Energy drinks - it's the quantity that counts

After a short night, before an exam or during competitive sport: there seem to be many reasons to reach for an energy drink to cope with the challenges of everyday life. But adolescents in particular should be careful.

Do you recognise that sweet, very pungent smell that hits your nose early in the morning? At the railway station or on the bus, sometimes in combination with cigarette smoke. That can also be breakfast. Not for me, but for many young people. When it comes to caffeinated drinks, it's not coffee that tops the list for young people, but energy drinks. According to the Swiss HBSC study «Health Behaviour in School-aged Children» from 2018, 10 percent of 11 to 15-year-olds drink an energy drink more than once a week. Consumption has fallen noticeably in recent years. In 2010, it was still over 20 per cent. Unfortunately, it is not described why there has been a decline.

Caffeine - a miracle of nature?

Caffeine does occur naturally, for example in the guarana and mate plant. However, the majority of caffeine comes from synthetically produced sources. The caffeine content varies from product to product. The best-known energy drinks have a caffeine content of 80 milligrams per can (250 milligrams). This is roughly equivalent to the amount of caffeine in two espressos or one coffee (although the figures for coffee can vary greatly). Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and ensures alertness and concentration. This is because energy is needed to transmit messenger substances from one nerve cell to another. When energy is used, adenosine is released at the same time, which protects the body from overexertion and triggers the feeling of tiredness. Caffeine acts precisely on this adenosine and occupies its docking sites. This means that the body does not receive a signal of tiredness and exhaustion and can continue to perform at its best.

Promising promises

The advertising surrounding energy drinks does not seem to be missing its target. Swiss teenagers and now also children are grateful consumers. Energy drinks are perfectly aimed at their main target group - young people. A group that is in a state of flux, searching for its own ego, testing its limits, comparing itself with others and always coming off too badly and wanting to do even more to finally be the best. Energy drinks promise exactly this endless performance: partying all night, doing extreme sports and getting good grades at the same time. What more could you want, some young people will probably ask themselves and reach for a can.

It's the quantity that counts - here too. If the energy drink is seen as a stimulant and drunk every now and then, the drink poses no danger. However, as soon as it is instrumentalised and certain things only work thanks to an energy drink, an unhealthy dependency develops - for the psyche, for the body and also for the wallet.

The maximum daily amount of caffeine for adults is 400 illigrams. As children are usually smaller and weigh less, the limit is lower. It is therefore worth taking a close look at your children's intake or asking them about it. If the first can is guzzled at breakfast and the second after lunch to escape the tiredness after eating, the amount of caffeine quickly adds up and maximum amounts are quickly exceeded. Sleep disorders and heart palpitations are known consequences and an excess of caffeine can even lead to anxiety.

In addition to caffeine, there is a second important ingredient in drinks: sugar. Sugar also provides an energy boost and promotes concentration. However, this boost is short-lived and the calories provided by the sugar are usually not burnt off. Normally sweetened energy drinks contain around six to nine sugar cubes per can. This is a considerable amount that provides neither satiety nor long-lasting energy.
In addition to the health effects, there are also effects on eating and drinking behaviour that do not appear to be overly positive.
If the energy drink serves as a meal replacement, valuable time at the family table is lost - where worries can be voiced, questions clarified and laughter shared. The importance of eating together is diminishing, and there is less time to cook together, sit down and enjoy each other's company.

What's in energy drinks

Taurine: Taurine is a protein component that is naturally present in the human body and in animals. Taurine is said to improve the absorption of sugar in the cells. It also ensures that the transmission of stimuli in the brain is improved.

Glucuronolactone: A sugar component produced by the liver. Little is known about this ingredient and its long-term effect on the body.

B vitamins: If you eat a healthy and balanced diet, you will be well supplied with B vitamins. Animal products, pulses and wholemeal cereal products are good sources of B vitamins. An excess of B vitamins, for example from energy drinks, is excreted and has no positive effect.

Inositol: According to research, this type of sugar has a positive effect on the nervous system. As energy drinks only contain a small amount of it, inositol has neither positive nor negative effects on the body.