SEATTLE - By virtue of their name, energy drinks would seemingly provide at least one thing - energy.
Rockstar promises a better party. SoBe's Adrenaline Rush promises, well, a rush. Other drinks boast superhuman vigor with names such as Killer Buzz, Full Throttle or Rip It. Red Bull says "it gives you wings."
No way, say medical experts.
Not only do such drinks fail to offer a special boost, they say, their high caffeine and sugar content causes dehydration and could be dangerous for the young and active.
"These drinks are marketing ploys. I'm not aware of any scientific data that they do what they say they're going to do," said Mark Kantor, professor of family and consumer sciences and nutrition at the University of Maryland, who specializes in consumer education. "They don't give you more energy."
"A nutritionist defines energy as calories," Kantor said. "If you refer to energy as something that gives you pep and zip and stamina, that's just a myth. There's nothing that provides that in food."
Nonetheless, energy drinks, which have high amounts of caffeine and ingredients such as taurine and glucuronolactone, have exploded in the beverage market since 1997. There are now more than 1,000 different brands in the roughly $1 billion industry, said John Craven, editor of the Cambridge, Mass., based beverage-review site BevNET.com, "the beverage industry's source for product reviews, news & more."
Most of the explosion has been among young people. Some guzzle down the drinks at clubs and bars, mixing them with liquor; others tank up before playing in a sports event or grab a can to prepare for the work day or to stay awake and study.
Such uses trouble doctors.
"(Energy drinks) get to be problematic when used in combination with alcohol or when used before sports or with kids," said Maher Karam-Hage, medical director of the Chelsea Arbor Addiction Treatment Center at the University of Michigan. Karam-Hage is an addiction specialist who has been a vocal critic of energy drink-alcohol cocktails.
The main cause of concern, doctors say, is that the drinks cause extreme dehydration. And some governments, such as Sweden's, publish public-health recommendations that the liquids be used carefully.
Recommendations such as:
- Energy drinks containing caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone should not be used as thirst quenchers.
- The drinks should not be used for replenishing liquid when exercising.
- The drinks should not be mixed with alcohol.
Before high-energy sporting events, some athletes use energy drinks seeking an extra kick. But some doctors and medical experts say energy drinks not only don't help, they could actually hinder an athlete's performance.
Hard play alone will dehydrate a person, and Karam-Hage says the drinks can exacerbate the dehydration, forcing the muscles to work harder.
But the companies still recommend a pre-game drink.
"Try it before a workout or a sporting event and see how energized you feel!" SoBe's Web site suggests.
Suzanne Nelson, former nutritionist for the University of Washington athletic programs and now with the San Francisco 49ers, said she would never tell athletes to use the drinks.
While the high amounts of caffeine can provide the feeling of exuberance, Nelson said, athletes can also experience the negative sides of caffeine such as dehydration, a need to use the toilet and sometimes being twitchy and nervous, among others.
"That energized feeling is temporary, and it's not a substitute for usable energy in the form of carbohydrates," Nelson said.
She also worries because there's been little research about the safety of all the ingredients or on their effects during doping tests.
Craven, of BevNET.com, said he's not sure anyone in the industry has done enough research on the drinks' contents.
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