Energy Drinks Exposed: Professor advises against them, students admit overuse

    Where do Murray State students turn when they have not slept in two days, have a test to study for and still have to go to work?
    For most, the answer is caffeine and what offers more caffeine than an energy drink?
    With gas stations, Fast Track, Waterfield Library’s Starbooks and food carts strategically placed across campus, students can get their caffeine fix through a plethora of energy drink choices any time of the day.
    Drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, Amp, Rock Star, NOS and Full Throttle provide college students with the sudden energy spurt required to get through the day.
     On the downside, these drinks contain anywhere from 80 to 200 milligrams  of caffeine per 12 ounces.
     “(Energy drinks) are more like the college student’s coffee replacement,” Beth Rice, associate professor in the department of nutrition, dietetics and food management, said.
    Though energy drinks do provide a temporary fix for fatigue and drowsiness, Rice said they could potentially harm the body.
    “They’re not bad unless you know what you’re drinking,” Rice said. “The main thing to be concerned about is the amount of carbohydrates and caffeine. The concern is how you use them. Are you adding to your usual gambit or are you replacing something?”
    Rice said she supports the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the negative effects of drinking too many energy drinks.
    Rice said athletes or those who exercise frequently should avoid drinking energy drinks as they may act as a diuretic, which increases urine output leaving the body dehydrated.
    Including dehydration, anybody who overuses energy drinks could also experience a decrease in urine output, heart racing, shakiness and what is commonly known as a “crash.”
    “This happens when the body uses up the extra carbohydrates and your body
finally comes down from its sugar high,” Rice said.
    Linda Farza, senior from Tunisia, North Africa and Hart Thoroughbrewed Café worker, said she only felt the effects of a crash after drinking the Vault energy drink. She said she prefers the Starbucks Double Shot Energy Drinks, which she consumes about two to three times a week.     Farza said she likes this energy drink because of its coffee taste and added herbs like taurine.
    “They taste better to me than any other energy drinks,” Farza said. “There’s an aftertaste, but it’s not terrible like Red Bull—it’s just nasty.”
    Farza said she likes the coffee energy drink because it only has 200 calories and is good to drink before late classes or work.
    “I don’t think I’m drinking an excessive amount,” Farza said. “But they provide the energy boost I need when I need it.”
    While some may say college students are shifting away from drinking coffee to more energy drinks, Farza said accessibility is the cause, but she said she remembers an old proverb.
    “Too much of anything is a bad thing,” Farza said.
    Kristyn Russell, senior from Louisville, Ky., said she seldom uses energy drinks when she is tired.
    “I usually drink them because I didn’t get enough sleep and have a lot to do,” Russell said.
    While some students may think the herbs such as ginseng and gingko balboa are enough to replenish their bodies, Russell said she tries to resort to more organic options.
    “If I need to stay awake, I’d rather get my caffeine from tea, not an artificial energy drink,” Russell said.
    Regardless of when and why students use energy drinks, Beth Rice said everyone should familiarize with their bodies.
    Said Rice: “Everybody handles caffeine differently, so you really have to know your body.”
    Robin Phelps can be reached at robinj.phelps@murraystate.edu.