Caffeine Part 2:
Energy Drinks have become a staple among college and club kids, but there seems to be a new trend that kids at younger ages are drinking these energy drinks. They hope that they will improve their sports performance and allow them to be more energized at school or for studying.
Products such as Red Bull, Full Throttle, and Monster Energy are expected to generate $9 billion in sales in the U.S. Energy drinks are considered "dietary supplements", and are therefore not regulated by The Food and Drug Administration. This means that regulations are not placed on them like other products that contain caffeine.
People get confused between energy drinks and sports drinks (their purpose is to replenish electrolytes and nutrients that a body loses during sport activities). Energy drinks have nearly three times that amount of caffeine that a caffeinated soda has in it.
Because of the rise of younger people drinking energy drinks more regularly and in higher quantities, doctors are seeing a rise in cases presenting to them with negative impacts from these high doses of caffeine.
A secondary trend with college age kids and young adults is mixing these sport drinks with alcohol and consuming an increased number of them in one evening. They have even been marketed under names such as Four Loko, Lemon Lime Core Spiked and Moonshot with the alcohol pre-mixed into them. According to an article in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, "people who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks are three times more likely to binge drink than drinkers who do not mix alcohol with energy drinks."
Know the facts. Ask questions of the young people in your life. Look for the pattern of moodiness and jitters, and don't assume it's just hormones. These drinks can be extreme, and the young people need to know the facts.
12/13/11- Tuesday Workout Diary:
Pliometrics DVD- 55 minutes
12/13/11 - Tuesday Food Diary:
Breakfast-
1 whole wheat wrap (100 cal)
2 tbls organic almond butter (186 cal)
1/2 banana, 1/8 cup strawberries (70 cal)
A.M. Snack-
whey protein shake (125 cal)
Lunch-
grilled veggie open face sandwich(Ezekiel toast, Gorgonzola cheese crumbles, grilled zucchini, eggplant, cherry tomato, portabello mushrooms(320 cal)
small salad, spray on balsamic vinegar (55 cal)
P.M. Snack-
apple, 1 low fat string cheese(147 cal)
homemade popcorn (90 cal)
Dinner-
4 oz roast turkey, with light sodium(310 cal)
1/3 cup homemade cranberry relish with agave nectar (100 cal)
1/2 spaghetti squash, drizzle of balsamic glaze (30 cal)
1/2 cup sauté mushrooms, onions, garlic, Italian spices, rosemary EVOO (140 cal)
small apple (40 cal)
TOTAL CALORIES-1763
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