Often, I hear friends (and especially athletes who train numerous hours a week) complain about how there aren't enough hours in the day. Lack of sleep and too many commitments – not to mention squeezing in our training – takes its toll.  To compensate, we turn to two favorite standbys to help us keep our energy up: sugar and caffeine. The most popular products that contain both of these include coffee, soda, and – of course – energy drinks. The one that has caused the most buzz lately, though, has been energy drinks. So, what’s all the “buzz” about?

Just type the words "energy drinks + emergency room" on You Tube and it can be seen how one teen suffered from severe dehydration as a result of over-consuming energy drinks. He had to be rushed to the hospital.  While over-consumption of energy drinks may not be a concern for your everyday runner, it is important to be aware that the two ingredients that may help account for the pick-me-up they provide are also the same ingredients that can have a negative impact on your workout if taken in excess.
 
One component that all energy concoctions contain is the well-known and heavily-consumed stimulant caffeine. Since many energy drinks claim to provide us with extra energy, how much caffeine does one of these drinks actually have? According to Red Bull's website, "One can of Red Bull® Energy Drink contains approximately the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee [which is about 80 milligrams]." But the total caffeine content that's in Red Bull and the like might be more than that. According to Dr. Ann Slattery, a clinical toxicologist with Children's Hospital in Birmingham , Alabama , in an article called "The Dangers of ‘Energy’ Drinks” from Fox News on July 15, 2008 , "the Food and Drug Administrations does not regulate the amount of caffeine in 'herbal supplements,' the category under which energy drinks fall." Slattery also notes that "the manufacturers of these products don't always list caffeine by name on the nutrition label. [They'll] use 'herbal' names, like guarana or taurine." We might then be unaware of how much caffeine we're actually getting from energy drinks.
 
In taking energy drink consumption into account, it's smart to be aware of how much caffeine you're consuming overall on a daily basis. According to the article "Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?" from MayoClinic.com, "Heavy daily caffeine use — more than 500 to 600 mg a day, or about four to seven cups of coffee — can cause restlessness, anxiety, irritability, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and abnormal heart rhythms [which is known as arrhythmia]." Slattery also notes that caffeine overuse can actually become dangerous when it's "consumed before or during physical activity, especially in the heat. If you're out there in (sports) practice, you have a stimulant (such as caffeine) on board, you have an increase in your heart rate, an increase in physical activity, which increases your heart rate (even more), then you become dehydrated, which lowers blood pressure, which increases your heart rate." This is probably why Mike Pierson advises not to drink caffeine 24 hours before getting a lactic acid step test as it manipulates your heart rate and lactic acid production. Additionally, Brown University 's Health Education website states that "energy drinks should not be used while exercising as the combination of fluid loss from sweating and the diuretic quality of the caffeine can leave the user severely dehydrated."

Of course, caffeine is not so bad in small doses. Many of us who consume caffeine on a regular basis do so in moderation, and we experience its positive effects. Judi Ketteler, in her article "Java Jolt" from Runner's World's website, says that "nearly 60 percent of Americans drink coffee every day. And why not? A cup of joe has long been credited with stimulating the nervous system, helping us feel more alert, better able to concentrate - not to mention more energized for a five-miler. On top of that, coffee's high antioxidant content has been attributed to reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease, and caffeine has been linked to aiding fat metabolism and easing post-workout pain." It's just best not to load up on it. A little bit goes a long way, even during training. "Caffeine's effect is both psychological and physiological," says Lawrence Armstrong, Ph.D., a leading researcher on caffeine at the University of Connecticut . "Even a little bit can make a difference. Especially after the 18-mile mark of a marathon." It's important to know what substances – and how much of each – are in what you're using for hydration during training.
 
Another ingredient in energy drinks that gives us that extra boost is sugar. It may be way too much sugar, however. Wikipedia states that "the concentration of sugar in a sports drink (such as Gatorade) is recommended to be 6-7% carbohydrate to allow maximum absorption and minimize spikes and crashes in blood sugar." It notes that the higher concentrations of sugar in Red Bull and energy drinks like it "will slow fluid absorption into the blood and energy system, increasing the possibility of dehydration. When a high level of sugar is in the blood stream, the body cannot get the water into the cells that it needs because the water is busy trying to dilute concentration of sugar in the blood stream."

So, what’s a runner to do?  Actually, the best ways to get the most energy are "old school" - tried and true. Teresa Moore, a competitive bodybuilder who won the overall title at the 2001 National Physique Committee's South Carolina bodybuilding competition and clinical associate professor with the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health, states in an Active.com article titled "Looking For Energy in All the Wrong Places," that "an improved diet and exercise will generate more energy over the long term. [These] healthy habits will do more for energy levels than any quick fix can."

So don't forget! A fantastic food to include in your diet to provide you with the energy you are looking for is peanut butter! In fact, peanut butter on oatmeal is just what I need to supply the energy necessary to sustain me on my long runs (along with water and Power Gels for calories and electrolytes during running). Who needs a ton of caffeine or excess sugar when you've got peanut butter.

This article is meant to give education on the nutritional content of certain foods. It was not written by a licensed nutrition professional. Please consult your doctor if there are changes you'd like to make to your diet.