Most energy drinks are stimulant-based. That is, they stimulate our central nervous system, to increase the body's rate of respiration. This impacts many things in our bodies.
Here are a few of the known impacts:
- Increased blood flow to peripheral muscle
- Increased heart rate
- Increased blood pressure
- Increase in fatty acid concentrations in the bloodstream
- Increase in serum adrenalin concentrations
The most common class of stimulant used in commercial energy drinks fall in the category of methyl-xanthines. The most popular, being caffeine. Because caffeine has a bad reputation, producers have resorted to other methyl-xanthines, such as ephedrine (or ephedra), which is working on a bad reputation of its own! Some producers have even gone as far to add guarana extract (a source of ephedra), and call their products ephedra-free...although the FDA has 'cracked-down' on this.
Here's my take on energy drinks...they work! They do provide your body with immediate energy-release. BUT...and this is a big BUT...(no pun!), they do so at a cost. For one, if you continue to rely on these drinks to liberate energy, then, when you are not drinking them, you may have difficulty liberating energy on your own. YES...this means that you can easily become addicted to them. Additionally, they stress the heart, lungs, and blood vessels as long as your system is under the influence of them. This stress, because it is unrelenting, can initiate, or progress, existing disease conditions, such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and even depression.
So, think twice before popping-the-top off of these energy drinks. Try a good old-fashioned bottle of water. With the money you save, after one year, you could have a one-week vacation!
STAY FIT!
Jason
