why a racehorse who has had no medication apart from a cattle wormer (and you could be eating that cow 14 days after being given it!) would test positive for pemoline? The staff looking after the two horses drink lucozade and red bull and other high energy drinks. Is there a link? At my wits end.
October 11, 2009 at 10:21 am
Will some of you actually read what you are posting before you his the “Send Comment” button? Man, “I drink 2-4 Monsters a day and I….” or “I drink them everyday for breakfast and more later…”. That is the problem. Sure, the sugar containing Energy Drinks (ED’s) are not going to be good for you if you use them unmoderated. DUH!!! Same goes for soda pop, coffee, alcohol, or anything else. I have used the sugar free monsters and Rock Stars for YEARS prior to running, martial arts, kickboxing, or anything else that requires heavy cardio and am healthy as a horse (doctor verified).
If you are just drinking these things and sitting on your butt or even just for the average day, you should liken it to flooring the accelerator pedal of your car while in park or neutral. That is in effect what you are doing to your bodies by just drinking them casually. If you are feeling really tired for no reason and that is why you want an ED, then go to the doctor and have them check you for Hypothyroidism and sugar diabetes. Hypothyroidism is one of the most undiagnosed diseases and the cause of many people’s lack of energy and bad sense of well being as it also causes bad depression and in some cases, sexual dysfunction.
Another factor why most of you people are feeling like crap is that I would bet my arm that you don’t drink enough (if any) water! For every soda or coffee you drink during the day, you should be drinking at least that much water (1:1 ratio). Caffiene is a diuretic. Your need to stay hydrated. Dehydration is also the cause of many aches and pains in your joints and muscles. If you do not have enough water intake, your muscles lose elasticity and it can even cause headaches. Toss in a ciggarette habit and VIOLA! There you go!
October 17, 2009 at 1:55 pm
What about the “new wave” of so-called healthy energy drinks? Seems like a great alternative for anyone wanting to make sure they or their family are consuming a much healthier alternative to Red Bull, etc. Thoughts?
October 19, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Wow… after reading all these posts, I remembered that I had the worst neck-spine pain I’ve ever heard of for a month straight. Two weeks before that pain, I had switched from cans of Pepsi to 2 or 3 cans of an energy drink each day. I have been low on money lately (and every one knows 1 can pepsi=.75 vs. 1 can Energy= 2.95) so I went back to Pepsi. THREE DAYS LATER… my pain is gone. Note: I have been drinking ED’s for 2 years, but never a hundred in one month like when the spine muscle pain happened.
October 23, 2009 at 12:21 am
I drank 6 monster every day last year, at the end of the year, I passed out in a diabetic coma. When I started, I had no previous medical problems.
October 23, 2009 at 11:03 am
Haha, I just read this while drinking a Rockstar.
I always drink an average of two Red Bulls a day or one Rockstar or Monster, plus 2 cups of coffee in the morning and a can of diet Pepsi in the afternoon. I’ve never experienced any ill effects in the last few months besides the extreme caffeine addiction. I do drink at least 3 bottles of Smartwater a day, so maybe that keeps me from cramping and such, as well as choosing some sugar-free drinks. I play sports and run 3 miles every other day, and I didn’t get the rapid heartbeat. I don’t believe for a second that meth is in energy drinks, because my friends and I would be dead.
November 9, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Water can do a LOT of damage if you drink it all at once! You people need to get over it, you think energy drinks are causing mood swings in your teenagers guess what, They are TEENAGERS! Of course they have mood swings. Look I’ll admit I have expirienced lower backpain from Monster and clearly it is my kidneys, so you know what I did, I stopped drinking them! Wow problem solved.
Health problems can come from an array of things and I guarantee you that the main health problem to come from energy drinks is this magical little thing called dehydration. That is what caused my kidneys to hurt and I realized that while I was drinking energy drinks making myself drink water was difficult, so I freakin stopped! I hate it when people are looking for the next big excuse to why their children are moody.
I was a teenager once and now I am a member of the uniformed services and a good husband. When I was a kid I was a straight A student and naturally friendly. You wanna know why parents? Because I have good parents who didn’t pussy-foot around with stupid mood swings and treated me with respect and dignity, give that a shot and then you’ll see that energy drinks are just a good tasting super-soda if you want your kids to have an energy boost tell them they are doing a great job at something they wouldn’t expect you to care about like guitar or even a video game, it goes a long way. Most kids lose motivation because they feel that you don’t care about anything they do and therefore they find other ways to get that motivation back. Watch you children and appreciate thier talent, you’ll be amazed how much thier “attitude” changes.
November 10, 2009 at 6:56 am
Short and to the point — moderation is Key
November 15, 2009 at 11:13 am