Energy Drinks - Kicking it into Overdrive

Jolt Cola - Who remembers the drink marketed to the teens of the 80’s?

‘All the sugar and twice the caffeine’. It was loaded with 160mg of caffeine and 50g of sugar and probably the first energy drink that many of us were aware of. It was the badass Coca - Cola.

But energy beverages go way back, further then the 80’s.

History of Energy Drinks

First of all, what constitutes an ‘energy drink’? Energy drinks are described as any beverage with a high level of stimulant, such as caffeine or sugar, that enhances mental alertness and performance.

In China, their ancestors were sipping tea for its caffeine kick thousands of years ago. During the Tang Dynasty, tea from China spread out to Japan and Korea, where they embraced the tea rituals and boost in energy levels.

In ancient Egypt and Greece, honey was the stimulant of choice, used in foods and beverages for energy and vitality. During the time of Hippocrates, medicine encompassed dietary recommendations and the use of herbal remedies of which honey was an important component for its ability to provide quick energy.

Meanwhile in South America, yerba mate was their energy drink of choice. By the 17th century yerba mate was everywhere in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. It was more than a drink, it was a way of life.

In the 20th century, we see a new energy drink emerged, a proto-energy drink. A combination of sugar, caffeine and other ingredients.

Based off this recipe, in 1927 a British pharmacist invented and marketed an energy drink for hospital patients. Imagine a doctor prescribing an energy drink.

But it wasn’t until 1962, a Japanese pharmaceutical company introduced an energy drink to fight fatigue and boost productivity using the amino acid taurine and B vitamins.

Taurine is an essential amino acid that supports immune health, heart health and nervous system function. It also helps to boost performance, strength and endurance.

B vitamins most commonly B6 and B12 are the vitamins added to energy drinks for their energy production, assisting in producing healthy red blood cells and cognitive support.

However, it wasn’t until the 1980’s when Red Bull barreled into the market. An Austrian entrepreneur on a business trip discovered a Thai energy drink, Krating Daeng, which means red bull. This drink made with taurine and caffeine, was originally marketed to truck drivers and labourer’s to keep them alert and help them stay awake during long work hours. This entrepreneur tweaked the formula and re-launched Red Bull in Austria in 1987.

And there’s the start to the energy drink market which has exploded to a global market of 73.8B USD and is expected to grow to approx 108B USD by 2031.

Energy Drinks Market Size, Share & Growth Report, 2030 (grandviewresearch.com)

The Marketing of Energy Drinks

Not just for truck drivers and labourers, energy drinks are now used amongst fitness enthusiasts, athletes and within the gaming community for the quick energy boost.

Red Bull, Monster Energy, Rockstar, Prime, Zipfizz, 5 House Energy, Starbucks, Alani, Celsius, Gorilla, Ghost, Fast Twitch, Mountain Dew Kickstart and on and on and on…The list really is endless. Everyone wants a piece of the energy drink market. PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Arizona Beverages USA, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Red Bull and Amway are just some of the big players with the most market share.

Research shows, the common ingredient in all of them is caffeine. They most likely all include B6, B12, taurine and of course glucose. Although many now are being marketed as zero sugar but use artificial sweeteners instead. Other common ingredients may include ginseng, yerba mate, acai, maltodextrin, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. All mixed in their own proprietary blend.

Safety of Energy Drinks

The consensus is that 400mg of caffeine per day is within the safe limits of consumption. The majority of energy drinks have between 80mg-150mg of caffeine per 8oz. But the kicker here is that most energy drinks come in 16oz sizes.

For example this can of Monster Energy.

Notice it states that the serving size per container is 2. So we have to double the amount of these ingredients. 27g of sugar becomes 54g. Their energy blend of 2500mg per 8 oz, does not breakdown the individual amounts of each ingredient, so we don’t know exactly what we are getting when it comes to caffeine or the other ingredients but we do know we are now getting 5000mg of it. (also included in the energy blend is more sugar in the form of more glucose and maltodextrin)

It has been shown that when these drinks are consumed in abundance, it can increase heart rates, blood pressure and cause heart arrhythmias. Which then becomes a scary issue as these drinks being are highly targeted to teens and young adults and this age group seems to be more sensitive to the stimulant effects of these drinks. Energy drinks can also cause negative neurological effects and gastrointestinal distress amongst other issues.

Energy Drink Consumption: Beneficial and Adverse Health Effects - PMC (nih.gov)

Review of published cases of adverse cardiovascular events after ingestion of energy drinks - PubMed (nih.gov)

Even though energy drinks show some benefit to exercise performance and alertness, the negative effects to me outweigh the positive and I believe these should not be consumed. I also find the marketing of these drinks to teens and young adults in bad taste and almost predatory. With marketing slogans of :

• Red Bull Gives you Wings

• Rockstar - Fuel your Grind

• Monster - Unleash the Beast

And colorful bottles and containers to grab your attention, teens and young adults, are becoming addicted to the energy rush of the caffeine and other ingredients.

My advice is to never touch these drinks. IF you use them, them use with caution.

But if you use these drinks, you have to ask yourself - What are you getting from these drinks? If it is for energy, alertness or athletic performance, then maybe you need to get to the root of the issue that has you lacking energy, alertness or athletic performance.

Danni