Energy drinks have been a longstanding trend among teens, with Monsters being the top drink. With the rise of students drinking energy drinks, new energy drinks have become popular, like Celsius and Alani.

In 1962, a Japanese company called Taisho Pharmaceuticals made an energy drink known as Lipovitan D. It was made to help physical and mental fatigue. Later on in the 1980s the creators of Red Bull got inspired, and decided to use similar ingredients. This helped launch the rise of energy drinks.

In the modern day, some students are drinking up to three cans of energy drinks per day–thus ingesting over the the daily recommended amount of 100mg of caffeine for a teenager.
The Center for Diseases Control and Prevention details that “30%–50% of adolescents are reported to consume energy drinks.”

Many students get addicted to energy drinks, because of their quick ability to give you an energy boost, which some students find necessary to stay awake during the school day.

Some students may be up late due to work or from staying up doing homework, causing students to find an alternative to help keep them awake the next day.

Others may just like their taste and the feeling of having increased energy.
Unlike coffee, energy drinks immediately work to energize you and can lead to a higher burn out. Coffee is a natural source of caffeine, unlike energy drinks whose components are made in a lab.

One of the negative side effects of energy drinks is an increased heart rate and shortness of breath. Another side effect is heart palpitations which can feel like a pounding, racing and/or fluttering heart beat.
Additionally, according to The Mayo clinic, “Heavy caffeine use–more than 400 milligrams per day–can cause: Headache, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, fast heartbeat, palpitations, tremors, agitation and gastrointestinal upset.”

Looking at the mental health aspect, the consumption of energy drinks can increase anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Due to the risks that they pose to health, theVirginia High School League (VHSL), which is in charge of high school extracirricular and athletic programs, banned energy drinks for student-athletes as a safety concern in line with recent medical research.

Starting on September 22, 2010, athletes were no longer allowed to have energy drinks during practices, at games and were generally recommended to avoid them.

If athletes are caught drinking them, they will face a written violation, and depending on the school, the student may be taken out of practice as a consequence.

“[VHSL] found that if you combine energy drinks, and increase your heart rate through sports participation, there’s a lot of dangerous consequences like dizziness and feeling faint,” Head Athletic Trainer Ryan Hughes said. “Students could end up in the emergency room with all sorts of issues from energy drinks.”

Along with dizziness and feeling faint, energy drinks also bring concerns of dehydration due to cardiovascular activities student-athletes do.

Caffeine can cause dehydration, and the amount of sugar in the energy drinks can also cause dehydration. The body uses a lot of water to break down the sugars, leading water in the body to leave faster.

Dehydration should be taken very seriously, it can cause headaches, confusion, fainting and constipation.
Many student-athletes continue to drink energy drinks, even with the ban. as they feel like it helps them play better due to the increased energy they receive from consumption.

“Student-athletes shouldn’t drink energy drinks, they should avoid getting written up, so that they can continue playing the sport they love,” junior Sarah Guy said. “Energy drinks shouldn’t come in between them and sports,” she added.

Outside of sports, students find the energy drink buzz to be amazing, since students want to be energized during their first period.

However, this energy boost does not last long, due to the amount of sugar in the drink.
Many energy drinks have different amounts of sugars. There are some that are zero sugar, then there’s a lot that have over 25 grams of sugar.

This can lead to an increase in a sugar rush, with the combination of sugar and caffeine, this can lead the body to have a burnout.

The sugar in the energy drinks are one of the reasons why you feel quickly energized. Then the sugar leaves your body, leaving you feeling groggy or tired.

In classes, “I’ve seen a lot more students drinking Monster Drinks and other energy drinks. They always seem more awake, but it can also be hard for them to focus,” Algebra 2 teacher Jarrett Cowgill said. “Most students I see drinking [energy drinks] say it helps them focus and that they’ve had a long night,” he said.

Energy drinks can cause students to be distracted, by making them hyperactive.
Some signs of hyperactivity are being easily distracted and impulsiveness.

Although many students know not to drink energy drinks, this cautionary sentiment is commonly disregarded among students.

“[Energy drinks] give me a burst of energy. I feel very energetic and happy to do stuff and I have more motivation to get up and be active,” freshman Kiery Iglesias River said.

Regardless of student’s attitudes towards energy drinks, the fact remains that students are choosing to drink something that can harm them.

On the other side, there are some healthy energy drink alternatives.
This includes hot or iced coffee, coconut water and unsweetened tea.

These alternatives are healthier and carry less sugar, another alternative is water, allowing students to always stay hydrated.

Nevertheless, the ultimate cure for not having enough energy is sleep. By prioritizing their sleep, students may find positive shifts in their daily energy and can ditch the energy drinks.