It’s Thursday night. You have a big term paper due tomorrow. After catching a re-run of Jersey Shore and counting the number of cement blocks in your dorm room wall, you determine it’s probably time to buckle down. With a slumped posture and heavy eyelids, you decide there’s no way you can get through this homework without guzzling down one of these…
Today’s Thirsty Thursday post will examine that infamous beverage-of-choice for sleep-deprived college students and other exhausted adults: the energy drink.
I have actually never downed a can of this beverage. One tiny sip of Red Bull was enough for me; Yuck! However, I often see my fellow students going through 2 or more of these cans of crazy every night.
The common leading ingredient in most energy drinks is—you guessed it—caffeine. Different forms of caffeine are used, such as guarana, ginseng, ginko biloba, creatine, and other funky sounding words. One 8-ounce energy drink contains 80 milligrams of caffeine on average, although some types can contain the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola! Not to mention the blood-racing amount of sugar packed into these beverages.
These drinks do not provide a healthy dose of energy, but rather cause a “crash and burn” effect. While a small amount of energy drink consumption is not very harmful, excessive amounts of the beverage can have these nasty results:
- Agitation, anxiety, and irritability
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Dental decay
- Upset stomach
- Increased blood pressure
- Insomnia
The nutritional stats for some popular energy drinks are not exactly brag-worthy. The following numbers show the contents of one can (because let’s face it, students drink every drop and ignore the recommended serving size):
Red Bull
115 calories
26 grams of sugar
80 mg of caffeine
Monster
200 calories
54 grams of sugar
160 mg of caffeine
Rockstar
280 calories
62 grams of sugar
150 mg of caffeine
Full Throttle
220 calories
58 grams of sugar
200 mg of caffeine
I hope you’re starting to rethink that energy drink undoubtedly peering out of your bookbag. But don’t panic! There are other ways to energize yourself without the detrimental health effects of a Red Bull or Monster. Try these EYC-approved tricks:
- Eat a balanced amount of carbs. Overloading on white bread pizza can make you sluggish, but healthy carbs from veggies and fruits will stabilize your blood sugar level, making you feel awake. It’s simply a matter of figuring out what amount of carbs works best for you.
- Regular exercise can keep you energized throughout the day, so skip the 10-minute walk to the convenience store and put in a good 30-minute sweat sesh at the gym at least 5 days a week.
- Don’t skimp on healthy proteins. Whether cooking up a salmon patty for dinner or slathering some peanut butter on a banana, a balanced amount of protein will keep your energy levels up.
- Get an adequate amount of sleep. I’m sure many students will roll their eyes at this obvious yet seemingly impossible-to-achieve notion, but it truly is important to get in some shut eye. Smart scheduling and a productive attitude should afford you at least a good seven hours of snooze time.
I think we need to leave the energy drinks to someone who can really handle it. Anyone have the Energizer Bunny’s number?
Are you a fan of energy drinks? What are your tricks for staying energized on your busy days?
never. i just have to keep the idea in my head that i HAVE to stay awake because i HAVE to turn in ____ tomorrow. this article is so relatable because even though i dont rely on energy drinks at all, im all too accustomed to staying up and doing homework (hence the time of this post, which was a two min break from spanish studying, but looking at this blog was more intere
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I'll admit to trying a few energy drinks before. They tasted pretty good but I try to limit myself to like 3 a year because they are so bad for you. I rely on coffee for a little pick-me-up. ;-)
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