by Melly Kenny

Created on: September 28, 2009

The first energy drink was produced by the Scottish and named, "Iron Brew" in 1901. Gatorade was the first marketed energy drink in the world. It was designed to improve the performance of athletes in the sixties. It was marketed for Florida University football players, known as the Gators. That is where Gatorade's name originated from.

Energy drinks can be found in nearly any grocery or convenience store worldwide. Over the years, energy drinks have been rapidly growing and increasing in popularity. They are designed to improve physical attributes, and the mental alertness of the consumer. Energy drinks are typically consumed by younger purchasers. Approximately 65% percent of drinkers are between the ages of 13 and 35 years old. Drinks should only be drunk in moderation. All drinks are safe and should be consumed along with a healthful diet.

Some Ingredients in energy drinks include:
- Caffein is the most active ingredient in all energy beverages.
- Guarana used to increase alertness and energy and contains caffeine
- High fructose corn syrup (sugar)
- Taurine an amino acid that might be a mild inhibitory neurotransmitter used to level out the other stimulants
- Vitamins to help in converting the sugar into energy
- Glucuronolactone

added to fight fatigue and provide a sense of well-being, however, no substantial studies have been done to determine long-term effects on the body

Top five popular energy drinks are Gatorade, Red Bull, Rockstar, SoBe and Monster. Over consumption of caffeine through beverages such as energy drinks can cause negative health effects. Staying aware of how much caffeine is being consumed each day is important.
Energy drinks can cause the following negative symptoms:
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Excessive urination
- Restlessness
- Sleeplessness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Indigestion

Note: Pregnant women have a higher risk of miscarriage while consuming energy drinks! It is best not to drink any caffeinated drinks while pregnant. The more water and fresh produce, the better.

Adults have been mixing energy drinks and liquor over the past few years. Drinking energy drinks while consuming alcohol can be very dangerous. Combining alcohol with caffeine can temporarily mask feelings of fatigue and not make one realise they've had too much alcohol. Mixing powerful stimulants contained in some energy drinks with depressants in alcohol could cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failures. The stimulants keeps adults from knowing how impaired they really are. The effects from alcohol and energy drinks will not show until the stimulant wears off. It causes severe vomiting and is extremely dangerous.

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