What's In That Energy Drink?

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Finals are right around the corner, which means late nights ahead full of studying. A lot of us will probably be reaching for coffee or energy drinks to help us stay alert and awake. We've already featured coffee on this blog (you can read that post here), so this post will focus on energy drinks.

Energy drinks have become increasingly popular since they were first introduced and are especially popular among college students, who have to balance classes, work, student organizations, friends, and more -- which usually means we’re short on sleep. But what’s really in an energy drink and how much can you safely drink?

Energy drinks come in all shapes and sizes, and the ingredients can vary widely from brand to brand. In general, most energy drinks contain the following ingredients:

• Caffeine
• Guarana - derived from the guarana plant, which naturally contains caffeine
• Taurine or other amino acids
• B vitamins
• Sugars or artificial sweeteners
• Artificial colors and flavors

The danger lies in the fact that in the US, energy drinks are considered a dietary supplement and not an actual beverage, which means manufacturers aren't required to disclose how much caffeine is in their product or even all of the ingredients. So how much caffeine are you really getting?

Again, there’s a huge range depending on which energy drink you’re looking at. An 8.4 ounce can of Red Bull contains about 80 mg of caffeine, a 16 ounce can of Monster or Rockstar contains about 160 mg, and one 5-Hour Energy shot (1.9 ounces) contains about 208 mg of caffeine. For reference, a 12 ounce can of soda contains about 60-70 mg of caffeine and a tall coffee (12 ounces) from Starbucks contains 260 mg (Starbucks has notoriously strong coffee, so keep that in mind!).¹

Caffeine is a stimulant which promotes those feelings of alertness and reduces fatigue, but as anyone who’s ever had too much caffeine knows -- it can have some nasty side effects. These include headaches, jitteriness, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and digestive issues. Caffeine withdrawal also comes with its own set of nasty side effects, as does the “crash” that many of us experience after its effects wear off.

Most experts recommend up to 400 mg of caffeine per day for adults, but energy drinks can also contain a lot of sugar, so try to aim for no more than 16 ounces per day.

Note: Energy drinks that are marketed as being “caffeine free” typically contain high amounts of guarana, which is essentially the same thing as caffeine, but is not always considered to be the same due to some interesting regulatory loopholes.

Lastly, if you need some study tips, be sure to check out this blog post, or head over here to read about happy, healthy studying.

Good luck on finals!

Sarah Zou, CDS Nutrition Intern

1. Center for Science in the Public Interest. http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm