Energy drinks are ubiquitous -- and big business. Projected sales of energy drinks in the U.S. may top $9 billion in 2011, and young people under 25 comprise the major audience for these caffeine and supplement-enhanced beverages. Some young people, especially college-age and young adult drinkers, use energy drinks as a hangover prevention strategy or to lessen the morning-after symptoms of downing one too many. However, energy drinks do not effectively thwart hangovers for a variety of reasons.
Caffeine Effects
Most energy drinks contain high percentages of caffeine and other legal stimulants, such as the South American herb guarana. The caffeine increases alertness and often gives the drinker a rush of energy. In fact, guarana has roughly twice the caffeine of coffee beans and its stimulating effect is believed to last longer than coffee because the digestive system absorbs it more slowly. However, rather than help avoid a hangover, consuming caffeinated energy drinks while you're drinking alcohol can mask the effects of the alcohol, tricking the body into thinking it has imbided less, which can lead to heavy intoxication and more hangover.
Caffeine and Alcohol
Combine the stimulating effects of caffeinated energy drinks and the depressant qualties of alcohol and you have a potentially dangerous mix. Alcohol dehydrates the body and caffeine is a diuretic, so drinking both increases the chances of dehydration, which causes severe and drawn-out hangovers. Caffeinated energy drinks, then, do not prevent hangovers, but may induce and exacerbate the unpleasant symptoms.
Caffeine Cautions
Mixing energy drinks with alcohol boosts the risk of heart rhythm irregularities. The stimulant-depressant one-two punch also confuses the nervous system, resulting in disturbed sleep that may trigger a hangover the next day. Imbibing energy drinks to offset the effects of alcohol may lead to a non-physical type of hangover -- remorse over bad judgments, such as driving while intoxicated or a sexual encounter. Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine noted that individuals who combine alcohol and energy drinks are at higher risk for alcohol-related injuries and are twice as likely to be taken advantage of sexually.
Other Ingredients
Some energy drinks contain milk thistle, an herb believed to boost liver function and protect the liver from toxins, such as alcohol. Other common ingredients in energy drinks include taurine, an amino acid that aids the body in controlling water and salt levels and also maintains neurological development. Taurine is also believed to be an effective antioxidant. While milk thistle and taurine in themselves are thought to protect the body from the effects of alcohol, the healthful properties may be diluted or canceled out by the high levels of caffeine present in energy drinks.
References
- Healthland.Time.com: Energy Drinks May Harm Health; Feb. 14, 2011
- Racgp.org.au: Australian Family Physician: Combining Energy Drinks and Alcohol: A Recipe for Trouble?
- National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse St. Louis.org: Combining Alcohol and Energy Drinks
- Tyndall Air Force Base.mil: Quick Fix or Potential Hazard?: Energy Drink Awareness
- Mayo Clinic.com: Taurine in Energy Drinks: What Is It?
- University of Minnesota.edu: Milk Thistle
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