Are the health risks of energy drinks worth the boost?

It’s already 12:30 a.m., and you’ve only managed to finish two assignments. Practice ran late, and now all you can think about is collapsing into your bed. But instead of sleeping, you grab your favorite energy drink, the one that always gets you through. You down it quickly and power through the rest of your work, but now, sleep feels impossible.
The caffeine is buzzing through you, and you’re stuck scrolling on your phone, trying to pass the time until your alarm rings. By the time you drag yourself out of bed, you’re exhausted but still reach for another energy drink, thinking it’ll give you the boost you need. The day drags on, and by fourth hour, your heart is racing in your chest, your head is pounding with a dull ache, and your mind feels foggy. You can’t focus, and all you can think about is how badly you want to go home and sleep.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about one in four teens (ages 12-17) reported drinking at least one energy drink in the past week. The average cup of coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, while energy drinks can contain anywhere from 80 to 300 milligrams of caffeine—almost triple the recommended daily caffeine limit. Popular energy drinks like Celsius, Red Bull, and Alani are often chosen by students who need an extra boost to power through early school mornings or late school nights.
The caffeine and other ingredients in these drinks provide a quick fix that can heighten focus and energy, making it easier to stay awake and push through a tough day.
While they can be helpful in the short term, according to Cleveland Clinic, excessive consumption can lead to side effects like jitters, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, and even heart palpitations, which may ultimately make it harder to focus later on. In addition, the high sugar content in these drinks—or the use of sugar substitutes like stevia or Splenda—can also cause a “crash” a few hours after consumption, leaving students feeling drained. Another concern is that many students choose energy drinks over breakfast when they’re in a rush, which can lead to drinking them on an empty stomach.
Cleveland Clinic also informs that this can result in blood sugar spikes, and their ensuing crashes, making students feel light-headed or faint. When students drink energy drinks regularly, their bodies can become dependent on caffeine which is technically a drug stimulant leading to addiction, and not receiving that “drug” may cause withdrawal symptoms, which can include headaches, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating All of which negatively impact a student’s academic performance.
MHS Athletic trainer Kira Planck said, “But in the cases where a lot of athletes and people have ADHD, caffeine doesn’t actually do anything, and you’re just drinking stuff that’s not very good for your body”. A placebo effect that gives you false energy while receiving real consequences. Planck continues, “I don’t know if you people have noticed, but they tend to get more headaches and they’re more dehydrated if they drink caffeine in general”. With energy drink companies constantly releasing new flavors, students are often eager to try them, and the variety of options can make it difficult to resist.
While some companies have improved their ingredients, like using more natural sugars and adding less caffeine, others still find ways to hide potentially harmful components. These include Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, and expensive amounts of caffeine, sugar, salt, and carbonation, with the most dangerous being caffeine itself because it causes a placebo-like effect that causes dehydration, headaches, increased anxiety, spiked heart rate, and blood pressure reaching dangerous levels. Senior Jayden Dorsey stated,
“They never actually make me feel better, I just like the taste, sometimes when I go to practice I feel more groggy than before.” Consuming multiple caffeinated drinks counteracts the effects of caffeine. At the same time, those ingredients are fine in moderation.
Still, when consumed in excessive amounts the body doesn’t process it and the effects end up more harmful than any potential help. MHS Physical Education teacher Rick Wank is one of many health experts who believes these drinks are harmful. “The studies show the amount of caffeine that you’re ingesting in one energy drink for a student whose brain is not developed, can be harming or damaging to them as much as vaping or smoking cigarettes,” Wank said.
Since the frontal lobe of your brain doesn’t fully develop until you are 25 you risk not allowing it to develop properly in the right amount of time, the frontal lobe is essential for functions such as decision-making, planning, impulse control, problem-solving, emotional regulation, motor control, speech production, and working memory.
Even in some extreme cases, an overdose of caffeine can be life-threatening. Symptoms of caffeine toxicity include confusion, vomiting, rapid breathing, and even seizures.
Energy drinks that contain extremely high levels of caffeine (sometimes in combination with other stimulants) pose a serious risk, especially when consumed quickly.
“During sophomore year I would have around 12 kickstarts in one day,” Dorsey said. “It was when I was asking around for money to buy more it hit me and since then I’ve worked to cut down, and by avoiding excess sugar I’ve noticed so many more differences, I sleep fully throughout the night and have more energy.”
Moderation is key when consuming highly caffeinated beverages. Energy drinks can be helpful, especially when sleep-deprived students need to power through late-night study sessions, early morning classes, or sports practices. Caffeine boosts alertness and can help improve focus when students are tired or overwhelmed. Senior Brendan Mar-shall states. “I think a lot of it is mental and what you make of it so I spend a lot of my time working on maintaining a good mentality, and if you love what you are doing (me with swim) then I don’t think you would need energy drinks to get through them, again just based on my personal experience”
Additionally, many energy drinks contain vitamin B and amino acids, which are beneficial for brain function and can help students stay sharp and active.
With an informed approach and moderation, students can enjoy the benefits of energy drinks while avoiding the risks of overconsumption. Whether or not a student chooses to drink energy drinks, it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects and benefits.