Energy drinks can make you feel energized immediately but their long-term use on regular basis isn’t good for your health.
Do you ever feel like a tired version of yourself? The half sleepy situation where only energy drinks are the way to get the instant buzz to get back to your routine.
Energy drinks are getting more popular day by day for their stimulating effects among teenagers and working adults. It works well to make them stay focused on their tasks whenever they feel lethargic.
We all experience fatigue, but sometimes it feels like you can’t fight it off. You’ve tried coffee, tea, and even these energy drinks with funky names, but nothing seems to work!
Well, maybe you don’t need a drink to wake up. Let’s look at how energy drinks are helping you get through your day. Or are they even helping or not?
Contents
Common ingredients in energy drinks?
Most energy drinks have the same typical ingredient concoction:
- Caffeine
- Taurine
- Guarana
- Sugar
- B vitamins
Caffeine
Caffeine is the most common ingredient in energy drinks. It’s a stimulant that can make you feel more awake, alert, and less tired.
It works by blocking the adenosine receptors that signal the body of fatigue. Caffeine masks this tiredness and enhances your cognitive abilities.
These effects can only be seen when you take caffeine in moderation. Drinking more than 400 milligrams of caffeine, according to FDA, can cause side effects such as:
- Nervousness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Upset Stomach
- Insomnia (trouble sleeping).
Sugar
Sugar is another common ingredient in energy drinks. Sugar contains carbohydrates that release glucose into your bloodstream quickly when digested. And absorbs into the body.
Hence Sugar gives you a quick burst of energy for short periods. Like during exercise or running upstairs or lifting weights at the gym.
Although the sugar helps provide an instant boost but doesn’t last very long before needing more sugar again later on down the road which often leads people to consume too much sugar leading to
- Obesity
- Heart problems
- Mood swings due to overconsumption.
Guarana
Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is an Amazonian plant. It is a prevalent component in energy drinks and can be dangerous in big quantities. Caffeine is present in guarana. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, the heart, and the muscles.
B vitamins
B vitamins are essential for overall health and well-being. B vitamins, as the building blocks of a healthy body, have an immediate influence on your energy levels, cognitive function, and cell metabolism.
Vitamin B complex may aid in the prevention of infections as well as the support or promotion of:
- Red blood cell health and growth
- Cognitive function
- Digestion
- Healthy nerve function
- Hormones and cholesterol synthesis
- Muscular & cardiovascular health
Taurine
Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid, which is a kind of protein. Meat, fish, and eggs are their food sources. Taurine promotes nerve development.
It is included in popular energy drinks as a nervous system depressant, however, it just stimulates the brain. However, taking Taurine can be a bit heavy on the kidneys since it is rich in nitrogen, You can also face the following health issues:
- Nausea.
- Dizziness.
- Migraine
- Walking difficulties
- Constipation and mild diarrhea
How long can you stay awake using energy drinks?
According to the FDA, caffeine which is a major ingredient of energy drinks stays in your system for 4-6 hours so an energy drink pumped with caffeine and sugar can make you alert for up to 6 hours.
They may make you feel less tired in a short span.
Energy drinks can keep you awake for a short period, but they’re not a long-term solution. They’re also not a substitute for sleep, so if you’re planning on drinking one or two energy drinks to get through the day and then hitting the sack early, that’s not going to work.
In fact, consuming too many energy drinks in such quick succession can lead to sleeplessness later on down the road due to their caffeine content.
Here’s a review of how caffeine content in energy drinks makes you awake;
What does it mean when energy drinks are not effective?
It may usually mean that due to long-term use, the energy drink may fail to affect you anymore.
If you’re not getting enough sleep, eating enough, drinking enough water, moving around enough, and getting exercise, you could be experiencing the effects of fatigue. If this is the case for you then energy drinks may not help you.
Energy drinks may also have a different effect on different people because everyone’s body chemistry is different. So if they don’t work for one person they might work for another person who has less energy than them.
Besides, many factors contribute to your state of mind like stress levels or anxiety levels which might lead to feelings of tiredness as well; therefore thinking that an energy drink will make them feel better when it won’t necessarily have any effect on their level of tiredness; thus making their condition worse.
Are energy drinks safe for people with ADHD?
Energy drinks contain a lot of caffeine, which can be addictive. Because of this and the fact that they often have other ingredients, they’re not safe for everyone.
People with ADHD may also experience some side effects from energy drinks such as insomnia and headaches.
If you’re worried about whether or not an energy drink is right for you, talk to your doctor before consuming any product containing caffeine or other stimulants—even if it’s labeled “safe” by doctors or nutritionists.
Why do stimulants in energy drinks put me to sleep?
You may already know that the effects of stimulants can wear off, and when they do, you’re likely to feel tired again. But why does it happen?
Caffeine is a well-known stimulant and it works by momentarily preventing us from feeling tired. Adenosine is a substance that naturally accumulates in your body while you are awake. It functions as a neurotransmitter, lowering the central nervous system and finally reaching sleepy levels.
The reason for this has to do with how your brain functions. It turns out that our brains have natural processes that help us stay awake and keep performing at optimal levels throughout the day.
For example, when we are tired or about to fall asleep at night, our bodies produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our mood and sleep cycles (among other things).
And adenosine acts as an inhibitor of dopamine production. In other words: when you’re really tired and start feeling drowsy during your day-to-day life…your body is actually trying not just to be able to function well but also to keep sleeping!
Can you sleep after consuming an energy drink?
According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine is a stimulant that can cause sleep problems. So while you may feel more energetic after drinking an energy drink, it won’t help you get any rest.
Also, these beverages contain sugar and other ingredients that can also make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night.
Taurine is another common ingredient found in many energy drinks that are considered safe but could induce sleep if taken in large quantities.
Why are you feeling sleepy after drinking an energy drink?
You may be drinking too much caffeine. Too much caffeine can cause you to feel jittery and anxious, which will make you feel tired.
It could be the sugar. Energy drinks are often high in sugar, which can leave you feeling drained and fatigued later on. This is because your body has to work hard to metabolize all that extra energy from the drink and it won’t do this until after your blood sugar levels have gone back down again.
Sugar plus caffeine equals fatigue. Some energy drinks contain both added sugars and caffeine at once, which means they could lead to more fatigue than if you were just drinking a lot of coffee or tea (without any sweetener).
Can energy drinks make you less tired?
Yes, they do make you less tired.
Several studies have found that energy drinks can reduce mental weariness and increase brain function measures such as memory, focus, and response speed.
Energy drinks might help keep you awake for a short period, but don’t rely on them for long-term assistance.
Energy drinks are not a substitute for sleep, healthy eating, and exercise. They may help keep you awake for a short period, but don’t rely on them for long-term assistance.
Energy drinks are not a substitute for good sleep habits either. Instead of relying on energy drinks to keep you going through the day, try getting enough rest and having regular meals to ensure that your body has all it needs to feel refreshed when it’s time to get up again.
Conclusion
By taking a look at all the ingredients, it is evident that energy drinks make you less tired because of the caffeine and sugar in them. But they will be effective until the caffeine remains in your system. However, you cannot solely rely on them.
- If you feel tired because of lack of sleep or due to some strenuous physical activity, drinking an energy drink will not be effective.
- It is best if you get enough rest and exercise regularly to keep your body healthy.
- For those who do work for long hours or have trouble sleeping, there may still be some benefits from drinking energy drinks occasionally.
- Try getting more exercise or eating foods that are high in protein to increase alertness naturally.