When I wake up in the morning, I get dressed, pack my bag, eat breakfast and then, before leaving for school, I make sure to grab an energy drink from the fridge. I typically have a Monster or a Celsius, depending on what I’m feeling that day. Usually, when I get to school I’m still tired and energy drinks help wake me up and pay better attention.
Many sources say that energy drinks have too much caffeine in them, such as WebMD and University Hospitals. Those sources agree that energy drinks contain high amounts of sugar, natural flavoring and salt. Energy drinks vary in caffeine levels and sizes. For example, Celsius has around 150 mg of caffeine depending on the flavor and size, while Monster can have anywhere from 200-300 mg of caffeine per can. For comparison, an 8 oz cup of coffee has 95 mg of caffeine.
Energy drinks also contain chemicals such as L Carnitine. According to WebMD, L Carnitine is a substance that helps turn body fat into energy, and while it is true that your body can usually make the required amount of L Carnitine, some people may need extra. According to mountsinai.org, “Usually, your body can make all the carnitine it needs. Some people, however, may not have enough carnitine because their bodies cannot make enough or cannot transport it into tissues so it can be used. Other conditions, such as angina or intermittent claudication, can also cause low levels of carnitine in the body, as can some medications.”
The main time that I consume energy drinks is during baseball season, when I have early practices, games. When I have double headers, I’ll usually have one energy drink in the morning, and then one in between games, along with some food to replenish my energy.
People enjoy energy drinks for a range of reasons, including they like the taste, or they like the boost it gives them. Flavor is one attraction to customers, and in order to highlight special flavors, companies will give the drinks names that sound cool. “I first started drinking energy drinks during freshman year when I noticed that I needed to stay up later in order to get my homework done. I went to the store and didn’t know what flavor I wanted. I kind of just found whatever flavor sounded the coolest, I think I ended up choosing the Monster Energy Ultra,” junior Kai O’Brien said.
Drinking energy drinks can be beneficial when having a late-night study session, or if you have a lot of work that you have to finish. I have fallen asleep when doing homework and couldn’t complete it. That was until I started drinking energy drinks; they helped me stay awake and I ultimately got more done before falling asleep.
Despite the boost that some drinkers see, others disagree. “When I drink energy drinks I feel like I crash really fast after having the drink, I’ll have a small wave of energy and then feel exhausted,” sophomore James Colvin said.
