Necessity is the mother of invention
In early summer of 1965, the assistant coach of the University of Florida’s American Football team – the Florida Gators – sat down with a team of university physicians and asked them to determine why so many of his players were being affected by heat and heat related illnesses.
THE DISCOVERY
The researchers — Dr. Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shires, Dr. H. James Free and Dr. Alejandro de Quesada — soon discovered two key factors that were causing the Gator players to ‘wilt’: the fluids and electrolytes the players lost through sweat were not being replaced, and the large amounts of carbohydrates the players’ bodies used for energy were not being replenished.
SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT
The researchers then took their findings into the lab, and scientifically formulated a new, precisely balanced carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that would adequately replace the key components lost by Gator players through sweating and exercise. They called their concoction ‘Gatorade’.
This story is significant in that there was a problem that needed to be solved and it it was solved with good solid science. It was the very first drink that was marketed to improve energy and health. Since then the energy drink industry came to market with a bang! Had science continued to be the reason for the development of sports drinks and energy drinks I believe the industry landscape would look entirely different. Today the sports drink industry in the US is 1 Billion dollars annually. What is even more remarkable is the energy drink sector in the US will be 27 Billion by 2017! Red Bull was the first energy drink brought to the US and Canada. It was invented in 1987 and brought to North America in 1997.
Today the energy drink industry is booming! There is no denying it. Yet what are consumers paying for? Does it serve or does it harm?
In a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, between 2007 and 2011, emergency room visits involving energy drinks doubled to more than 20,000.
What Are the Cardiovascular Risks of Energy Drinks?
Medical researchers are still at the early stages of really understanding the health risks associated with energy drinks, but the primary cause of serious health problems appears to be the high concentrations of caffeine and sugar. Examples of findings related to caffeine and the cardiovascular effects are…heart palpitations, and increased heart rate and blood pressure . According to one study, 19 percent of college students who used energy drinks had experienced heart palpitations.
The amount of caffeine in energy drinks in Canada is regulated by Health Canada. The amount of caffeine allowed in energy drinks here in Canada is between 80-100 mg in a 250 ml single serve can. I am unable to find any regulatory agency with regards to caffeine in energy drinks within the US.
It is estimated that 200-300 mg of caffeine is safe for the average healthy adult.
One major concern with energy drinks is the amount of sugar. In my previous blog on weight loss the recommended daily amount of sugar is 35 grams for men, 20-25 grams for women, 12-20 for teenagers and 12 for children 4-8 years of age.
Here are the typical amounts of sugar in the most popular energy drinks. http://www.caffeineinformer.com/sugar-in-drinks
What you will notice in the energy drink sector is two things. First the amount of sugar in these popular energy drinks. Often 2-3 times the recommended daily amount of sugar and two, the ones that have zero sugar. Be wary of these products because they mostly all use artificial sweeteners that makes it look like there is no sweetener when in fact many of these artificial sweeteners play havoc in our body.
If the intake of sugar is high then our body cannot metabolize it properly and the result is it turns to fat. Drink a lot of these with the high sugar load and you will become fat, never mind the caffeine issues associated as well.
Over the years I have drank coffee or tea. I used to be a shift worker many rears ago and found coffee to be my “go to” beverage. I was totally uniformed. As the energy drink industry started to boom I saw my teenage children start to drink this new fad beverages. I still had no idea what was happening at the cellular level with these beverages being consumed so although I was concerned I was still uniformed. As I have taken the effort to be a more vigilant consumer I have become aware of the challenges these drinks contain.
Fortunately I have found an energy drink that I “go to” in the event I feel the need for an added boost. I don’t drink these everyday, just on those days when I might be driving for a long time or know it will be a long day. This drink is called REV3. It is a stick pack that contains all the great benefits of improved energy levels without the sugar. Just add it to your water and away you go. It has a lemon ice tea flavor.
Whatever your current daily consumption of energy drinks always keep in mind the long term effects of using these them. If you don’t use them today then good for you! if you do use them I would suggest you read the literature and make the best decision for you and your family.
Yours in Health
John – One Hip Guy