Nutrition for the Everyday Athlete
Articles by Sarah Bohm  contact: Sarah@PaceSettersRun.org

The Truth About Energy Drinks: Part 2

Last month’s article focused on the two most familiar ingredients in energy drinks: caffeine and sugar. Caffeine can certainly be helpful if taken in doses that coincide with our racing and training needs, but if consumed in excess, it can cause mood swings and manipulate our heart rates and lactic acid production. Too much of both caffeine and sugar can also lead to dehydration – an athlete’s worst enemy.

However, energy drinks also have a host of ingredients we don’t see often. Their makers claim these others give us an extra boost. According to Wikipedia, “generally energy drinks include methylxanthines [(which are forms of caffeine)], B vitamins, guarana, taurine, various forms of ginseng, inositol, and creatine.” What exactly are these scientific-sounding ingredients and do they provide the energy-boosting effects their makers claim they do?

The popular ingredient found in most energy drinks, guarana, is an especially potent source of caffeine. According to Wikipedia, “[guarana] fruits harbor one seed which contains approximately five times as much caffeine as coffee beans.”

According to dieticians on the Mayo Clinic Web site, “taurine is an amino acid that supports neurological development, helps regulate the level of water and mineral salts in the blood, and has antioxidant properties.” It can be found “in meat and fish.”

Ginseng is another common ingredient in energy drinks. On Wikipedia, it’s stated that “the root [of ginseng] stimulates and relaxes the nervous system, encourages the secretion of hormones, improves stamina, lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels and increases resistance to disease. [However,] consuming caffeine with ginseng increases the risk of over-stimulation and gastrointestinal upset.” Thus, it’s best to drink ginseng products without caffeine. But what energy drink doesn’t contain caffeine and/or guarana?

Inositol is another scientific sounding ingredient. According to ScreamingEnergy.com, a Web site that has reviews of energy drinks, “[it’s] present in all animal tissues [and] plays a role in helping the liver process fats. [It also contributes] to the function of muscles and nerves.” Additionally, “the body can produce its own inositol from glucose when nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits” are consumed.

The ingredient choline is also discussed on the same Web site. “Choline is a dietary component of many foods. It is used by the kidney to maintain water balance, by the liver for [the formation of] methionine (which is an amino acid that breaks down fat), and for production of the important neurotransmitters that affect our learning, memory, and mood. [Food sources of choline include] alfalfa, soybeans, and peanuts.”

Creatine is a controversial ingredient present in many energy drinks. According to MMUSA, a leading company that supplies creatine supplements around the world to elite athletes, creatine is “a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in the body.” Food sources include “meat, fish, dairy, egg whites, nuts, and seeds.”

The main benefit of creatine is that it helps in our production of energy. MMUSA’s Web site states “the human body has a way of storing very high amounts of creatine to enhance recovery and muscle power.” It’s also important to note that “in the event that not enough creatine is consumed to suit your body’s requirements, your body can synthesize it from [other] amino acids.”

It seems that most of these interesting ingredients already occur in our body’s natural processes or in many whole foods. Everyday athletes certainly take care of their bodies through exercise, and it’s a good rule of dietary thumb to try to include as many whole foods in your daily diet as you can.

On the other hand, the point of taking in more of these ingredients is why energy drinks are called energy drinks. Extra supplementation of these ingredients can have both positive and/or negative effects, or there simply has not been enough research conducted to find out either way. It is for sure, however, that the positive effects can happen with moderate consumption and the negative effects usually result from overuse. Add the excess caffeine and sugar to the equation and an athlete could end up in a medical mess. Us athletes already have a hard enough time keeping our regular nutrition and hydration on track! It’s always best to enjoy these drinks just once in awhile if they provide you with the extra energy boost you’re looking for. 

In my humble opinion, though, why not save the money you would have used for these pricey energy drinks, remember that many of these ingredients can be found in nuts, and buy some more peanut butter? It’s certainly a worthy investment in these tight times!

This article is meant to give education on the nutritional content of certain foods. It was not written by a licensed nutrition professional. Please consult your doctor if there are changes you'd like to make to your diet.