The Sugar-Free Energy Drink Oxymoron

Energy drinks are a Sports Dietitian's worst nightmare. Let's face it, the marketing for these products is pretty good. I can't count how many times I saw Red Bull stickers during the X Games and don't even get me started on the 5 Hour Energy commercials with the mountain biker! Energy drinks aren't to be confused with sports drinks. Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Monster, and Sobe Adrenaline Rush are nothing more than massive amounts of sugar, caffeine, artificial stimulants, and B vitamins that provide a rush of artificial energy. Sports drinks, such as Accelerade or Gatorade, are made specifically to be fluid, carbohydrate, and electrolyte replacements during exercise and do not typically contain large amounts of caffeine or vitamins.

So why are sugar-free energy drinks an oxymoron? Because technically speaking the only thing that provides the human body with energy is the calorie. Calories are the energy unit your body uses for every biological process. Sugar-free energy drinks are usually calorie free so they don't actually provide your body with any real energy. What they do provide is a ton of caffeine and other artificial stimulants (taurine, citicoline, guarana) that quickly make you feel amped up and then cause your energy levels to crash when the stimulants wear off. 5 Hour Energy provides about 4 calories per bottle so it's no better in terms of providing actual energy. I dare anyone to go on a 5 hour mountain bike ride with nothing more than a 5 Hour Energy and not bonk. I guarantee the mountain biker in the commercial eats or drinks something else on his rides to sustain his energy levels. Regular (non sugar-free) energy drinks are loaded with sugar ( a 16 oz Monster has 54 grams of sugar!) which does provide energy in the form of calories but that rush of energy you get from drinking it isn't so much from the sugar as from the caffeine and other stimulants.

Besides the sugar and artificial stimulants energy drinks contain large amounts of B vitamins. I'm guessing this is because the B vitamins are involved in energy metabolism-that is the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. However, B vitamins by themselves do not provide energy and unless you are deficient in one or more of them, taking them in excess won't help your energy levels or metabolism. In fact, too much can be harmful. It is generally thought that excess water soluble vitamins (such as the B vitamins) are excreted in the urine but the body can reach toxic levels. Take B6 for example. The DRI for B6 is 2 mg/day. One little bottle of 5 Hour Energy contains 40 mg! Common math tells you that is a lot more than your body needs but the scary thing is that toxcity symptoms such as loss of balance, loss of sensation in the limbs, and nerve damage have been found at levels as low as 100 mg B6 a day. That's only 2 1/2 bottles. That may sound like a lot but I've known people who have 2 or more energy drinks a day.

Bottom Line: Avoid energy drinks, whether they are sugar-free or not.

• They don't provide your body with the real energy (from food) it needs.
• The regular versions have more added sugar in one can than you should have in an entire day.
• Both regular and sugar-free versions are loaded with caffeine and other artificial stimulants that are not well studied and may or may not be harmful to you.
• The massive amounts of B vitamins in energy drinks will not give you energy and may cause toxcity symptoms.

If you are tired, what your body really needs is a nap and a healthy snack, not an energy drink.