Background Research On Energy Drinks

I did this science project about energy drinks because my brother keeps on drinking energy drinks and I wanted to find out if these are really giving him energy to help him play a football match or not, also to find out if he is drinking to many of them in one day.

When did the first energy drinks come onto the market?

1929 saw the introduction of Lucozade in the uk.  It was originally described as a hospital drink for "aiding the recovery;” If you were not feeling very well.

In the 1980’s Lucozade was advertised as an energy drink for "replenishing lost energy."

In the 1960’s Japan released a drink called Lipovitan and was marketed as a nutritional drink and was sold in small brown glass medicine bottles.

In 1985 a drink called Jolt Cola was introduced in the United States of America with the slogan “All the sugar and twice the caffeine." Because of its high caffeine content and was marketed as a means to promote wakefulness.

In 1995, PepsiCo launched Josta, the first energy drink introduced by a major US beverage company. Josta was a soft drink whose flavour had been described as predominately fruity, with a hint of spice it was marketed as a "high-energy drink". It was a soft drink unlike any other. Josta was a wild berry drink infused with guarana and caffeine with a refreshing taste and an energy boost. Josta was ahead of its time when it came out and was the most unique, different, and delicious product that Pepsi-Cola ever came up with. Unfortunately, it was marketed and promoted poorly and Pepsi yanked it too early. It was discontinued in 1999. Shortly after Josta was discontinued, energy drinks infused with guarana like Red Bull have become popular and remain so today.

Red Bull was introduced into the US in 1997 and is the most dominant brand today selling approximately 4.5 billion cans a year. From 2001, the energy drink market has grown substantially year on year it is now a multibillion dollar product and lots of companies have introduced their own brands of energy drinks and they seem to be more popular than ever.

Why do teenagers drink energy drinks?

Teenagers think that energy drinks are cool and it’s fashionable to carry a can when they are hanging out with their mates.

Sometimes the drink companies offer free merchandise, if you buy enough cans so encouraging them to drink/purchase more.

Teenagers think they taste good, are sweet and fizzy and prefer to drink them instead of water as its boring.

Energy drinks give teenagers a buzz (because of the high caffeine levels).

The packaging is bright and attractive and looks cool on the shelf.

What ingredients are in a Monster energy drink?

Carbonated water - (also known as club soda, soda water, sparkling water, seltzer, or fizzy water) is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become effervescent.

Carbonated water is the defining ingredient of carbonated soft drinks. The process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water is called carbonation.

Sugar

Glucose syrup  - is a food that is usually made from hydrolysed  starch (usually maize)

Acidity regulators - (citric acid, sodium citrate)

Natural flavours

Taurine - A natural amino acid produced by the body that helps regulate heart beat and muscle contractions it also supports neurological development the retina and the central nervous system and helps regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood. Taurine is also thought to have antioxidant properties.

Natural colours    (anthocyanin’s)

Panax Ginseng root extract - A root believed by some to have several medicinal properties, including reducing stress and boosting energy levels.

Preservative (sorbic acid, benzoic acid)

Caffeine - a very common stimulant found in coffee, coke & tea. It stimulates the central nervous system and gives the body a sense of alertness. This is the most widely used drug on the planet and has been used for centuries for its stimulating effects.

B-vitamins - A group of vitamins that can convert sugar to energy and improve muscle tone.

B3 (Niacin), B6, B2 (Riboflavin) & B12.

Salt

Inositol - A member of the vitamin B complex (not a vitamin itself, because the human body can synthesize it) that helps relay messages within cells in the body.

Guarana seed extract - A stimulant that comes from a small shrub native to Venezuela and Brazil. It is more dense in caffeine than coffee and contains theobromine and theophylline.

D-Glucuronolactone -is a naturally occurring chemical that is an important structural component of nearly all connective tissues.

Sucralose – Artificial sweetener. Approx. 600 times sweeter than table sugar.

Maltodextrin- is basically a common food additive and contains starch.

What are some of the health risks of energy drinks?

Raises Blood Sugar Levels:-

One of the more serious negative side effects of drinking energy drinks is that it can raise the blood sugar levels within the body. Most energy drinks contain a high amount of sugar, which is not healthy and if consumed regularly may make you feel energetic for a while but then you are likely to feel lethargic, rundown, and listless within a couple of hours after consuming the energy drink, because the sugar levels in the body will go from really high to really low, and this can be really dangerous especially if you suffer from diabetes.

Can Create Dependency

Consuming energy drinks on a regular basis can make you more prone to become addicted to the ingredients, which can create a dependency or addiction, because the ingredients can make you become euphoric, to the point that he or she cannot stop.

Can Lead to Severe Dehydration

A person can actually become severely dehydrated from drinking energy drinks, which is the opposite of what he or she thinks will happen. Energy drinks contain fairly high levels of caffeine, which is a known diuretic, and can lead to the body losing crucial amounts of liquid. During sports, a lot of fluid is lost through sweat, and the fluids lost need to be replaced quickly for an athlete to stay hydrated. When someone consumes an energy drink before or during a sport, he or she is essentially pulling the liquid out of the body, which means that he or she will likely become quickly dehydrated once he or she begins to sweat. The high levels of sugar in the energy drinks can also lead to dehydration, because the balance in the body of salt and water becomes out of whack. Energy drinks can also lead to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea, which are also side effects that can cause dehydration, and this can become fatal if not treated.

Who should not consume energy drinks?

Energy drinks can be harmful to children as some of the products have harmful ingredients in them like caffeine, sugar and taurine, too much of these things could make some children severely ill. Sports and energy drinks are sold very heavily to children and adolescents, but in most cases they don’t need them.

Pregnant and lactating women, people with diabetes, high blood pressure and any other adverse medical problems.