Energy Drinks

ESKOM EXPO FOR YOUNG SCIENTISTS 2015: LITERATURE REVIEW

ARTICLE 1: “ENERGY DRINKS”

Energy drinks have been used to enhance athletic performance, improve concentration and contribute to weight loss. Energy drinks and energy shots contain caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng, sucrose, B vitamins and sometimes other ingredients. A study amongst college students and adolescents concluded that 61% of the people surveyed used energy drinks and shots, and 30% if the people surveyed used. Energy drinks and shots are categorised according to their retail units. Those that are smaller are considered to be energy shots and larger retail units are considered to be energy drinks.

Evidence regarding the effects of energy drinks on an athlete’s performance

Energy drinks versus sports drinks

The effects of sports drinks with exercise have not been studied well. Energy drinks are ‘marketed for their stimulant effect on the mind and body’. Sports drinks can contain about 7% carbohydrate and electrolytes (designed to give working muscles glucose and maintain the optimum hydration level for athletic performance). There are still many unknowns regarding the relationships between energy drinks and athletics. The article recommends that until the safety of energy drinks is established, energy drinks should not be consumed, especially by young people.

A list of reasons, given by the article explaining ‘why energy drinks and sports are not a good mix’

• Not regulated by the FDA or other government regulatory bodies

• Highly variable levels of caffeine depending on the drink and brand

• The effect of high levels of caffeine found in energy drinks does not result in greater athletic

The Food and Drug Administration states at least 97,5% of caffeine in coffee beans must be removed before the drink can be labelled as decaffeinated, although they have stated nothing about the actual amount of caffeine left in the drink. D+Caf strips test whether a beverage has over 20 milligrams of caffeine in it. They cannot be used on anything containing milk or sugar in it.

The article states how care needs to be taken when reading the results on the strips. If the beverage contains caffeine, a bold line(s) is shown on the caffeinated side of the strip. If the beverage is decaf, a line is shown on the decaf side. Care needs to be taken when noticing the number of lines that appear and the darkness of the lines.

The article states that the normal decaf coffee found in our kitchen is decaffeinated according to the strips. When testing different kinds of tea, the results expected were correct except for one tea: Pure Green, which is not caffeinated whereas the label states it contains 21,1 milligrams of caffeine. It is said this change is due to the organic way in which the tea is