"I was trying to get energy," says Megan, of Castle Rock, Colo. "In the morning, it gives me that extra boost to get me up and get me going. It wears off, and then I'm ready to go."
Energy drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, have become the beverage of choice for many teens; 30 percent say they regularly drink them, according to a 2007 report from Mintel, a Chicago market research firm, up from 20 percent in 2002. That compares to just 14 percent of adults who say they drink them.
But while teens tout the coolness, energizing factor and taste, the popularity of energy drinks among young people has raised concern among medical professionals, schools and state and local officials, who are pushing to limit teens' access to the drinks.
At issue are the drinks' heavy caffeine and sugar content, the common practice of mixing them with alcohol, and advertising that seems to target minors for drinks with names like Cocaine.
Principals and teachers across the country are urging parents not to send their children to school with them. Legislators from Maine and Kentucky introduced bills this year banning the sale of highly caffeinated energy drinks to minors. (Neither passed.)
In Florida, Broward County schools considered a districtwide ban after four middle school students became sick from drinking energy drinks. A 16-year-old student in Palm Beach County, Fla., died last month after consuming alcohol and energy drinks, according to her family. Investigators were awaiting the results of a toxicology report.
The FDA does not have a formal limit on the amount of caffeine that can be in foods but says about 72 mg of caffeine is "generally recognized as safe" for cola-type beverages. An 8-ounce cup of coffee has anywhere from 75 to 300 mg, according to caffeine researcher Laura Juliano, a professor at American University.
Some energy drinks have as much as 500 mg for a 24-ounce can, and teens who drink them say they find themselves in a buzz-crash pattern.
"I can't get off them," says Greg Schubert, 16, of Nixa, Mo., who drinks two Monsters a day. "Whenever I don't have them, I feel tired and worn out. I try to cut down, but when I do I want more."
Energy drinks can impair children's sleep, make them jittery and add unwanted calories, says registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake. She adds that the drinks are displacing low-fat and skim milk, needed for calcium and Vitamin D.
But experts say banning the sale to minors would be tricky. Some of the drinks contain less caffeine than some brands of coffee. Red Bull and Monster -- two of the most popular energy drinks on the market -- each have about 80 mg per 8 ounces. A 32-ounce Big Gulp of Mountain Dew contains about 146 mg -- comparable to a 16-ounce can of Monster.
"If they do put a control on energy drinks, they should also put labels on Mountain Dew," says Darin Ezra, CEO of Power Brands, which developed and launched Go Girl Energy Drink, among others.
Still, teens report drinking several cans in a row for a continuous buzz. Some mix energy drinks with alcohol -- Red Bull and vodka, for example -- or consume alcoholic energy drinks, such as Anheuser-Busch's Tilt and Miller Brewing Co.'s Spark.
College students who drink alcohol mixed with energy drinks are at a higher risk for injury and other alcohol-related consequences, compared to students who drink alcohol alone, according to research from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
"They can drink longer without feeling drunk and drink more without feeling drunk," says Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien, associate professor of emergency medicine and lead researcher on the study. "But the take-home message is they are still drunk. They don't think they are."
Last year, state attorneys general from 28 states, Guam and the District of Columbia sent a letter to federal authorities warning that brewers were aggressively marketing alcoholic energy drinks to teens.
In response to such complaints, Anheuser-Busch stopped selling Spykes, an alcoholic energy drink that came in chocolate and fruit flavors. Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing are cooperating with state attorneys general investigating the companies' marketing, but insist they do not target underage drinkers.
Meanwhile, the FDA came after Redux Beverages for its energy drink Cocaine and the manufacturers of a powdered energy mix called Blow, saying they were marketed as alternatives to illegal drugs. Blow is a common street name for cocaine.
Cocaine was pulled from the shelves voluntarily, had no name for several months (the can said "Insert Name Here") and then relaunched earlier this year as Cocaine again, according to Redux Beverages founder James Kirby. The can now has an FDA disclaimer and a warning: "This message is for the people who are too stupid to recognize the obvious. This product does not contain the drug cocaine (Duh)."
Lauren Rogat, a spokeswoman for Blow, says the energy drink mix is "not an alternative to anything but canned energy drinks." She said Blow and its attorneys believe that the drink is being lawfully marketed.
Illicit-sounding names aside, Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology at Johns Hopkins, is bothered by even seemingly innocuous ads that show energy drinks as performance enhancers. He says kids get the message that to be a better skateboarder, they should drink an energy drink.
"We don't want to tell our kids that," he says.
Despite the concerns, the energy drink industry is booming. There are 250 currently on the market, according to John Craven, founder of BevNET.com. In order to one up on the competition, they are raising the caffeine content, changing the formula, and coming up with catchy names, such as !.
Some teens, though, have had enough.
Autumn Maison, 19, a Michigan State University student, says she gave up her daily diet of one to two energy drinks when they started to make her sick to her stomach.
"I'm less drained," she says. "I have less headaches. I'm less tired. I don't have the mentality where I need to get my fix. I don't feel right saying 'don't drink them.' But I feel like it's a better idea.
Putting the latest energy drinks to the test
Can Eleuthero make you smarter? Is a "powershot" a good idea?
"With most of the drinks, they're basically sugar and water with some herbs and caffeine thrown in," says Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian.
To find out what's good for you -- and what actually tastes good -- we got expert opinions from Sandon and registered dietitian Keri Gans and assembled a panel of 10 taste-testers looking for an afternoon pick-me-up: an enthusiastic college student and harried journalists on deadline.
Brain Toniq
A "think drink" (isn't the IQ at the end cute?) that has no caffeine or processed sugar. The beverage maker claims mental focus comes from the Russian roots Rhodiola and Eleuthero and two "brain nutrients" -- choline and DMAE. It's then sweetened with agave nectar and citrus extracts. The 8.4-ounce can has 80 calories and 20 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: This drink does include a lot of natural ingredients: Sandon says agave nectar is basically "honey from a cactus." Choline is found in eggs and has been shown to benefit people with dementia, but there has been little research on whether it can help people whose memories are intact, she says. Rhodiola root and Eleuthro may help speed up the conversion of food to energy, but the studies are mixed.
THE TESTERS SAY: One taste-tester said the somewhat grapefruit-juice like Brain Toniq had an "absolutely dreadful taste, but another one found it "thirst-quenching."
Playboy Energy Drink
The "ultra-sexy" and "incredibly invigorating" Playboy Energy Drink contains horny goat weed extract (yes it's really an herb), ginseng, guarana and damiana leaf, and lots of sugar. An 8.4-ounce can has 120 calories and 30 grams of sugar. It also comes in sugar-free.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: This drink has too much sugar, Gans says. "All the other ingredients they say have health benefits are in small doses," she says. Horny goat weed is an herb for virility, Sandon says. Does it help? "My guess is no," she says. Gans says that studies suggest that high doses of icariin, which is found in horny goat weed, may be toxic to the kidney and liver. "So one should be careful how much they drink."
THE TESTERS SAY: A few testers compared the drink to candy: cotton candy, liquid Pez, Pixy Stix. Some found it sweet but refreshing.
Nos PowerShot
FUZE Beverage says the PowerShot packs "hours of horsepower" in a 2-ounce bottle, with the same amount of caffeine, B-vitamins and amino acids that are found in an 8-ounce serving of a regular NOS Energy Drink. It contains "elevated levels" of Vitamins B6 and B12. Each shot has 30 calories, no fat and 6 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: With high fructose corn syrup the second ingredient, this drink will probably deliver an energy burst but it will be short-lived, Gans says. Better to eat a healthy food for a longer-lasting effect.
THE TESTERS SAY: One tester said this one had to be downed like a shot -- sipping wasn't a good option for the cough syrup-like liquid.
Monster M-80
A "killer combo" of juices, such as pineapple, passion fruit and apple, and "a full load of potent Monster energy blend," according to the label. The 80 stands for the percentage of juice in M-80, which contains caffeine, guarana, taurine, B-vitamins, ginseng and amino acids. An 8-ounce serving has 90 calories and 23 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: B-vitamins are crucial in converting food to energy, Sandon says. But people with a well-balanced diet don't need the extras in an energy drink, she says. "You can get as much B-vitamins that will be better absorbed from a lean piece of steak or a glass of skim milk."
THE TESTERS SAY: Most of the testers said the drink was too sweet. One said the pineapple drink's punch kicked in right away. One simply "liked it!"
Cranergy Energy Juice Drink
A "better for you energy drink," says Ocean Spray, whose new energy drink is sweetened with Splenda and contains green tea extract, juices from concentrate, B-vitamins and vitamin C. Cranergy comes in two flavors -- Cranberry Lift and Raspberry Cranberry Lift. A 12-ounce serving has 50 calories, no fat and 12-13 grams of sugar, depending on the flavor.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: It's low in calories, and 13 grams of sugar isn't bad, Gans says. But she's concerned that the caffeine is coming from green tea, and will give people false energy. "I never recommend getting energy from a drink," she says. "I recommend getting energy from sleep, exercise and a healthy diet."
THE TESTERS SAY: One tester thought this drink tasted pretty close to regular cranberry cocktail, while another thought it was too watered down.
CRUNK!!!
Rapper and producer Lil Jon is the chief brand adviser and Paul Wall is CRUNK!!!'s newest featured artist. CRUNK!!! (the word means energy and is used to describe something fun) contains high-fructose corn syrup, amino acids, green tea, damiana leaf, guarana, horny goat weed extract and pomegranate juice. The 8.3-ounce can has 120 calories, no fat and 29 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: The drink has 100 mg of caffeine listed in the proprietary blend, which is problematic, Gans says. Sandon says that's typical. "I think somehow people perceive these as health drinks," she says. "But really there's not much in there that is health benefiting."
THE TESTERS SAY: One raved about the drink, "awesome taste!" A couple said it was too sweet, with one saying that it was still lighter than other energy drinks and somewhat refreshing. One said it was cranberry-ish -- not bad.
Amazon Energy
An organic energy drink that contains Acai, a berry Sambazon "sustainably" harvests from palm trees in the Amazon River Basin. The drink also contains guarana and Yerba Mate, a plant with "antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and amino acids." An 8-ounce serving has 80 calories, no fat, and 19 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: "They do claim it's all natural, which I like," Gans says. "But it does have evaporated cane juice as its second ingredient. That's sugar." She emphasizes that just because something is organic doesn't mean it's a better choice. "I would rather someone be concerned with drinking a healthy beverage."
THE TESTERS SAY: This beverage struck many as close to grape soda, but a little watery.
Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee
The new ready-to-drink Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee combine Starbucks coffee, B-vitamins, guarana, proteins from milk and ginseng into a 15-ounce can. The drinks come in coffee, vanilla and mocha flavors. An 8-ounce serving has 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: "I'm concerned with the calories," Gans says. "If anyone's drinking this and having the whole container, which most people do, you're having more than 200 calories, which is a lot of calories for a beverage, plus 28 grams of sugar. We shouldn't be drinking our calories unless it's a nutrient-dense beverage like low-fat milk."
THE TESTERS SAY: One tester said it was as sweet as expected and hard to believe that it was good for him. Another compared the taste to Ovaltine.
Bawls Guarana G33KB33R
The beverage maker calls this the first high-caffeine root beer, inspired by fans "who want to let out their inner geek." The name is written in "Leetspeak," a language where techies substitute numbers for letters. G33K B33R has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and contains high-fructose corn syrup and guarana extract. A 10-ounce bottle has 130 calories, no fat and 36 grams of sugar.
THE DIETITIANS SAY: Gans says the calories and sugar, in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, are too high. Guarana also poses some problems, Sandon says. "It's an herbal caffeine," she says. "It's not any different than if you squeezed the caffeine out of a coffee bean."
THE TESTERS SAY: Several testers said this tasted like good old-fashioned root beer, with one saying it was refreshing. One said it was a little off, adding that perhaps he couldn't get over drinking something called Bawls.
