The market and degree of consumption of energy drinks is increasing every year and while only few have detailed knowledge of their potential harmful physiological and psychological effects, the number of publications that have documented the potential adverse risks associated with the use of these beverages remains small. Energy shots normally contain the same amount of caffeine, or other functional ingredients as their larger siblings, and therefore they may be considered concentrated forms of energy drinks 12). Whereas most energy drinks are generally sold in 12 and 16 fluid ounce (355 and 474 ml respectively) size cans or bottles, energy shots are usually sold in much smaller 50 ml bottles. Overall, energy shots now account for 11 percent of the energy market. Įnergy shots a specialized kind of energy drink are the fastest-growing segment of the energy drink category. Caffeine content can be nearly 5 times greater than that in 8 oz of cola drinks when packaged as “energy shots” (0.8–3 oz) or as 16-oz drinks 10), 11). Caffeine is the main active ingredient in energy drinks many of them contain 70 to 80 mg per 8-oz serving (∼3 times the concentration in cola drinks) 9). Ĭaffeine is one of the most commonly consumed alkaloids worldwide in the form of coffee, tea, or soft drinks, and in high doses may cause abnormal stimulation of the nervous system 7) as well as adverse effects in the cardiovascular, hematologic, and gastrointestinal systems 8). Different brands of energy drinks contain caffeine ranging from 50mg to 550mg per can or bottle 6). Additives such as guarana, yerba mate, cocoa, and kola nut may increase the caffeine content of energy drinks unbeknownst to consumers, as manufacturers of these products are not required to include the caffeine content of these herbal supplements in the nutritional information 5). Įnergy drinks mostly contain caffeine, taurine, l-carnitine, carbohydrates, glucuronolactone, vitamins, and other herbal supplements like ginseng and guarana among others 4). These beverages have stimulant effects on the central nervous system (brain) and their consumption is accompanied by an expectation of improving user’s performance physically and mentally 3). Historically, cola soft drinks have been available in their current caffeine-containing form since 1904, and in their original coca leaf (from which cocaine is derived) and kola nut (from which the caffeine is derived) form since 1886, with similar effects as energy drinks as they contain approximately 34mg of caffeine per 12oz can. For instance, Red Bull (currently one of the most popular energy drinks) was introduced in Austria in 1987 and to the United States in 1997. Although they seem like a new fad, these drinks have been available to the general public for some time.
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