Energy drink



Energy drinks are beverages which contain legal stimulants, vitamins, and minerals, including caffeine, guarana, taurine, various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, carnitine, creatine, and ginkgo biloba. Some may contain high levels of sugar, or glucose. These drinks are typically marketed towards young people, students, people 'on the go' and those who play sports. Many such beverages are flavored and/or colored to resemble soft drinks.

Energy drinks are different from sports drinks. Most energy drinks simply provide lots of sugar and caffeine, with no healthful purpose. Sports drinks, on the other hand, are intended to replenish electrolytes, sugar, water, and other nutrients, and are usually isotonic (containing the same proportions as found in the human body).

Addiction potential

The only addictive ingredient in most of these drinks is caffeine, which causes physical addiction in large doses or with prolonged use (quantities in energy drinks are comparable to amounts in coffee). Since withdrawal from caffeine is usually mild (mainly headaches), addiction to energy drinks is mostly psychological.