Benefits:

1. Caffeine can enhance performance in single bouts of endurance exercise, improve strength and speed during shorter-duration exertion.  When ingested before exercise, caffeine accelerates the burning of fat.

2. Caffeine improves performance on certain cognitive tests and it may help to protech memory in elderyly women.

3. Amino acids are the building blocks for proteins.  Taurine, a derivative of the amino acid cysteine and a common energy drink ingredient, has not been shown to directly increase energy levels.  However it appears to decrease muscular fatigue and improve exercise capacity.  Taurine may also favourably affect nerve transmission and fat metabolism.

4. Most energy drinks contain an array of B vitamins.  B vitamins are necessary for building proteins and energy molecules, they are needed in higher doses during times of stress.

5. Herbs like ginseng, guarana, astragalus and schisandra havetheir advocates and some of these plants have been used for centuries in certain cultures.  However, relatively few controlled studies have been done to support claims that many of them significantly increase energy level.

6. Sugar, in one form or another, is the sweetener found in most energy drinks.  And most energy drinks have a lot of sugar.  Since glucose is the body's preferred source of fuel and since most natural sugards are converted to glucose, the reason for adding sugar to an energy drink seems clear; sugar is glucose, glucose is fuel and fuel is good.

 

1. High doses of caffeine can cause palpitations and cardiac dysrhythmias.  The most common abnormal heart rhythm is tachycardia (rapid heart rate) but other potentially deadly rhythms are possible, particularly for those with pre-existing heart problems or those using recreational drugs.

2. Caffeine, particularly in large doses, is mild diuretic, perhaps because one of its metabolities increases renal blood flow.  In addition, the high sugar concentrations found in most energy drinks inhibit the absorption of water from the gut.  In the absence of adequate fluid intake, energy drinks can contribute to dehydration.

3. For pregnant women, experts recommend  maximum daily caffeine dose of 200mg.  Higher doses increase the risk of miscarriage.

4. High doses of caffeine (500-600 mg) will raise sytolic blood pressure to a small degree; this may be pertinent for those who already have hypertension.

5. Regular use of caffeine leads to tolerance; in order to maintain the same level of central nervous system stimulation over time, higher doses must be ingested. 

6. The increasingly popular practice of mixing energy drinks with alcohol simply aggravates these beverages' ill effects.   

 

Whatever you decide - to have drinks with caffeine or not - please remember balance and moderation are good guidelines to follow with health.