Michael Bundalo
The Daily Vidette
Illinois State University
NORMAL, Ill.-The average college student may have no clue what taurine, carnitine, glucuronolactone, guarana, inositol and mattodextrin are, but they are flying off convenience store shelves at an ever increasing rate as the ingredients in energy drinks, becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon, especially among college-aged individuals.
Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Monster and Rock Star have been increasing in sales over recent history. Last year alone, 2.5 billion cans of Red Bull were consumed worldwide according to Nyla Wilkins, Red Bull media representative, who said Red Bull is the “creator of the energy drink category.”
“Red Bull has been on the market for 18 years and is sold in more than 130 countries,” Wilkins said.
These drinks bring the promise of energy and alertness, providing an alternative to caffeinated beverages like coffee, which may not be as accessible as these canned beverages. They have even found their way into night life, where they are often mixed with hard alcohols such as Jagermeister or vodka, indicating they supply the energy needed to “party like a rock star,” RockStar Energy Drink’s advertising slogan.
Consuming stimulants like caffeinated energy drinks with a depressant like alcohol concerns some individuals, raising questions as to the proper way to drink these beverages. Wilkins said consuming Red Bull with alcohol is not necessarily harmful, but negates the intended effect of the energy drink.
“We do not promote Red Bull Energy Drink as a mixer with alcohol as this might impair the positive effects of Red Bull Energy Drink as advertised. However, there is no indication that Red Bull Energy Drink has any effect related to alcohol consumption,” Wilkins said.
“There is no reason why Red Bull should not, like any other drink, be mixed with alcohol as long as people do not underestimate that alcohol consumption might impair their mental and physical activities. Red Bull Energy Drink is not designed to counteract this.”
However, some have been left questioning the nutrition in these drinks, as well as their necessity. Robert Cullen, assistant professor of Food and Nutrition, said the actual value of these drinks might be overestimated, and young people are motivated more by advertising than effectiveness of the product.
“Their popularity is based more on marketing than it is on science,” Cullen said. “They’ve moved on from the energy drink angle and they take the approach of what kids want, which is a more pleasurable and party-type lifestyle.”
RockStar69.com, the commercial Web site for RockStar energy drink, features photos of celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, Kid Rock and Jessica Alba.
Cullen said the main ingredient in these energy drinks is caffeine, present in significant amounts and creates a “pretty good lift” compared to other caffeinated beverages like Mountain Dew. However, according to Cullen, the drinks may not necessarily be worth the cost.
“There is nothing magical about these drinks. They don’t add anything you couldn’t get from a cup of coffee and a fortified breakfast cereal,” Cullen said. “The biggest issue is the cost. Being expensive is almost beneficial. Things that are expensive seem more important,” he said.
According to Wilkins, drinks like Red Bull are not intended for large amounts of consumption.
“Red Bull is a functional drink and not a thirst quencher. Generally, you can compare its digestibility with that of coffee, and this is a good guide to the amount you can drink,” Wilkins said.
Most cans warn against consumption by children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine, but only Monster warned against over- consumption, recommending no more than three cans per day.
All beverages except Sobe included a disclaimer, which explained the nutrition facts and claims made on the containers were not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
UWIRE
