Just HOW Dangerous is Dangerous When it Comes to Energy Drinks?

Let’s be realistic; with classes, homework, studying, hobbies, work, and that thing you like to call a social life, we college girls don’t have all that much time for sleep. As much as we’d like to say that 8 hours a sleep of night is ideal, most don’t get that. And after five hours of sleep, that coffee machine is your best friend.

By Olua

But when our needs go beyond the capabilities of coffee, the next step up is energy drinks. We stock up on “emergency cans” for those long study (read: party) nights, but we all know the hazards of those high-caffeinated drinks, don’t we? I mean, reading on the side of the can that kids, older people, and pregnant women shouldn’t drink it should be warning enough.

But no, not so much. High schools have started banning certain energy drinks (which is fine, as a lot of the ones coming into high schools should only be chugged by people 18+) and I’ve seen them behind the register counter instead of in the aisle.

I’ve always been curious about different energy drinks. When I ran across this article, I thought about testing them. So I purchased an assortment of energy drinks, from the tame to the bannable, and decided to make myself a guinea pig out of nothing but pure curiosity. I’m not actually a cat, so I figure I have a chance, right?

Now, there are so many different drinks out there that I decided to split this up into a two-parter. First I’ll be talking about the more common and less harmful (for the most part) energy drinks. Next time, I’ll brief you on those trucker drinks that give you the shakes like you wouldn’t believe. So, without further ado, let’s see what Oluademi is doing to her body this time.

10. Caribou Coffee’s Ice Coffee (Espresso) : This is usually my first resort. It’s not so much an energy drink as it is just coffee hyped up on espresso. It’s not too high in calories, and it does have a bit of a kick to it. Of course, on a bad night, I end up drinking about four or five. That kind of destroys any health benefits, for one. For another, it’s not very economic.

9. Red Bull: I know I’m gonna get some flack for putting this so high on the countdown, but remember that this is my body and it doesn’t run the way most other people’s do. Red Bull used to be pretty potent for me; now, it’s only just a step or so above coffee. The taste is horrendous and is what would happen if you mixed ginger ale, orange juice, and old gym socks, then let them sit in the sun for a few days. But it works if you need that little shove to get you going.

8. Monster (Chaos) : The citrus taste was surprisingly nice. It did keep me up longer than I thought it would (quick note: to test these guys, I drank them on a fairly full stomach at night around the time I usually start getting tired, then wait to see how long it takes me to pass out. Yes, it’s probably detrimental to my sleep schedule, but it’s all in the name of science), but it didn’t really keep me awake. Still, points for longevity.

7. Rockstar (Punched): In all of my little experiments, this was the best tasting thing I had. It just tastes like normal fruit punch, but I knew that it was working when I surpassed the three-hour mark that none of the others had. I was nervous, since I have a bit of a negative history with Rockstar (read: drinking Rockstar quickly + already being excited = one damn fast heartbeat), but I went up and came down without a problem. Probably the best thing I drank overall.

6. YJ Stinger (Enraged Rasberry) : When this stuff first came out, I was never that impressed with it. This was the first time I tried it, and it definitely worked. It was the first thing to give me the shakes, and I remember seeing the sky getting lighter shortly before I crashed like a plane out of fuel. It’s not the best flavor wise, honestly, and I really only bought it because the name of the flavor was just so silly. But I knew once I had downed this guy that I was steppin’ to the bad side.

All in all, these guys were fairly tame. I’ve already had number five! I’m not going to tell you what it is, but I will tell you that it’s 5:20 AM and I’m really not tired. You’re just gonna have to look out at the end of the week for part two. For now, I leave you in nail-biting suspense.

[Picture credit goes to: gettyimages.com]