Bailey Johnson
DISCLOSURE: This is an opinion article. Please note that unsigned editorials represent the collective opinion of The Wingspan student news staff and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the adviser or Gretna East High School. Columns represent the opinion of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the adviser, the Wingspan staff or Gretna East High School.
Walking into any classroom at the school, it’s hard to miss the mounting piles of empty energy drink cans that fill the recycling bins. From Alani Nu to Monster, it’s clear that students, especially athletes, rely on these drinks as a quick pick-me-up. While they might provide a quick boost of energy to help wake students up before the school day, they can be deadly if you’re not careful. However, there are ways to consume them in a way that won’t result in a trip to the local ER.
While some of these drinks are marketed specifically towards athletes as “performance enhancers,” like Red Bull, that literally says, “Red Bull is appreciated worldwide by top athletes, busy professionals, college students and travelers on long journeys” on the can, many of them don’t deliver on the implied promises they make of improving performance and boosting one’s energy, but instead can leave students feeling a sugar crash and more fatigued than before.
These drinks can lead to increased heart rate and dehydration during exercise, but they can also cause more serious, long-term effects. According to the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest biomedical library and a national resource for health professionals and scientists, “the regular consumption of energy drinks also increases blood pressure and consequently incites problems such as hypertension, tachycardia and nervousness, all of which can lead to cardiovascular disorders.”
Everyone’s body is different, but from the athlete’s cardiovascular system to their neurological pathways, the side effects of too much caffeine, sugar and taurine (an amino acid that helps with various processes in the body’s cells) can lead to a decline in anyone’s overall health. Two main factors in consuming these drinks are knowing your body’s tolerance and the sport you’re competing in. Knowing your tolerance is arguably more important than following a universal rule.
Aside from using these drinks to wake up in the morning, it’s not uncommon to see athletes utilize these drinks before practice or a game. In an attempt to improve performance or wake up the body, these athletes, just like regular students, find themselves reaching for these beverages before intense games and demanding practices.
“It’s kind of all at the personal discretion of what you know your body can handle,” junior Leena Macklin said. “People have their superstitions. So, if you think you have to chug an Alani before you run a 400 [meter race], that’s what you’ve got to do. It’s all personal discretion.”
As an athlete myself, I can never drink an energy drink before a meet because I know what it does or can do to my performance. I think that these drinks can be a great pick-me-up every once in a while, but I know drinking them consistently will only hurt me in the long run. Everyone’s tolerance is different, but for me, too much caffeine and sugar cause me to shake and hurt my stomach.
I’ve seen other athletes chug these before a game, and while they may believe it will help them, after they compete, they shake and become unsteady, and it bothers me that they may not know what they are consuming and how it may affect them in the future.
Before chugging one of these drinks before a game, practice, or even buying one, look at the ingredients list. How many milligrams of caffeine are in it? What other ingredients are in it, and what are all of those things?
According to the Food and Drug Administration, 400 milligrams of caffeine per day is relatively safe for most adults; however, that amount is significantly less for children and teens. Experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that teens limit their caffeine intake to 100 milligrams per day.
In addition to caffeine, energy-boosting compounds, such as taurine, L-carnitine, glucuronolactone, ginseng and guarana, appear in some of the biggest brands of energy drinks today, but according to the National Library of Medicine, “The ingredients in energy drinks have not been thoroughly studied to confirm the cardiovascular safety or the proclaimed energy-boosting benefits.”
This is not to say that all energy drinks are bad. There can be a positive association with the consumption of these drinks and the sports being played, especially when they are used strategically and in moderation. For some athletes, caffeine can be useful to enhance focus and push through fatigue.
I, myself, have energy drinks quite often and drink more Red Bull than I should. This past year, I’ve attempted to drink less Red Bull because I know I don’t need the extra sugar and additives; I need to drink these in moderation. Sometimes it’s not even to wake up in the morning, but simply because I enjoy the drink itself. However, I believe not just athletes, but everyone must balance their caffeine intake with understanding their limits and potential health concerns. Rather than relying solely on energy drinks, a healthy balance of sleep, nutritional foods and hydration is essential for anyone. I’ve learned to balance the amount of caffeine I drink with the amount of water I consume, along with healthy food that will keep my energy up throughout the day.
“Athletes need to get enough sleep so that they have more energy,” junior Madisyn Clarke Wisnieski said. “Carbohydrates are also a really good source of energy for athletes, the night or morning before their game.”
Everyone wants to be great at their chosen sport or activity, but to maximize performance, athletes need to prioritize their health above all else. By consuming these drinks daily, we subject ourselves to bad habits and side effects that could lead us down a road of diminished physical capability and possible long-term health issues. Instead, we should focus on balanced nutrition, hydration and proper recovery to ensure optimal performance without severely risking our health.