Energy Drinks and Energy Shots: By-products of the Postmodern Age

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The dizzying sophistication of technology in the second decade of the new millennium has not made life easier or less demanding for those working in today's society. On the contrary, it has intensified pressures on everybody, who has to keep up with demands 24/7. Demands to keep unconventional hours have expanded beyond occupations traditionally associated with this practice, such as the medical and allied professions, law enforcement and security. With 24-hour convenience stores and jobs like business process outsourcing, and the ever-growing stress of contemporary life,  the human body is taxed to the utmost, for more and more of the workforce and society.

To cope with these pressing requirements, one product that has grown in popularity is energy drinks. And it has been shown that much of population, especially young people, takes these products. In the United States, "Surveys have found that 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults consume energy drinks." - [Source]

This translates to income. "According to market researcher Packaged Facts, the US energy

drink/shot market was worth $12.5 billion in 2012 and is predicted to be worth $21.5 billion by 2017.1". - [Source]

This enormous share is reflected in the country. "In a recent market research here in the Philippines, Asia Brewery Inc. retained its leadership position within sports and energy drinks in 2011 in off-trade value terms. The company’s off-trade sales totaled Php 7.9 billion, translating into a 51% share." - [Source]

What do they contain? And how do they work?

First, let's define terms. "Energy drinks are flavored beverages containing varying amounts of caffeine and, typically, other additives, such as vitamins, taurine, theanine, carnitine, herbal supplements, creatine, sugars, and guarana, a plant product that naturally contains concentrated caffeine." On the other hand, "Energy shots, compared with energy drinks, contain more concentrated sources of caffeine, have fewer ingredients and fewer calories, and generally are sold in small 50-mL containers." - [Source]

"Caffeine has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels, and kidneys." It "is present in ground coffee in amounts ranging between 0.75 and 1.5 percent by weight." - ["caffeine." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014.]

"Consumer Reports measured the amount of caffeine in 27 top-selling energy drinks and shots, and the organization found caffeine ranged from about 6 mg to 242 mg per serving, with some containers providing more than one serving.26 To put that into perspective, according to Starbucks’ website, a venti (20 oz) caffé Americano has 300 mg of caffeine and a venti Pike Place roast has 415 mg of caffeine, more than any energy drink currently on the market." - [Source]

"Although the FDA considers guarana as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) up to a specific amount, it’s unclear exactly how much guarana energy drinks contain and how much would be considered safe when added to a product that already is highly caffeinated.

"Taurine is an amino acid normally present in foods and produced by the human body. While the FDA hasn’t conducted a formal assessment of taurine or approved it as a food additive for use in conventional foods, it’s considered GRAS for flavor use by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturer’s Association.10 The European Commission assessed the use of taurine in energy drinks but, thanks to limited information, couldn’t reach a conclusion regarding its safety.

"Taurine is known to influence various physiological functions, including blood pressure, growth hormone production, and hypothalamus stimulation. Based on the European Commission’s review, the average daily intake of taurine from omnivore diets ranged from 40 to 400 mg/day." - [Source]

Sugar-free energy drinks and shots

As with other products we have tackled, we would given thie enormous demand for them and the  large, growing number of diabetics, we would expect sugar-free versions of these products. And they are in fact present.

The most ubiquitous energy drink, present in supermarkets, drugstores and convenience stores, is Bacchus Energy Drink, which, aside from the usual ingredients of energy drinks, boasts of having Korean ginseng, extract, royal jelly and "multi-vitamin B complex". The sweeteners of Bacchus are sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

A leading energy drink, both in the country and in the world, Thailand-based Red Bull, has a sugar-free version, but the author has not seen it for some time. Stores carry the non-sugar free products, so this might be due to low demand. This should be a signal to diabetics and dieters to support sugar-free products. Manufacturers have done their part by putting out sugar-free versions of their popular products. By patronizing them, companies would not only be encouraged to release sugar-free versions of their products, but price them similar to sugared versions, again benefiting the sector. To underscore this point, another well-known energy drink, which dominated the market before the advent of Red Bull and still other energy drinks, and, at that time, was practically synonymous with energy drinks, does NOT have a sugar-free version, even if it has another specialized version targeted at women. Other new energy drinks in the market, also do not have sugar-free versions. In any case, the sugar-free product of Red Bull is sweetened by sucralose.

On a positive note, an American-produced energy drink, which is available in several sugared flavors, now has a sugar-free version - Monster Energy. One of the leading brands in the US, it claims in its label that "People have been blowin' up our inbox for years, asking for a zero calorie Monster. We got it, but this ain't soda pop, dude!" Needless to say, this again brings us to the inevitable relationship of patronage by dieters and diabetics, and manufacturers producing, or continuing, sugar-free products. Monster has, aside from the usual energy drink ingredients, ginseng root extract and guarana seed extract. Its sugar substitutes are sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

For its part, an equally widely available, energy shot suitable for diabetics and dieters is is Booster C Energy Shot, which comes in 60-milliliter plastic bottles. It comes in two versions, regular and mango berry. Unlike other products, energy shots or otherwise, Booster C, remarkably, does not have a sugared version. On the other hand, it does not claim to be sugar-free. But its label notes that it is "low calorie" and "virtually sugar-free". Given its very small size, and its low-calorie nature, it would therefore be good as sugar-free, and certainly suitable for our sector. Apart  from the usual energy drink or energy shot ingredients, it contains ginseng, royal jelly and B complex vitamins. Its sweeteners are acesulfame potassium and aspartame.

Another prominent energy drink, Extra Joss, is available in bottled versions, but these are not sugar-free, so they will not be taken up here. But the powdered version, the energy drink powder, IS sugar- free. Significantly, and laudably, this is the only version of the powdered energy drink - there is no sugared powder from Extra Joss. In any case, it comes in four-gram sachets, which are packed, for bulk consumers, in boxes, which hold six sachets. Extra Joss has, apart from caffeine and the usual energy drink ingredients, ginseng, royal jelly, and B complex vitamins. It is sweetened by aspartame and acesulfame potassium.

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Websites of Energy drinks and Energy shots

Those who would like to know more about the products we discussed can refer to these websites of the relevant companies, or which deal with them in greater detail:

• Bacchus Energy Drink
• Booster C Energy Shot
• Red Bull Energy Drink