Recently the American Dietetic Association issued a warning about the dangers of mixing energy drinks with exercise. They cautioned that drinking energy drinks during workouts can increase the risk of dehydration or cause other problems, such as heart palpitations. Reaction to this report has been swift—in some cases even prompting schools to ban the drinks at athletic events and at school-sponsored activities.

But what’s the real story on energy drinks? What’s in them, and how much danger do they really pose when used during exercise and sports?

What’s in an Energy Drink, Anyway?
Energy drinks have taken the marketplace by storm. Convenience-store coolers are loaded with popular mass-market brands like Red Bull, Vault, and RockStar. Established nutritional supplement makers have been quick to jump into the market as well, marketing their own drinks, like FUZE’s Mega Energy, CytoSport’s Xcyto Energy Drink, Twinlab’s Energy Fuel, and others.

The “energy” in most energy drinks comes from a familiar source: caffeine. The amount varies from brand to brand, but the average energy drink contains the caffeine equivalent of one or more cups of coffee. Mixed in with the caffeine you’ll often find herbal supplements, along with B vitamins, taurine, and quite often, lots of sugar.

How Dangerous Is That?
There’s no doubt caffeine will give you a boost, and many people swear by herbal supplements for a quick pick-me-up. Sugar does provide a source of easy-to-burn simple carbohydrates for fuel, and a recent study in The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology provides some evidence that taurine, a common ingredient in many energy drinks, may delay muscle fatigue.

The danger, according to the ADA, is that athletes and exercisers will drink too many energy drinks, or use them in lieu of water or properly formulated sports drinks. Too much caffeine can cause heart palpitations in extreme cases; caffeine is also a diuretic, depleting your body of fluids when you need them the most.

The Case for Moderation
Yet you could almost make the same argument about drinking too much cola or coffee during exercise as well. The real “danger” in energy drinks, if there is one, is that athletes will use them as a substitute for water and sports drinks, getting a boost from the caffeine, herbs, and sugar, but not sufficiently hydrating their bodies at the same time.

There’s no evidence to suggest that an energy drink in and of itself is dangerous. Rather, the absence of proper hydration and possible overindulgence in a highly caffeinated drink are the issues that athletes should keep in mind when drinking energy drinks.

So if you enjoy the quick boost that an energy drink gives you during your workout, go ahead and have one. Just be sure you’re paying attention to proper hydration; enjoy your energy drink in moderation, and don’t neglect your nutritional fundamentals. After all, there are probably better things you can do for your body than load it full of sugar and caffeine, no matter how much “energy” you get from it.

—Ken Nail