The Dangers of Slamming Energy Drinks While You’re Studying

Planning for energy drinks to get you through those all-nighters? Think again.

As we enter the last weeks of 2017, I’m sure many of us are already starting to stockpile boxes of energy drinks in preparation for those inevitable 'finals week' all-nighters.

If that’s you, here’s why you might want to think again.

Okay, let’s first clear up what exactly an energy drink is: Energy drinks are basically just soft drinks that are loaded with stimulants, such as caffeine, and herbal supplements, such as guarana and ginseng; a combination that leads to mental and physical stimulation. 

And to give you an insight into their popularity, the Global Energy Drink Market is forecast to be worth $US61 billion in 2021.

So, why should we be so wary of energy drinks?

The main selling point of energy drinks is the adrenaline boost they give drinkers, and caffeine is the primary ingredient that delivers this. What really differentiates energy drinks from regular ‘soft drinks’ such as Coca Cola is that they are packed with much (much) more caffeine. The average 375ml can of Coke has 36.4mg of caffeine, while Monster’s energy drink contains 160mg of caffeine per 473ml, and a 5-Hour Energy Shot contains 200mg in just 59ml.

To put that all into perspective, for teenagers 12 – 18, it is recommended that caffeine intake not exceed 100mg a day. For most adults, the Mayo clinic says up to 400mg can be safe; however, the International Journal of Health Sciences (2015) found that consumption of just 200mg a day can cause symptoms of caffeine intoxication, including raised stress levels, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia… the list goes on.

But what about the natural stuff? Well, guarana’s basically just a plant from Brazil that contains a very high concentration of caffeine. More precisely, one gram of guarana is equivalent to 47mg of caffeine.

The caffeine in energy drinks puts you at risk of the multitude of health problems associated with caffeine overconsumption, but this particular combination of stimulant ingredients, experts suggest, can affect the function of your arteries.

How much can I drink then?

It is generally recommended that you do your best to avoid regular consumption of energy drinks, because apart from the ingredients above, they are also packed with sugar and have no nutritional value. They’re basically just empty calories. If you must drink them, Mayo Clinic’s Dietitian Nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky recommends “healthy adults… not exceed one can per day”.

Bad news for those of you who were planning for energy drinks to get you through the exams. The good news is that if you start studying now, you might not even need to pull an all-nighter!

Vivian Chen is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. See more student contributions here.

Photo: iStock.com/Mauro-Matacchione