Dumt att dricka en energidryck om dagen?

Energy drinks (EDs) target young and physically active individuals. They contain large quantities of active components such as caffeine, taurine, and niacin. EDs are branded as agents or enhancers of energy, concentration capacity, and physical and mental performance (1). However, the consumption of EDs, particularly in large quantities, is associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events such as cardiac arrhythmias, chest pain, hypertension, and even sudden cardiac death (2). As such, the safety of the long-term consumption of EDs is questionable.

The explosive increase in the consumption of EDs over the past years has led the scientific community to investigate the influence of such products on human health and to identify the reasons for their consumption. Additionally, the past years have witnessed an increase in the incidence of negative effects associated with the consumption of EDs, the most common adverse effects noticed being the nervous, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal effects.

In general, the short- and long-term effects of the consumption of EDs are controversial. Several studies have addressed the short-term effects of EDs, targeting specific components of EDs and not EDs in their entirety, and have reported positive short-term effects induced by these specific components. For instance, it has been shown that caffeine activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is a key enzyme that coordinates several signaling pathways that are involved in maintaining cellular energy homeostasis (5). Additionally, caffeine causes sympathomimetic effects, intensifying heart activity and increasing blood pressure (6).