Often colorfully packaged and mostly very sweet: Energy drinks are supposed to wake us up and increase our performance and endurance. But are they optimal energy boosters or are there better alternatives? And what are the advantages and disadvantages?
The day is long and the energy level is low: In such a situation, many people open an energy drink. But are they a good choice if we want to give our physical and mental performance a boost?
“We take a critical view of the advertising for higher performance, more alertness and attention,” says Silke Vollbrecht, advisor for food and nutrition at the Brandenburg Consumer Advice Center. “Such statements by manufacturers must be scientifically proven and approved, which most are not.”
What is supposed to make us awake and efficient is above all the caffeine that is in the drinks. “It’s usually 32 milligrams per 100 milliliters of drink, which is the legal maximum,” says Silke Vollbrecht. In general, caffeine has good properties. “It stimulates the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, so that in moderate doses it can improve concentration and alertness,” says Anke Ehlers from the Food Safety Department at the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BFR).
Caffeine can also increase endurance performance during exercise. But be careful: “The drinks cannot compensate for the loss of fluids caused by sweating during sport,” says Silke Vollbrecht. So it is much better to drink a lot of water. Another disadvantage: the caffeine has a diuretic effect.
But one thing is clear: When it comes to caffeine, it depends on the dose. And energy drinks tempt you to consume large amounts of caffeine quickly. This can cause unwanted effects, such as nervousness, sweating or tachycardia. “However, that depends on individual sensitivity,” says Anke Ehlers.
According to the BFR, too much caffeine can lead to health risks such as dangerous cardiac arrhythmias, especially in combination with alcohol, little sleep and physical exertion. “So the health risk results primarily from the excessive consumption of energy drinks,” summarizes Anke Ehlers.
It is still unclear whether long-term high energy drink consumption can also have chronic health consequences. “There is hardly any scientific data on this so far,” says Anke Ehlers. A study carried out by the BfR with the Berlin Charité is intended to provide insights.
But how much caffeine is too much? According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), caffeine amounts of up to 200 milligrams at once do not pose a risk for a healthy adult. Up to 400 milligrams spread over the day are considered harmless.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women need to keep a better eye on their caffeine intake. The following applies to them: a maximum of 200 milligrams of caffeine throughout the day. For classification: A 500 milliliter can of energy drink contains 160 milligrams of caffeine.
And what about teenagers? Energy drinks are particularly popular among them. According to the EFSA, you should not consume more than three milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day. So if you weigh 50 kilograms, you should consume a maximum of 150 milligrams of caffeine. A quantity that is already exceeded with a large energy drink can.
But not only the high caffeine content is a problem with energy drinks – but also the sugar. According to the consumer advice center, a large can contains around 60 grams of sugar – i.e. 20 sugar cubes. “Sugar gives the tempting taste and is therefore added in large quantities,” explains Silke Vollbrecht. Also to mask the bitter taste of the caffeine. “But high sugar consumption promotes obesity, the development of diabetes and is harmful to the teeth.”
Some drinks give the impression of being healthy with fruit images and ingredients such as orange, apple, passion fruit or mango. Only artificial vitamins are added here. “But they don’t make the drinks better or even healthier,” says Silke Vollbrecht.
As an alternative to energy drinks, the Brandenburg consumer advice center simply recommends coffee. The reason: “The risk of taking in too much caffeine through coffee is comparatively low,” explains Silke Vollbrecht. Because coffee and espresso are usually not drunk in such large quantities as the cool, sweet energy drinks.
“If, for example, a young person weighing 50 kilograms wants to ingest 150 milligrams of caffeine in one day, he would have to drink around two cups of coffee or three espressos, depending on the strength,” explains Vollbrecht. And there is something else positive about the cup of coffee: “You can influence the sugar content yourself.”
(This article was first published on Saturday, November 05, 2022.)
