Energy drinks have been around a long time. In 19th century Britain a number of beverages, drinks and ‘quack remedies’ were marketed as being “vitality boosting” though their effects were doubtful to say the least.
By the mid 20th century both in the US, Europe and the Far East, a number of primarily soft drinks or herbal preparations were being sold as “energy boosting”. Some of these concentrated on getting as much sugar/glucose into the bloodstream as possible, others used (at times unintentionally) caffeine and still others contained mixtures of herbs and chemicals that probably in reality had little effect whatsoever.
Of course, interesting as this nostalgia is today, the discussion centers around the energy drinks that first started to arrive in the 1980s.
These drinks were quite different to those that had gone before. They claimed to have been devised to boost energy, performance and concentration levels through a scientific methodology. Their brand names such as Red Bull or V became well known in their respective countries or regions of the globe.
Unlike their predecessors (which were often aimed at the elderly or sick) they were targeted almost exclusively at the young and specifically the young fitness or sports-oriented individual.
As is normal with almost anything that claims to have a scientific basis, the drinks fairly rapidly became the subject of concern, investigation and eventual controversy.
Caffeine Controversy
By the 1980s, the effects of caffeine on the human body were already worrying many.
Many energy drinks contained (and contain) relatively high levels of caffeine, other ingredients which themselves contained caffeine and substances that were included to enhance the effects of caffeine.
Caffeine is a stimulant and it can increase both alertness and the tolerance of some forms of muscle fatigue pain.
Unfortunately, its less appealing effects are also well known. These vary between individuals but may include excessive sweating, some loss of fine muscle control, heartbeat irregularities, physical and psychological stress (anxiety) and undesirable blood pressure changes (hypertension).
Very quickly, the media and some pressure groups picked up on the use of caffeine and related substances. Their concerns focused on a number of issues including:
- Education establishments that claimed increased hyperactivity and poor concentration capabilities amongst teenagers that had recently consumed such drinks;
- Sporting associations that questioned the ethics of using performance-enhancing drinks during events;
- Medical concerns relating to the effects of high levels of caffeine and sugars on the body (exacerbated after a high-profile death of an athlete shortly after consuming several cans of a leading brand of energy drink);
- Concerns over the use of such drinks as alcohol mixers or to alleviate some of the symptoms of excessive alcohol intake;
- The spread of the consumption of such drinks to younger pre-pubescent children with consequential concerns over the affects on their health.
This controversy resulted in the banning of such drinks in some countries or in others, the publication of official government health warnings relating to the dangers of excessive consumption.
Use With Alcohol
One effect of the caffeine in such drinks is that it may be able to alleviate some of the symptoms of excess alcohol consumption such as perhaps dizziness and headaches.
This is sometimes cited as being dangerous as it could encourage the drinker’s incorrect perception that their judgment is unimpaired and encourage the excessive drinking of alcohol.
Performance Enhancement
The question as to whether or not such drinks in fact significantly improve performance in sporting or other such endurance events was for a time controversial and there remain today some areas of dispute.
On the whole though, most studies and objective assessments appear to indicate that such drinks can enhance certain aspects of performance and sporting endurance etc.
Modern Energy Drinks
Recent years have seen the growth of a wide range of ‘new tech’ energy drinks that are either caffeine-free or which have a very heavily reduced caffeine content. Many of these drinks utilize glucose and other sugars-based ingredients plus a variety of herbs and natural ingredients.
These are often aggressively marketed as ‘green’, ‘bio-friendly’ or ‘healthy’ alternatives to the conventional first-generation high-caffeine content drinks. At the time of writing, they appear to be achieving success in the marketplace though their effects on performance remain unclear.
Given the increasing social emphasis in the developed world on health, wellbeing and competitive exercise, it seems likely that this market will continue to grow and expand.
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