Summary
Americans shell out hundreds of millions of dollars on energy drinks each year. Drink makers throw a bunch of things into their products, from vitamins and minerals to herbs, but the main ingredients are the old familiars -- sugar and caffeine. Health care professionals agree that you’ll get a small burst of energy from these drinks, but for most people, it’s just adding needless calories and carbohydrates to their diets.
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http://www.abqjournal.com/food/330274food03-30-05.htm
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Socialite Paris Hilton keeps a Red Bull in her designer purse next to her Chihuahua, Tinker Bell.
Locally, at nearly every health club or fitness center, people are bolting down the energy drink du jour before hitting the treadmill, cycle or free weights.
Members of the medical community believe energy drinks are mostly a harmless waste of money, although in some cases they can cause health problems or make existing problems worse.
They may contain caffeine, various B vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates and herbal extracts from the Amazonian guarana plant or the Chinese ginseng root.
These drinks are different from sports drinks, like Gatorade, Powerade or All Sport, which are formulated with carbohydrates and fluids to rehydrate and replace electrolytes.
"They get you up really fast then drop you fast, so you wind up being even more tired."
He does, however, enjoy a Red Bull when he's relaxing, and usually it's mixed with alcohol.
"If a person is very active and is burning up calories, then replacing them with sugar while exercising makes some sense; but if the person is sedentary, then they're just storing extra calories as fat."
Caffeine in mild doses is probably harmless, but in large doses "can make people shaky and cause potential cardiac problems," Gleeson said.
Caffeine is a weak diuretic, so it is "not the ideal way to replace fluid losses, and in larger amounts, could counteract the fluid you're taking in," Gleeson said.
The American Dietetic Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend people drink 6-12 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes they exercise, said Anne Rabjohn, a registered dietitian at Lovelace Sandia Health Systems.
The caffeine, sugar and host of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and supplements "will not improve their exercise performance," Rabjohn said.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a mission to teach personal and planetary health to the public He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has published numerous courses on preparedness and survival, including financial preparedness, emergency food supplies, urban survival and tactical self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the CEO of a highly successful email newsletter software company that develops software used to send permission email campaigns to subscribers. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and regularly pursues cycling, nature photography, Capoeira and Pilates. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, April 06, 2005
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