Junior Trista Jennings was swamped this semester. In addition to 21 hours of classes, she was rehearsing up to 10 hours per day for her upcoming dance performances. To get through it all, she drank up to three energy drinks and two iced coffees each day.
These drinks, Jennings said, give her more of a boost than other caffeinated beverages.
“Do I want a Diet Coke or do I want something that’s actually going to give me energy?” Jennings said.
Jennings is not alone. More and more young people are casting aside soft drinks to opt for the highly caffeinated, vitamin-dense and often sugary energy beverages. A recent survey by Simmons Research found 31 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 drink the beverages. Only 19 percent of teens surveyed drank them three years ago.
“Anything in moderation is OK,” said Dr. Eva Oberdorster, professor of physiology and biology at SMU.
According to Oberdorster, caffeine temporarily stimulates brain activity and boosts metabolism. Possible long-term effects include insomnia and an increase in blood pressure, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.
While the drinks do contain significant amounts of caffeine – a 16-ounce Rockstar contains 160 milligrams and a Monster of the same size provides 140 milligrams – the drinks don’t provide a harmful amount. According to www.energyfiend.com, a grande Starbucks drip coffee has 372 milligrams of caffeine or 23.25 milligrams per ounce. Most energy drinks – one exception, Cocaine, sports 33.33 milligrams per ounce – have less than 10 milligrams per ounce.
“We can metabolize it [caffeine]; we can eliminate it,” Oberdorster said.
The biggest concern, she says, is the high sugar content in many of the drinks, which contributes to the rise in childhood obesity.
An 8.3-ounce can of Red Bull contains 27 grams of sugar and a 16-ounce can of Rockstar packs in 60 grams of sugar. That’s twice the amount of a Snickers candy bar. According to Oberdorster, these empty calories don’t fill up the consumer, leaving him or her still hungry.
Many energy drink brands offer low-sugar alternatives. Jennings, who started drinking them in high school, prefers the taste of these.
The drinks also contain high amounts of vitamins – a 24-ounce Monster XXL contains 300 percent of the recommended daily value of four different vitamins: Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Oberdorster says a vitamin overdose isn’t a huge concern.
“A lot of these [vitamins] are water-soluble so you get expensive urine,” she said, “You just pee them out.”
Energy drinks appear to become more popular as finals season rolls around. Edgar Richards, a cashier at CVS, says Monster and Red Bull flies off the shelves and into the hands of sleep-deprived SMU students during finals. He said some students buy sleeping pills to diminish their effects.
“You’re addicted to it, and when you try to get a good night’s sleep, you can’t do it,” Oberdorster said.
The caffeine doesn’t provide a long-term energy high. According to Oberdorster, it revs up the metabolism only to crash shortly after, leaving the consumer exhausted. She says the drinks could aid in athletic ability, but only significantly in high doses.
Perhaps that’s the reason Jennings drank several beverages throughout the day. “If I don’t drink this, I will not get through this rehearsal,” she said.
Students don’t confine their consumption to the libraries, rehearsal studios or gyms. Many head to the bars.
Jessica Bendig, a bartender at Elbow Room in Deep Ellum, says Red Bull and vodka is one of the bar’s most popular drinks among customers – as the night wears on, the demand grows to combat the downing effects of alcohol.
“I’ve never sold Red Bull and vodka before 11 o’clock,” Bendig said. Oberdorster says the combination of alcohol and caffeine causes consumers to feel more sober and physically better, but only temporarily.
When the caffeine wears off the next day, “you are going to be in a world of hurt,” she said.
According to Bendig, bartenders drink Red Bull, sans vodka, to stay awake before the midnight rush of customers. She chooses to stay away from the stuff.
“They freak me out and make me really jittery,” she said. Bendig isn’t the only one who avoids the drinks. Her customers who are doctors refuse the drinks.
Jennings is cutting back as well. At $2 a pop, her habit was costing her $6 every day, not including coffee, just to stay awake. Now that things have slowed down, she has cut back to about one per day and drinks more water instead.
