If you have ever turned on the tv and went to watch a sports channel you will have most likely seen athletes drink an energy drink.
But have you ever wondered how it affects their performance positively or negatively?
Pros: Energy drinks have a high amount of caffeine which can increase your alertness, focus and reaction times which is important for sports performance.
Energy drinks also can improve aerobic and muscular endurance and are often used by athletes for this purpose.
The reason energy drinks are so prevalent is because the give quick energy when athletes are fatigued and it makes them perform better when taken at the right time
Cons: Energy drinks also have their downsides like they can cause cardiovascular issues like increased heart rate, blood pressure, palpitations, and in severe cases cardiac arrest.
Another reason that energy drinks are looked down upon is they have so much sugar ranging from 25-60g of sugar which is really bad considering th the recommended amount of sugar in a day is 50g. So one energy drink has at least 50% of sugar you need in a day.
Drinking energy drinks also can lead to sleep deprivation if taken later in the day because of the caffeine they give and can give several side effects like cognitive decline like poor memory, reduced attention, irritability, and slower reaction times. Which is the opposite effect of why many people drink them.
When you drink energy drinks a lot you can also experience withdrawal and symptoms include headaches and fatigue along with craving of having more.
We know athletes drink energy drinks but what percentage of those athletes are young either high school or middle school athletes which can be concerning because health organizations advise against it because of increased risks of anxiety, insomnia and behavioral issues.
There are many pros and cons of energy drinks they can be very bad depending on many factors like sugar content and other factors like when you drink them. If you drink them at the right time it can increase performance but if taken at the wrong time it can have bad side affects.
