Do energy drinks work?

Aparajita Mukherjee found herself squinting at her text after pulling an all-nighter for her second year exams. "My exam was to start at 11 am, and all I could think of was sleep," says the 20-year-old. As a last recourse, she chugged down an energy drink before entering the examination hall. "And it worked," says Aparajita.

An increasing number of youngsters are opting for these drinks for that instant spurt of energy. While Aparajita chooses them to shake off exhaustion, a Scottish research suggests the drinks help athletes improve their endurance and levels of performance.

The study of young sportsmen and women found that consuming energy drinks before and during exercise meant they could play in team games for longer than those who had not used the products.

The researchers said the study highlighted the importance of hydration and energy intake for performance during intense sporting activities, reports The Scotsman.

The Edinburgh University research studied students aged 12 to 14 to help assess the effectiveness of sports drinks.

The team measured the performance of 15 youngsters during exercises designed to simulate the physical demands of team games such as football, rugby and hockey.

The group, who were recruited from George Watson's College in Edinburgh and other schools, were tested using a particular brand of energy drink. The solution contained carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

The performance of students using the product was compared with that of players when they drank a non-carbohydrate placebo solution.

The researchers found that taking the 6 per cent carbohydrate-electrolyte solution helped the young people continue high-intensity, stop-start activity for up to 24 per cent longer than those using the placebo drink. The research has been written in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

However, not all people believe in these drinks. While some like Aparajita swear by the "SOS drink", others dismiss them as hoaxes. "I've drunk a can of a reputed energy drink but all I got was fizz," says businessman Arun Mehta. Since these drinks have not been standardised under the Indian Food Regulation Act, quite a few view them with suspicion, unsure of their side effects in the long run.

A report published in The Telegraph on 23 August quotes nutritionists as saying the caffeine content in certain brands of energy drinks greatly exceeds the limit prescribed by the IFRA. While the permitted level in India is 145 per million (ppm) caffeine, many brands contain as much as 300 ppm. Since caffeine is a stimulant that increases the heartbeat, drinks which pack in the caffeine punch should be had sparingly, advise nutritionists.


(ANI)