Energy drink

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A variety of energy drinks are available; the skinny "bullet" can shape is popular.

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Energy drinks are also sold in larger cans and resealable bottles (Reload).

Energy drinks are soft drinks advertised as providing more energy than a typical drink. The amount of quantitative 'energy' (as measured in calories) in these drinks is often lower than that in regular soft drinks. According to the Marin Institute, there is no scientific basis for concluding that the non-caffeine elements in these drinks contribute to either mental alertness or physical performance.

Ingredients

Generally energy drinks include methylxanthines (including caffeine), B vitamins, and herbs. Other common ingredients are guarana (extracts from the guarana plant) or taurine plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin (a sweetening), inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, while most brands also offer an artificially sweetened version. The central ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine, the same stimulant found in coffee or tea, often in the form of guarana (as in Josta) or yerba mate. The average 237 milliliter (8 fluid ounce) energy drink has about 80 mg of caffeine, with 480 ml (16 fl. oz.) drinks containing around 150 mg, although recent drinks have containing as much as 360 mg of caffeine.

Side effects

Energy drinks may cause seizures in those who suffer from certain forms of epilepsy due to the "crash" following the energy high that occurs after consumption. France has banned the popular energy drink Red Bull after the death of eighteen-year-old athlete Ross Cooney, who died after he played a basketball game shortly after consuming four cans of the drink. The French Scientific Committee (J.D. Birkel) concluded that Red Bull has excessive amounts of caffeine. Denmark has also banned that particular drink. Britain also investigated the drink, but issued a warning against its use only by pregnant women.

Health concerns

Energy drinks have several heath concerns that drinkers should be aware of. Several deaths have been linked to heavy energy drink consumption.

First large consumptions of caffeine can be hazardous to ones health. Energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine ranging from 80 to 360 mgs per drink. According to a recent study an adult can consume up to 400 mgs per day without adverse health effects, while children and women of reproductive age should limit their consumption of caffeine to 300 mg per day. This threshold can easily be reached by consuming multiple drinks within a day. Unhealthy doses of caffeine can lead to nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis

One popular usage of energy drinks is the use as a mixer with alcohol, the most popular combination being red bull with vodka. Combining energy drinks and alcohol can lead to several problems. First both alcohol and energy drinks dehydrate the body. Dehydration is one of the main contributors of hangovers; therefore mixing both substances increases the likelihood of hangovers. Second, alcohol is a downer while energy drinks are an upper. Consumption of energy drinks obscures our body’s perception of fatigue from drinking--which is the body's way of indicating that we have had too much; consequently, the mixing of substances tends to increase in the amount of alcohol consumed.

Many energy drinks lack health warnings on the products. Over consumption can be hazardous therefore one must be cautious while drinking large amounts of energy drinks.

History

Energy drinks may have come from Scotland in the form of Irn-Bru, first produced in the form of "Iron Brew" in 1901. In Japan, the energy drink dates at least as far back as the early 1960s, with the release of the Lipovitan. Most such products in Japan bear little resemblance to soft drinks, and are sold instead in small brown glass medicine bottles or cans styled to resemble such containers. These "genki drinks", which are also produced in South Korea, are marketed primarily to the salaryman set.

In UK, Lucozade Energy was originally introduced in 1929 as a hospital drink for "aiding the recovery;" in the early 1980s, it was promoted as an energy drink for "replenishing lost energy."

In 1995, PepsiCo launched Josta, the first energy drink introduced by a major US beverage company.

In Europe, energy drinks were pioneered by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur who developed Red Bull based on the Thai drink Krating Daeng, itself based on Lipovitan. Red Bull was introduced to the US in 1997 and is the dominant brand there, with a market share of approximately 47%.

By the year 2001, the US energy drink market had grown to nearly 8 million per year in retail sales. Over the last 5 years, it grew an average of over 50% per year, totaling over $3 billion in 2005. Diet energy drinks are growing at nearly twice that rate within the category, as are 16-ounce sized energy drinks. It is estimated to hit nearly 4 billion in 2006, and both Goldman Sachs and Mintel predict that the energy drink market will hit $10 billion by 2010. Major companies' such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Molson, and Labatt have tried to match smaller companies' innovative and different approach, with marginal success.

Energy drinks are also popular as mixers.

These drinks are typically attractive to young people. Approximately 65% percent of its drinkers are younger than 35 years old, with males being approximately 65% of the market.

Derivatives

Smart energy drinks combine energy drinks with smart drinks.

Packaging

In 2002 CCL Container and Mistic Brands, Inc., part of the Snapple Beverage Group, teamed up for the national launch of Mistic RĒ™. The result was a recyclable aluminum bottle. Since that introduction, many energy drinks are now packaged in the aluminum bottlecans produced by CCL.

Coca-Cola marketed two Powerade brand energy drinks in bullet-shaped, screw-top aluminum bottle cans. Capri Sun targeted 16-25 year-olds with its Island Refreshers line, graduating from a foil pouch design to a bottlecan.

See also

• List of beverages containing guarana
• List of energy drinks