Energy Drinks- Explodes the heart and makes you sick

Being prompted to dig into some of the effects of energy drink because I have teenage nieces and nephews who live on them. At the store, I read the ingredient list and most of them was over 50% sugar. If it was just sugar, water, and caffeine would we still drink it? But because my fellow fitness peers occasionally consume these products, maybe they are not as bad as I initially thought. A nurse I know had asked her staff not to consume these products on shift because emotions and temper would always seem to be higher when they drank them. On a side note, I use to make NOS and Monster drinks. There is no way I would drink that stuff now. Some had three types of sweeteners and over 15 ingredients and would block up five-inch pipes if the mixing water weren’t hot enough.

Sugar The primary energy rush in most drinks is caffeine and sugar. In a 16 ounce drink, the caffeine can range from 70-240 mg ("Energy drinks," 2018) and 27-37 grams (5-7.5 teaspoons) of sugar in an eight-ounce serving. The same with soda goes for energy drinks; how many people drink just one serving of the products when it is sold in a bottle/can that is two or more servings? Not many. Most people will slam back 16 or 24 ounces in one sitting. There can be 9-14 teaspoons of sugar in an entire can of an energy product. Energy drinks have more sugar, 41 grams, than most sodas,39 grams, in a standard 12-oz serving ("energy drinks," 2019). Sugar has many, if not most, chronic diseases attached to it, from diabetes type 2, obesity, and heart-related complications. Want to use an artificial sweetener? The AHA and ADA recommend limiting these, too, as they can increase blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and other metabolic disorders (AHA, 2014; Mathur et al., 2020). Too much sugar in a day can lead to mood swings, tiredness, food binging, potential insulin resistance, skin issues, lower immune system, stomach bloat, and obesity, and tooth decay. The recommended sugar intake is six teaspoons for women and 9 for men. An eight-ounce drink will almost be a woman's max sugar for the day following the guidelines. Caffeine A 16-ounce energy drink has about 200mg of caffeine, and the same size coffee is about 180mg. Side note, a famous coffee shop 16oz has 330 mg, and only 400mg is considered safe daily intake. Anxiety, sleeping problems, irregular heartbeat, and increased blood pressure can be developed with too much caffeine intake. However, caffeine has been linked in many studies to improve athletic performance, perception of fatigue, and exertion. A lower dosage, 3-6 mg per kilogram bodyweight (Albrecht et al., 2018), has been seen to have the most significant potential for an athlete without adverse side effects. Other studies draw a blank regarding caffeine and energy drinks because of the habitual use of caffeine, responders, and non-responders (Astley et al., 2018). Unfortunately, energy drinks are loaded with sugar and other ingredients (guarana, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, taurine, vitamin B complex, and green tea that affect the body system as well), so might not be the best source of a lower dose of caffeine to pump iron with or perform high-intensity workouts. Energy drinks and human physiology A study in the Professional Medical Journal studied 68 healthy medical students and the effects of energy drinks on the cardiovascular system. Drinking 250 mL with 80mg of caffeine and the other typical ingredients, the volunteers went through testing. With the product in their system and without it. They found that handgrip strength increased marginally, and a run test decreased marginally. Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased significantly (Bashir et al., 2018). The body system starts to work hard, without the person giving a reason, physical activity, to work hard. These products are high in caffeine, and caffeine is a diuretic. The risk for dehydration increases; some studies suggest this is a low risk for most. Dehydration can lead to poor physical performance or the need for medical intervention if water and electrolytes are not added. Medical cases have increased with cardiomyopathy because the individuals consumed more energy drinks than their bodies can handle. A 24-ounce Monster drink has shown endothelial dysfunction, narrowing of the arteries (Higgins et al., 2017). The products introduce stress on the body; arteries narrow, then a person workout forcing blood to move faster through the narrowed channels. Another study by the AHA so that it might be biased showed that a 32oz Monster drink delayed QTc interval of the heartbeat and high blood pressure (Shah et al., 2019). A 32oz is a huge drink to consume, and most in the fitness world would probably not consume that much fluid than workout. But for the typical consumer, with probably a poor diet, heart conditions can be elevated. Headaches and anxiety can be developed along with product withdrawal symptoms. Some people even mix energy drinks, a stimulate, with alcohol, a depressant. That is entirely another topic. Conclusion Energy drinks do offer a spike of athleticism. Some of the results are actual effects; others are the consumer's perception. Zero sugar ones may benefit from a carb replacer and extra B vitamins to amp up the body system. A single serving with no other caffeine stimulates for the day might benefit some healthy adult individuals. A knowledgeable person will not likely over-consume these products and less likely to become dependent on them. The image that a CPT may give to a client may be the wrong image. Just as a client is less trusting towards a trainer with a high BMI, they may be more trusting to a trainer taking in supplement/products/food to aid in their journey to health. The client is at a higher risk of overconsumption of these products and has adverse reactions and misunderstandings. They might mix an energy drink with pre and post-workout supplements. There are many other ways to increase energy levels. Ensuring nutrition and micronutrients are at optimum levels, quality rest, stress levels, and the proper progression in training are just a few ways to keep energy levels up and mood swings stable. References AHA. (2014). Artificial Sweeteners May Increase Blood Sugar. https://www.yourethecure.org/artificial-sweeteners-may-increase-blood-sugar Albrecht, K., & Andrade, J. (2018). Effects of Caffeine Consumption on Endurance Exercise: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Sport & Society, 9(4), 1–15. Astley, C., Souza, D. B., & Polito, M. D. (2018). Acute Specific Effects of Caffeine-containing Energy Drink on Different Physical Performances in Resistance-trained Men. International Journal of Exercise Science, 11(4), 260–268. Bashir, M. U., Imran, M., & Ali, A. (2018). Energy Drinks on Cardiovascular System; Short Term Effects of Energy Drinks on Cardiovascular System and Physical Performance of Male Medical Students. Professional Medical Journal, 25(11), 1717–1722. https://doi.org/10.29309/TPMJ/18.4496 Energy Drinks. (2019). Harvard T.H Chan. School of public health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/energy-drinks/ Energy drinks. (2018). NIH Research Information. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/energy-drinks Mathur, K., Agrawal, R. K., Nagpure, S., & Deshpande, D. (2020). Effect of artificial sweeteners on insulin resistance among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 9(1), 69–71. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_329_19 Higgins, J. P., Yang, B., Herrin, N. E., Yarlagadda, S., Le, G. T., Ortiz, B. L., Ali, A., & Infanger, S. C. (2017). Consumption of energy beverage is associated with attenuation of arterial endothelial flow-mediated dilatation. World journal of cardiology, 9(2), 162–166. https://doi.org/10.4330/wjc.v9.i2.162 Shah, S., Szeto, A., Farewell,R., Shek, A., Fan,D., Quach, K.,Bhattacharyya,M., Elmiari, J., Chan, W., O’Dell, K., Nguyen, N., McGaughey, T., Nasir, J., and Kaul, S. (2019). Impact of High Volume Energy Drink Consumption on Electrocardiographic and Blood Pressure Parameters: A Randomized Trial. Journal Of The American Heart Association. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/JAHA.118.011318

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