BYU NewsNet - Energy Drinks Give Boost

By Rachel Finley

By the time a student stays up half the night working on an assignment, attends class early the next morning and then works late the following night, it is just about time to do it all over again.

Students all over campus find themselves feeling sleep deprived and exhausted. There are simply not enough hours in the day to do everything that must be done.

BYU is a health-conscious college where many students regularly attend a gym. However, it is sometimes difficult to find the time and the energy to work out each day.

Despite the taboo sometimes associated with products containing caffeine, some students find energy drinks a perfect pick-me-up to get them through a workout at the gym, or even just through the day.

"I need it to get me out of the door in the morning, especially in the winter," BYU junior Steve Lee said. "A lot of people drink caffeine because their workload or their schedule seems impossible."

Lee works out once a day for two and a half hours, five to six times a week. With classes, work and time at the gym, Lee says energy drinks are an essential part of his day.

"It helps me focus on school work," Lee said, "and I don't have to rest as much between sets at the gym. I can stay in the gym longer and get the results I want."

There are several active ingredients in energy drinks. The most familiar is caffeine. Energy drinks can contain more than twice the amount of caffeine found in a regular can of soda.

According to Medline Plus, a government sponsored health Web site, caffeine is a central nervous stimulant and a diuretic. It provides energy to the body because it is absorbed and distributed rapidly. For short periods of time, caffeine relieves headaches and fatigue.

According to the Web site, Caffeine is a drug in the aspect that people can become dependent on it. When someone consumes large amounts of caffeine, they build up a tolerance and have to drink more to achieve the same results. Caffeine withdrawals can cause nausea, irritability and fatigue.

The body has no requirement for caffeine in a diet, but no health risks have been associated with drinking moderate amounts. According to the Web site, about 250 milligrams per day is considered a moderate amount.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, another important ingredient in energy drinks is taurine, "a conditionally essential nutrient." During physical exertion, taurine is no longer produced in the body. Taurine is a metabolic transmitter, a detoxifier and strengthener of cardiac contractility.

According to Red Bull's Web site, the taurine in their product "is involved in vital functions of the human body.

"Taurine acts as an antioxidant and has been shown to promote detoxification by binding together with harmful substances and thereby accelerating their excretion from the body."

The other main ingredient found in most energy drinks is guarana. Guarana is a plant, common in Brazil, whose seeds contain three times more caffeine as coffee beans. Guarana is known for increasing alertness.

BYU junior Zachary Schrader often drinks low-carbohydrate and sugar free energy drinks. His motivation for consuming energy drinks comes from sleep deprivation and a need to work out.

"I think a lot of people drink energy drinks for the sugar," Schrader said. "I drink sugar-free to avoid the sugar crash."

Sugar provides a quick burst of energy, but then leads to a crash that can leave individuals feeling even more fatigued than before. While some may frown on his choice to drink caffeine, Schrader does not see it as a problem.

"I think I would worry more if I had some sort of dependency, but I don't," Schrader said.

Over the past several years, energy drink popularity has increased. While energy drinks are a good option for some, each person reacts differently. A person should know how their body responds and make a decision whether or not to use energy drinks accordingly.