Campbell, Bill, et al. "International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Energy Drinks." Journal Of The International Society Of Sports Nutrition 10.1 (2013): 1-16. SPORTDiscus with Full Text. Web. 5 Mar. 2015.
This article discusses the nutrients and positive benefits of drinking an energy drink before a workout. A major ingredient in energy drinks and shots is caffeine. Caffeine, when drunken in low-to-moderate dosages, can actually improve performance, but when taken in higher dosages it does not enhance performance. It can also "enhance vigilance during bouts of extended exhaustive exercise, as well as periods of sustained sleep deprivation." Another major ingredient is carbohydrates. Energy drinks have a a lot carbohydrates, but where it falls short is the concentration. They suggest diluting it with water or switch between energy drinks and water while working out. They also did some studies to see the benefits of drinking energy drinks prior to a work out. An energy drink consumed 45 - 60 minutes before doing anaerobic/resistance exercise showed improvement in upper and lower body lifting. Energy drinks that was consumed 10 - 40 minutes prior showed improvement in cycling and running performance. Energy drinks also improved reaction time, mental alertness, and focus. Low calorie energy drinks consumed prior to a work out could help with weight loss, but further studies need to be conducted.
I have been mainly focusing on adverse effects on the body when drinking energy drinks, but after reading this I can see some benefits to drinking this. But while reading this I also thought that only athletes or someone that is going to work out should be drinking these, not just anybody. Energy drinks don't seem to be that bad if you drink them moderately, but America is known for not consuming things in moderation, so should they be banned based on this fact?
In my other two articles, they discussed only the negative side effects of drinking energy drinks in large consumptions, but this one talks about energy drinks and the positive effects when you drink them moderately. Like in my first source is said, "There isn't a therapeutic benefit" in drinking energy drinks. But in these studies they conducted they found that mental alertness, improved reaction time, and focus were improved.
I'm not exactly sure on where to go from here. Maybe I can look further into why people drink so much? Are they addicting? Does it have something to do with marketing? Also, a question that could be asked is: Do the positive effects outweigh the adverse effects?
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