By Lieutenant Commander Thomas E. Sather, MSC, USN, CAMP Deputy Director of Training, Naval Aerospace Medical Institute

F nergy drinks are one of the fastestBi growing sectors of the beverage

industry. There are almost 700 prod-lg ucts on the market whose purpose is

to enhance an individual's energy levelthrough a mixture of caffeine, taurine, sugar,large doses of vitamins and assorted herbsand extracts. However, unlike soda or fruit

juices, these products are not regulated bythe Food and Drug Administration IFDA).Instead, this product line is classified as anutritional supplement.'

The long-term effects of energy drinks onpeople are not known. What is known is thatthese products should not be used by anyathlete who is participating in activities thatincrease heart rate and blood pressure.

The use of energy drinks may lead tooverstimulation of the heart and reveal previ-

ously undiagnosed cardiovascular issues orcause an athlete's untimely demise. As such,

the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps prohibitspilots and aircrew from consuming thesebeverages and even grounds members whohave consumed these products for 24 hoursafter ingestion for safety reasons. In theaviation environment, where people have tomake life and death decisions, the Depart-ment of the Navy and the Bureau ofMedicine and Surgery does not want to riskits human or mechanical assets.

Research on energy drinks in aviation hasbeen limited, but an Oklahoma State Univer-

sity study looked at the effects of energydrinks on pilot skills and found an alarmingresult. In the study, student pilots drank oneof the more popular energy drinks and thenwere asked to fly a commercial grade flightsimulator and perform emergency proce-dures. The researchers found those who

consumed energy drinks had a harder timemaintaining straight and level flight. Addition

"Despite claims thaienergy drinKS 'glue

you wings,' they mast inlaos interfere with IheDi'ooess ol oooFdina-

ion and slayingin eonlFol ol an

alFoi'alt duping highstress situations."

38 AIRBEAT MAGAZINE I MayJune 1 2014

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deprived. This means an individual will feelhungry faster and crave high-fat, high-carbo-hydrate (high energy) foods even thoughthey have taken in enough calories. Thecombination of the effects of fluctuatingsugar levels and decreased leptin levels trig-

ger an insidious cycle where energy drinksoften are used as a temporary crutch tomake it through low periods.

Chronic users of energy drinks seem tobe taking them for less psychoactivereasons than recreational users or youthThese users do so out of habit, addiction orto compensate for fatigue. Nearly half of all

Americans have difficulty sleepingl theyblame it on their children. stress or the lure

of the internet. A recent study by the U.S.Center for Disease Control and Prevention

found that 40.6 million people (30 percentof Americans) are sleeping less than sixhours a night. As a result, many need a littlepick-me-up to get through the day.

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out drinks) have been associated with hepati-tis, liver failure, heart attacks and strokes.FDA has pulled products that contain popularenergy enhancers such as dimethylamy-lamine and phenylethylamine from shelves ofstores like GNC for being dangerous.

for the athlete, putting a stimulant into thebody that is specifically designed to increasecardiac output during a time when you'reincreasing cardiac output simply by participat-ing may be dangerous. The interaction mayrequire hospitalization, as the athlete canexhibit cardiac anomalies (arrhythmias) thatwill mimic the symptoms of tachycardia. Addi-tionally, we know that large amounts of sugarlike those found in energy drinks have beenknown to impair absorption of fluids, causingdiarrhea and other gastrointestinal distress.

like most of the vitamins. are excreted fromthe body in the urine. This is not true of all

ingredients. "Natural" products can be astoxic as synthetic ones. In fact, many of thecommon medicines we take for grantedtoday are derived from natural sources. It islessential to understand that any product thathas benefits may also have side effects iftaken in inappropriate quantities.

Caffeine presents the biggest danger inenergy drinks. Caffeine poisoning and reportsof caffeine intoxication are not uncommon in

the U.S. It has been reported that caffeine-poisoning cases have increased significantlyover the last few years, from 1,128 in 2005to 13,1 14 in 2009. A Department of Healthand Human Services report stated 20,783patients visited the emergency room becauseof energy drink consumption in 201 1, anincrease of 37 percent from the year before.All this corresponds with the increasing popularity of energy drinks.

Caffeine toxicity can mimic amphetaminepoisoning and lead to seizures, psychosis,cardiac arrhythmias and potentially death. Asthe energy drink industry is highly unregulated,t is up to the consumer to use good judgment.

on Ihe HorizonWhile the specific chronic effect of

energy drinks is unknown, they have beenshown to have restorative properties in theshort term from the combination of caffeineand sugar. Normally, the consumption of asingle energy drink will not lead to caffeineoverdose. However, some larger drinks maycontain two or more servings per can, andthe consumption of two or more energydrinks in a single day has resulted incaffeine overdoses, a high likelihood ofexperiencing an energy "crash-and-burneffect and even dehydration. For pilots, if thebody is dehydrated by as little as I percent,the corresponding perf ormance degradationis 10 percent.

If you are looking for a single method toboost your energy level. improve memory,increase concentration, strengthen theimmune system and decrease your risk of afatal accident, sleep is the answer.Researchers have discovered an extra 60-90minutes of sleep each night can have all

these effects. Many people argue they oper-ate fine on little sleeps however, studies haveshown only a tiny fraction of people are func-tional on less than eight hours of sleep, andonly one person in 1,000 can function effectlvely on six or fewer hours of sleep. Tomake matters worse, most people who aresleep deprived do not realize it and usesupplements like energy drinks to make itthrough the day.

The bottom line is not enough is knownabout the effects of chronic energy drinkuse. Consumers should therefore beinformed of the potential harm these products can cause. 's@=

missing the MarkSome energy drinks make the claim that

they increase performance, concentration,reaction speed, vigilance, emotional statusand metabolism. Drug and nutrition compa-nies are constantly in an arms race againsteach other to create, design or modify thenext generation of products, with the prizebeing billions of dollars in sales. As such,these companies are consistently experi-menting with compounds from varioussources, such as failed drug trials, naturaherbs and other assorted ingredients, inorder to discover the next popular supple-

ment. They will often use exotic ingredientsand justify their inclusion in a product byciting findings from small research studiesusing questionable test subjects. However,many of these claims are unfounded andlack scientific proof. In today's society,people assume natural products are safeand do not have side effects. However. thisis far from the truth.

Many of the ingredients in energy drinksappear to be added for marketing purposes.Most are included at levels far below an opti-mal or even therapeutic dose required toelicit an effect. The body treats some of theingredients, such as sugar, like food. Others,

sleep is the AnswerAside from the performance enhancing

capabilities energy drinks promise, a moreserious issue underlies the increased use ofenergy supplements. More and more peopleare functioning at a sleep deficit state. Sleepexperts agree adults need seven to ninehours a day, but roughly one-third of all

Americans gets less than that.Sleep deprivation has been known to be

associated with a host of adverse physicaconditions, such as cardiovascular disease,diabetes and even mood disorders. From ametabolic perspective, sleep deprivation hasnegative effects on body composition. Whenyou sleep less, genetic factors associatedwith obesity are activated. To illustrate, ahormone called leptin, a starvation hormonethat tells your body that you're full whenyou've eaten, drops when you're sleep-

40 AIRBEAT MAGAZINE I MayJune 1 2014

ally, students under the influence of thesedrinks were 10 seconds slower to return their

aircraft to proper position (heading, attitude,altitude and airspeed) after executing a seriesof complex turns. Pilots who consumed thedrinks were also five seconds slower to

complete an emergency checklist than thosewho did not consume an energy drink.

The impact of these findings is startling.Despite claims that energy drinks "give youwings," they may in fact interfere with theprocess of coordination and staying in controlof an aircraft during high stress situations.

{niciTAL:xuot0: AUDIO-RAQIQ MGMT

EXDloping the lnapHetEnergy drinks, including small "shot '

products like 5 Hour Energy, are readilyavailable in grocery stores, conveniencestores and a variety of other places. Theyare advertised to enhance energy, increasefocus and improve athletic performance withcatchy slogans such as: "Bigger. Better.faster. Stronger... scientifically formulated toprovide an incredible energy boost for thosewho lead active and exhaustinglifestyles-from athletes to rock stars.

With more than 600 distinct energybeverage brands on the U.S market, youwould expect to find a wide variety of ingre-dients in them. However. most are slightlydifferent concoctions of the same stockingredients. The problem exists in the combi-nations of the ingredients, concentration andspeed of ingestion.

Emergency room physicians havedescribed cases of seizures, delusions.heart problems, and kidney or liver damagein people who had downed one or moreenergy drinks. There have also been docu-mented cases of caffeine-associated deathsand seizures due to the consumption ofenergy drinks. According to the PoisonControl Center, in a five month period fromOctober 2010 to February 201 1, there weremore than 1,000 energy drink overdoses.

As advertised, energy drinks will give youa boost of energy. They are formulated todeliver high concentrations of caffeine andother stimulants to give the drinker a rush.The drinks contain huge quantities of sugar,caffeine, the amino acid taurine and B vitamins. Some of these ingredients, at leastthose monitored and regulated by FDA, canbe in quantitates at 8,000 percent more thanthe recommended daily allowance. The drinksmay also contain a huge variety of natural,exotic or scientific sounding ingredients suchas guarana, green tea extract, yerba mate,yohimbine, biker orange, ginseng, vinpocetineand methylphenylethylamine.

In athletics, the use of energy productsmay be dangerous. Some ingredients usedin weight-loss, bodybuilding and perf or-mance-enhancement products li.e. pre-work-

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