KTVT CBS 11 Health Alert
Dr. Lewis Pincus
Taping Script, Week of June 11th, 2001

"Energy Drinks" -- Are They Good or Bad for You?
Medical Community Concerns
 

Anchor: New drinks called “energy boosters” have become a big hit in bars, dance clubs, and stores around the country. But there are some concerns, even in the medical community, about the claims and even the safety of these products. Here with a report is CBS medical expert, Dr. Lew Pincus.

Doctor: Many people are trying to “perk up” by reaching for canned drinks with names like Red Bull or Adrenaline Rush, or 180. But these so called “energy drinks” make claims that are not interpreted by critics in the same way they are by the companies who make the drinks.

“Energy drinks” usually contain vitamins, amino acids, large doses of sugar, and about as much a caffeine as a cup of coffee.

Through its spokesperson and website, Red Bull says its beverage is uplifting because it contains vitamins and amino acids such “taurine.” The company states that taurine “acts as a metabolic transmitter, has a detoxifying effect, and strengthens cardiac contractility.”

But University of California sports nutritionist Liz Applegate maintains that the drinks are simply “caffeine in a can with a lot of sugar.“ While Red Bull’s website recommends their product as “an ideal energy drink prior to demanding activities, or in a performance drop during a game,” Applegate warns the drinks should not be consumed during exercise because the caffeine and high sugar concentration slows the body’s ability to absorb water.

There is another concern. Patrons of clubs and bars around the country are mixing energy drinks with alcoholic beverages, and large amounts of either caffeine or alcohol could be dangerous to the heart. Dr. Laurence Sperling, a cardiologist at the Emory University School of Medicine, feels that multiple glasses of this mixture carries the potential for significant danger, such as a racing heart beat, elevation of blood pressure, and maybe even a heart attack. Not surprisingly, the Red Bull website states, that a “medical report by the 'Institute for Legal Medicine' of the University of Munich confirms that Red Bull has no effect on the alcohol metabolism.”

An additional worry is that people who ingest a lot of caffeine, a stimulant, along with a lot of alcohol, which has a tranquilizing effect, won’t realize how intoxicated they really are. They may drink more than they would have without the caffeine, and then drive or engage in other activities they can’t handle because they are experiencing a false feeling of alertness.

So…while “energy drinks” are not necessarily unhealthy, they are probably no more energizing than anything else with the same amount of caffeine.

For CBS Health Alert, I’m Dr. Lew Pincus. And back to you.
 

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