Six things (good and bad) to understand about energy drinks

Whether it's to jumpstart your morning, help you hit that late-night deadline, or just as a pick-me-up during the day, many of us love to consume an energy drink before, during or (sometimes even) after work.

In fact, the UK sports and energy drink market is valued at an eye-popping £3.5bn, with drinks such as Red Bull, Monster and Lucozade (among other brands) especially popular among Millennials, or those aged from late 20s to early 40s, followed by Gen Z, or late teens to late 20s.

Yet the fact the government is planning to prevent anyone under the age of 16 from buying such drinks in shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines or online speaks volumes about the fact they can come with a downside - a health warning, in fact.

So here's what you need to know, the good and the bad.

The good and the bad

1. Good. They make you more alert.

As the name suggests, energy drinks are designed to give you a short burst of energy. They do this because they are, essentially, little more than a shot of sugar and caffeine.

Forbes has reported that energy drinks can make the user more alert and improve brain function.

2. Good. They can improve memory, mood and concentration.

Furthermore, as this academic study has shown, energy drinks can improve memory, elevate mood, improve reaction time and concentration, and even aid aerobic and physical endurance.

3. Good. They can help you get 'stuff' done.

That quick and convenient energy boost that can come from an energy drink can help you to stay productive and accomplish tasks in a timely fashion.

Energy drinks provide you with the boost needed to push through the more strenuous parts of your day, whether we're talking a working day or post-work workout.

4. Bad. They can make you feel 'jumpy' rather than focused and affect your heart.

As this useful BBC article illustrates, caffeine is a drug; it increases cortisol and adrenaline, which is how it gives you that stimulant feeling.

As well as making you feel alert and 'in the zone', caffeine can increase your heart rate. Too much caffeine in your system can have the effect of making you feel 'jumpy' and 'wired' rather than alert.

Moreover, the stimulation, the boost, delivered by an energy drink can cause your heart to race and even bring on heart palpitations, or arrhythmia, especially as some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others.

Consumption of energy drinks has been associated with altered heart rate and higher blood pressure. At an extreme, excess consumption has even been associated with heart failure.

5. Bad. They can affect sleep and not be good news for pregnant or new mums.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given they are designed to make you feel more alert, energy drinks can have an impact on sleep, especially if you consume one later in the day.

Along with the risk of sleep disturbance, long-term use of energy drinks has been associated with stomach aches and dehydration.

For women who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, it is important to be aware that caffeine is generally considered to be a bad idea. It can cross the placenta and affect their baby or be present in breastmilk.

6. Bad. They can produce a low as well as a high.

As we have seen, energy drinks can provide temporary mental health benefits, including lifting mood and alertness.

However, having created an artificial high, there can then be mental health side-effects associated with coming back down again.

Caffeine withdrawal can be accompanied by fatigue, headaches and irritability. As your body breaks down the extra caffeine you have consumed, your mood can get significantly worse and your brain can slow down.

Moreover, if you already have a mental health condition be aware that caffeine can worsen psychosis and result in the need for higher amounts of medication.

Finally, it is important to be aware that the 'sugar rush' element of energy drinks - in other words, the high sugar intake alongside the caffeine - can store up health risks for the future, potentially around diabetes, dental health and obesity.

All things in moderation

In summary, energy drinks can have value - they can help you to perform better, whether at work or elsewhere, be more productive and alert.

But it is important to recognise they do come with potential health downsides and, therefore, it is important only to drink them in moderation. Common signs you are overdoing it with caffeine (and therefore potentially with energy drinks) include:

Trouble falling or staying asleep.
Feeling restless, jittery, or anxious.
Frequent headaches.
Heart palpitations or a racing heartbeat.
Increased trips to the bathroom, especially to urinate.

By all means embrace that energy drink 'hit' if it's going to get you through the day ahead. Just don't overdo it.

About the author

Nic Paton is one of the country's foremost journalists on workplace health, safety and wellbeing, and is editor of Occupational Health & Wellbeing magazine. He also regularly writes on the health and employee benefits and health insurance markets.