Man has always encouraged himself with various energy substances and drinks, without overly burdening himself with thoughts about their benefits and harms. And if earlier these were natural products, such as coca leaves, then among today’s youth various synthesized energy drinks are wildly successful.
The harm of energy drinks does not bother them at all, and prolonging the time of enjoying themselves at a party or disco takes precedence over the understanding that the consequences of such fun will sooner or later make themselves felt.
Older people, on the contrary, tend to exaggerate the danger, but their concern is truly justified. A series of deaths caused by an overdose or a combination of energy drinks with alcohol or recreational drugs has forced the governments of some countries to decide to directly ban or allow the sale of energy drinks only in pharmacy chains.
Energy drinks are, as a rule, carbonated drinks, the components of which have a stimulating effect on the nervous, cardiovascular and endocrine systems and cause a feeling of a surge of strength and a feeling of vigor from 1 to 2-3 hours.
Doctors say that taking even one acceptable dose of energy drink has such an invigorating effect on the adult body, but after the euphoria subsides, a mandatory 3-4 hour rest is necessary.
The era of modern energy drinks began with the enhancement of the famous Taiwanese tonic Krating Daeng by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz with modern chemical derivatives. As a result of such “adaptation” and aggressive advertising, Red Bull energy drink has captivated young people on all continents.
But Red Bull did not remain a monopolist in this market sector for long. Coca-Cola and Pepsi immediately joined the production of energy drinks. Each of the TMs acquired its own energy drinks - Adrenaline Rush, Burn, AMP and NOS.
Other competing energy drinks are not as popular on the domestic market, but their effect on the body is no less dangerous. Among them are Red Devil, Non-Stop, B-52, Tiger, Jaguar, Revo, Hype, Rockstar, Monster, Frappuccino and Cocaine. The latter turned out to be so harmful that its release in the United States was banned twice. However, Reduz Beverages is not going to stop production, and Cocaine energy drink can be freely purchased in online stores.
Are energy drinks harmful? Yes, the negative effects of energy drinks on the body have been proven. However, manufacturers convince that they are harmless if you drink 1, maximum 2 cans per day. But even here, some companies resort to prohibited techniques that can have deadly consequences. For example, the company that produces Mountain Dew Amp energy drink decided to give 2 times more energy - this energy drink is sold only in 0.66 liter cans.
Technically speaking, energy drinks are classified as “Food Supplements”. This is what allows manufacturers not to indicate the exact composition of the energy drink, and therefore intoxication and overdose of energy drinks have become a common problem.
In fact, all energy drinks consist of the same components - caffeine, taurine, glucose. To these “three pillars”, each manufacturer adds components that enhance the stimulating effect of energy drinks on the body - ginseng or Chinese lemongrass, extract from guarana seeds, melatonin, matein, as well as vitamins B, C and PP. It is this combination of active ingredients that causes energy drinks to be harmful to teenagers.
For your information, a can of Red Bull (0.33 l) exceeds the daily requirement for glucose by 300 times, vitamin B6 by 2.5 times, vitamin B12 by 50%, and the caffeine content is the same as in 3 cups of strong coffee.
In addition, in the process of degradation of one of the components of the energy drink, the formation of cocaine is possible. What then can we say about how Cocaine energy drink can act on a growing body, since its manufacturers claim a 350% superiority of all components over Red Bull.
For some reason, some teenagers are sure that when consuming energy drinks, some kind of energetic cleansing of the body occurs. Although here it is more appropriate to say that it will be necessary to cleanse the body of an excess of some of its components.
Some young athletes are sure that there is no difference between energy drinks and special “sports” drinks - isotonics. In fact, it is fundamental. Dry mixtures or ready-made iso-osmotic drinks consist of fructose, vitamins and mineral salts, maltodextrin and an acidity regulator.
The isosmotic composition, verified in medical laboratories, helps during physical activity - the body tolerates fluid deficiency more easily, maintains water-salt balance at a normal level, and replenishes the supply of glycogen, vitamins and minerals. The composition, dosage and method of using isotonics are described in detail on the packages.
The benefits and harms of energy drinks are incomparable, especially considering that it is now rare to meet a completely healthy person. The active ingredients of the energy drink force the body to work in a stressful state, and 2-3 hours of hyperactivity leads to wear and tear on the resources of the internal organs. After the end of the euphoric effect of the energy drink, most experience a loss of strength, irritability and depression.
If a person drinks too much energy drinks, the following symptoms and consequences may be observed:
Glucuronolactone is particularly dangerous in energy drinks. This substance was created at the American military laboratory DARPA as part of the Supersoldier program.
In small therapeutic doses, it helps cleanse the body of harmful substances and fight fatigue. But the amount of glucuronolactone contained in energy drinks leads to exacerbation of liver pathologies and can cause hyperglycemic coma.
In addition to the above, energy drinks can cause addiction, withdrawal symptoms, and suicidal thoughts. Long-term use of energy drinks leads to a decrease in sexual function, psychopathic personality, accompanied by a sharp change in mood, incontinence of affects, and social decline.
Any discussion on the harm or benefit of energy drinks ends with facts that have proven, not in theory, but in practice, that taking them leads to death. The sad statistics are headed by energy drinks 5-Hour Energy and Monster. The main cause of death is suffocation and cardiac arrest.
Death from energy drinks can occur as a result of simultaneous use of them with alcoholic drinks or drugs. You can also get poisoned by energy drink when mixing it with coffee, strong tea or mate.
Undesirable consequences, including deaths, have been recorded when taking energy drinks the day before, during or after sports training.
However, the dishonesty of energy drink manufacturers can also cause death due to an unintentional overdose (for example, you can drink 2 cans of energy drink, but this does not apply to Cocaine, because two of its standard cans contain a dose 6 times higher than the safe concentration). Many teenagers, remembering that they can drink 300-600 ml of the drink, without any fear, drink ten 60-ml bottles of Red Bull Shot, not realizing that they exceed the permissible dose by 20 times.
Despite the invented rules for the reasonable use of energy drinks, their use is strictly prohibited to the following persons:
Healthy people should remember that the harm or benefits of drinking energy drinks will depend solely on compliance with the dosage.
If the body tolerates caffeine well, but a cup of coffee is not enough, then the mixture will invigorate well instant coffee with Coca-Cola.
If you have a healthy stomach, then you can try drinking 130-150 ml of freshly squeezed lemon juice once as a strong energy drink. However, it is also not recommended to get carried away with such homemade energy drinks.
As a means of stimulating brain activity, it is not necessary to drink caffeinated energy drinks. It is enough to buy the pharmaceutical drug Taurine. However, before taking it, you should familiarize yourself with the contraindications, and also remember that in large dosages this amino acid leads to the opposite “calming” effect and inhibition of nervous processes occurs.
For people actively involved in sports or experiencing heavy physical activity, it is recommended to take isotonic drinks rather than energy drinks. These energy drinks have no contraindications and promote fairly rapid recovery of the body.
How long does the energy drink last?
I can’t tell by time, but I drink it before going to bed, and when I wake up it’s still dripping.
The energy drink does not take effect immediately. After about half an hour, you will get a burst of energy - the caffeine will invigorate you. This vivacity will be enough for several hours. Then you’ll either have to drink an energy drink again, or you’ll have to put up with a lethargic state
The effect of any non-alcoholic energy drink ranges from 3 to 4 hours, it all depends on the brand of the drink itself. But you should absolutely not abuse it, as it can cause great harm to the body; it contains a lot of caffeine and all sorts of other chemical drinks. Be careful when using it.
About 4 hours. But it does more harm than good.
It's about non-alcoholic energy drinks. I want to say right away that my answer will be based solely on personal experience, because at one time I quite often consumed energy drinks in considerable dosages. So, the effect of an energy drink, including the duration of the effect on the nervous system of the consumer, may depend on a number of reasons:
One way or another, with energy drinks you need, no matter how trivial it may sound, to be very careful and, if possible, reduce their consumption to a minimum. The norms declared by the manufacturer (no more than 1 can per day) are, in my opinion, very excessive; I would recommend drinking them no more than a couple of times a week, and indeed in emergency cases. Then the vigor will last about 3 hours without significant consequences on the body and the psyche as well. Be healthy!
If we are talking about non-alcoholic energy drinks such as Bulide, Red Bull, Jaguar, then such energy drinks can affect the human body three o'clock, this is if you rarely use it. But if this happens often, then the dose will need to be constantly increased for the effect to continue.
And if at first a jar of two hundred and fifty grams is enough, then later you will need a jar of five hundred grams.
In principle, when you are very tired, it can help out and give you vigor, because it contains caffeine and taurine. You can drink it if you haven’t had enough sleep, or you need a state of vigor, but of course you shouldn’t abuse it at all.
Firstly, everything depends on the body and the energy drink itself. I only drank alcoholic energy drinks a couple of times and didn’t like it. But I drank non-alcoholic ones when I was ferrying cars from Europe. When you haven’t slept for two days, an energy drink helped for a maximum of two hours. The next one was for an hour, and then drink it like soda.
Energy drinks such as Red Bull or Adrenaline Rush begin to act within 30 minutes. The duration of their action will depend on how often you use this energy drink, but on average, if you do not abuse it, then about 3-4 hours.
Energy drinks last up to a day; the state of a vigilant drunk, when drowsiness is replaced by vigor due to a mixture of caffeine, taurine and alcohol, does not allow a person to sleep.
The danger of this drink is that a person does not control the alcohol he drinks, because he feels cheerful and sober, so the dose may be higher than usual, which results in insomnia, which lasts for a long time.
People either get addicted to such drinks and spoil their nervous system, or switch to more serious stimulants, which always ends in death.
It all depends on how much you drink. After one jar, vigor may disappear even after half an hour. But if you overdo it with energy drinks, it could very well become very bad. It's better not to get carried away with them.
Energy drinks contain caffeine, and caffeine is an intense brain stimulant; a burst of super activity occurs after half an hour and lasts up to four hours, then fatigue and apathy set in. To feel energetic, you need to drink energy drinks every four hours, but you will agree, this is harmful to the body.
Energy drinks only last an average of three to four hours, and the effect does not begin immediately, but after about thirty minutes. After the end of the effect, the energy and vigor disappears, a new portion of this drink, harmful to the body, is required.
Energy drinks give you strength. True, they are not taken from the drink itself. It only activates the reserves of the body itself. When you are exhausted, the drink borrows energy. The feeling of vigor comes, but at best for three hours. Then there comes a time when the debt has to be repaid. You feel tired, irritable, insomnia appears - and these are all the consequences of invigorating cocktails.
There are two types of energy drinks. The first ones contain caffeine and are suitable for avid workaholics. The second ones contain vitamins and are suitable for people involved in sports. Both types of energy drinks contain glucose, which provides the body with energy. Most glucose in coffee drinks. They invigorate better and last longer - on average three to four hours, but they are also the most harmful. Decaffeinated drinks last less - only one to two hours. Regardless of the composition, all energy drinks have a limitation - you can drink no more than two cans per day. Because they contain taurine, an amino acid that gives strength, and glucuronolactone, a product that regulates the formation of carbohydrates. In small doses they are absolutely safe. However, in two cans of energy drink their content is almost five hundred times higher, which can negatively affect the body. Possible side effects in the form of interruptions in heart rate, psychomotor agitation, increased nervousness, etc. In addition, many invigorating drinks contain large amounts of vitamin B, which causes tremors in the legs and arms. Note that people suffering from heart disease are not recommended to take energy drinks at all.
Despite all the shortcomings, energy drinks are often used before. They also increase strength potential. This effect is achieved through components such as caffeine, guarana, argenine, amino acids, vitamins and creatine. Caffeine and guarana are powerful stimulants of the nervous system, they give the body vigor. Amino acids and argenine, in turn, provide endurance. Many vitamins are added to energy drinks, but it is worth noting that they cannot replace the vitamin complex.
Energy drinks, their composition and effects on health. Useful and dangerous properties ingredients, main contraindications, possible side effects, rules for safe use.
Contents of the article:
Energy drinks are a common product designed to increase a person's physical and mental activity. The recently increased popularity of energy drinks is due to their good taste and invigorating effect. However, upon closer study of their impact, it became clear that there is a flip side to the coin. Read in this article about the benefits and harms of ready-made tonic drinks and how to use them correctly so as not to harm your health.
The great demand for this type of product justifies their diversity in the modern market. They differ in the effectiveness of their impact and the duration of this invigorating effect, which fully depend on what ingredients are used in production.
Any energy drink has a rich chemical composition, which includes various tonic substances in different combinations and concentrations. Let us describe commonly used options for tonic and stimulating elements and their effect, which determines the effect of energy drinks on the body:
In some countries, for example France, Denmark, Norway, energy drinks cannot be seen in the public domain, because... This category of goods belongs to dietary supplements, which can only be purchased at pharmacies.
The situation in Russia is completely different - any grocery store, even the smallest in terms of assortment, offers energy drinks. Restrictions in our country are related to the composition and labeling of the product, as well as the rules for their sale. Thus, it is prohibited to include more than 2 stimulating components in the composition. The text on the can must contain information about restrictions on use. Geographically, such drinks cannot be sold in educational institutions.
The main purpose of energy drinks is to quickly and temporarily overcome fatigue and drowsiness, improve physical and mental activity, i.e. increase efficiency and attentiveness. We will tell you how and due to what this happens, describing the mechanism of action.
After drinking energy drinks, the human body goes through several stages of exposure to active components:
Thus, the essence of taking energy drinks is the same - they do not replenish energy, but use the body’s hidden resources. And the more energy drinks you drink, the more exhausted your body becomes.
It is noteworthy that drinks containing vitamins can be considered the most useful, and those containing alcohol are the most dangerous. The mechanism of action of low-alcohol energy drinks is slightly different from non-alcoholic ones, because... the effect of stimulating components and the effect of alcohol have opposite sides. Therefore, when they are combined, the effect is not only invigorating.
Due to the high carbon dioxide content, alcohol is absorbed more intensively and its effect is significantly enhanced. Along with this, the intoxicating effect remains as hidden as possible. The person does not feel very intoxicated, but the desire to continue drinking both the energy drink itself and alcohol increases. This makes it possible to exceed consumption standards, which is fraught with the occurrence of intoxication and other disturbances in the functioning of the body.
Alcohol, which most often makes up 7% of the total volume, depresses the nervous system to a greater extent, therefore, when drinking such energy drinks, a person often becomes less reasonable and feels unreasonably fearless in the face of emerging dangers. This condition is called “vigilant drunkenness.” Therefore, energy drinks cause particular harm to health when combined with alcohol.
Any energy drink that contains stimulants has both benefits and harms. Therefore, the use of such products cannot be called completely healthy and safe. To protect yourself from a negative result, you should carefully study the nature of the effect, beneficial and dangerous properties, take into account contraindications, and also correctly balance the possible benefits and potential risks.
The complex of beneficial effects of energy drinks can be presented as follows:
The harm of energy drinks is manifested as follows:
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An energy drink is a modern multi-component drink designed for short-term improvement of a person’s brain and physical activity. In some cases, the use of such a drug can cause an overdose and even poisoning.
Energy drinks are relatively new and the pioneer of this industry was the Red Bull company, which released its first product about 30 years ago. In just a year, the products have become quite popular. Today, there are a huge number of both global and local brands producing energy drinks for the needs of the population in a variety of containers, from small volumes of 250 ml to two-liter bottles.
So how much energy drink can you consume daily without harm to your health? Doctors cannot give a definite answer to this question, since the potentially dangerous effect of the drink depends not only on the total volume of liquid, but also on the concentration of the active substances.
Energy drinks have a complex composition and may include, in addition to purified water, vitamins, acidity regulators, preservatives and dyes, also caffeine, guarana, taurine and other biological and chemical active components. Their concentration in most cases is a trade secret, but on most packages the manufacturer publishes official recommendations regarding the use of its product: daily norm rarely exceeds 250 milliliters.
Doctors generally agree with these criteria for possible use, but insist that Don't drink energy drinks regularly. That is, frequent and constant use of even recommended dosages of energy drinks in the medium or long term can lead to a variety of health problems.
The effects of energy drinks on the body can vary significantly depending on the type of product. So-called “recreational” energy drinks usually contain, in addition to the components described above, alcohol. “Sports” options have higher concentrations of taurine, guarana, and other components with antioxidants and energy stimulants.
Classic energy drinks contain mainly caffeine., which is a common herbal stimulant. In addition to the above components, energy drinks often contain quite a large amount of glucose, sucrose, various acids, and so on.
The basic effect of energy drinks is active but short-term stimulation of the nervous system, as well as the heart, blood vessels, respiration and other organs. The main area of use is supporting a person during short-term physical and mental stress.
As modern clinical practice shows, such a potentiating, tonic, activating effect does not last longer than an hour and a half, after which it quickly fades away. With repeated use of the drug and the effect is usually much lower, while the risks of various complications increase significantly, including increased stress, primarily on the cardiovascular system.
As modern clinical practice shows, in most cases the dose of energy drink and its intensity of impact on the body is quite individual. When the recommended dosage is doubled, as a rule, no negative effects are observed.
Separate studies show that in the case of oral administration of one liter of a classic sports energy drink, the prerequisites are formed for a significant slowdown in reactions, as well as a deterioration in the physical characteristics of the athlete, especially during shock loads. As the amount of energy drink consumed increases, symptoms of overdose and poisoning may develop. Typical symptoms of overdose include:
In severe forms of overdose of energy drinks, in cases of consuming too much of this drug over a short period of time, with the combined influence of other negative factors and the further development of primary symptoms, short-term loss of sensitivity, hallucinations, and other acute manifestations may be observed, often requiring qualified emergency medical care.
Under certain circumstances, an overdose of energy drinks can cause the typical symptoms of nonspecific poisoning listed above. What to do in this situation? In this case, it is necessary to comprehensively assess the person’s condition.
If the manifestations of an overdose are minor or of moderate intensity, then in most cases it is possible to carry out home treatment with detoxification procedures.
In severe and super-severe forms of symptoms, accompanied by loss of consciousness, a significant increase in blood pressure, pulse instability and other acute symptoms of a threatening nature, it is advisable to immediately call an ambulance to the scene of the incident, which will take the victim to the intensive care unit of the nearest hospital.
Basic actions usually include:
In severe forms of energy drink overdose, the person is usually sent to the nearest hospital, where he is given symptomatic treatment, since there is no specific antidote against products of this type. Basic activities usually include:
Frequent consumption of energy drinks, especially in dosages significantly higher than recommended, can lead to a number of both short-term and long-term consequences for the body. First of all, we are talking about acute negative symptoms, including insomnia, a significant increase in heart rate and arrhythmia, indigestion, tremors in the limbs, problems with motor skills, anxiety and mood swings, confusion and other manifestations indicating an overdose of products.
In the medium to long term, systemic consequences of energy drink overdose include:
As modern clinical practice shows, death from energy drinks with a classic overdose is usually unlikely and is possible only in 3 main cases:
The combined use of two such tonics can lead to various negative consequences. A significant role in this situation is played by the concentrations of both types of products, individual tolerance of their components, the state of the gastrointestinal tract and other factors.
Since both energy drinks and energy drinks contain caffeine, when they are consumed together, the concentration of the tonic substance increases significantly. This can lead to increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, complex disorders of the digestive tract, tremors in the limbs and body, impaired motor skills, increased temperature, confusion, and other negative symptoms indicating an overdose of caffeine as the main active ingredient.
Modern doctors, regardless of the circumstances, do not recommend simultaneous consumption of coffee and an energy drink. They can only be drunk separately in strictly designated doses - this is one or two cups of strong coffee per day or 250 milliliters of energy drink.
It is de facto impossible to directly stop the action of an energy drink, the components of which have already been absorbed into the systemic bloodstream. The reason is the lack of antidotes to caffeine and other substances included in the drink.
If you use the products described above, it is strictly not recommended to take self-prescribed sedatives, since their combined effects can lead to unpredictable consequences. In addition, so-called “folk” methods are prohibited, for example, a cup of coffee or strong tea - the consumption of such products will provoke a more powerful tonic effect, and will also additionally work the heart and other organs of a person.
The average duration of action of energy drinks usually does not exceed two hours. The most “advanced” product options tone for a maximum of 4 hours. In most cases, you will be able to fall asleep only after waiting for a certain designated period of time, for example, spending it studying, bathing in a bath with water at room temperature, or taking a leisurely walk.
