Health Impact and Consumption Patterns of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks have emerged as a global phenomenon over the past two decades, characterised by rapidly increasing consumption among adolescents, young adults and certain occupational groups seeking enhanced alertness and performance. These beverages typically combine high doses of caffeine, simple sugars and bioactive additives such as taurine and glucuronolactone. Consumption patterns vary by region and demographic profile, with young males and university students reporting the highest intake. Motivations include counteracting fatigue, improving cognitive focus, and social or recreational use—often in combination with alcohol. From a health perspective, acute ingestion has been linked to transient elevations in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as disturbances in sleep architecture and mood regulation. Chronic or high-volume use raises concerns about metabolic dysregulation, dental erosion, renal stress and potential dependency. Furthermore, associations with risk-seeking behaviours, mental health challenges and interactions with other stimulants underscore the need for systematic evaluation. Public health discourse increasingly focuses on regulatory frameworks, dosage limits and age restrictions to mitigate adverse outcomes while acknowledging the limited evidence for ergogenic benefit beyond moderate caffeine ingestion.

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Health Impact and Consumption Patterns of Energy Drinks publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in health impact and consumption patterns of energy drinks across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Caffeine: A central nervous system stimulant that increases arousal and can elevate heart rate and blood pressure.

Taurine: A sulphur‐containing amino acid often included for purported benefits on endurance and neurological function.

Glucuronolactone: A naturally occurring metabolite involved in detoxification pathways, commonly added to energy drinks without clear evidence of benefit.

Haemodynamic profile: A collective term for cardiovascular variables such as blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output that reflect the circulatory system’s function.

Cross-sectional design: An observational study format that analyses data from a population at a single point in time to identify associations but not causal relationships.

References

1. Health Effects and Public Health Concerns of Energy Drink Consumption in the United States: A Mini-Review. Frontiers in Public Health (2017).
2. Association between energy drink intake, sleep, stress, and suicidality in Korean adolescents: energy drink use in isolation or in combination with junk food consumption. Nutrition Journal (2016).
3. Cardio- and cerebrovascular responses to the energy drink Red Bull in young adults: a randomized cross-over study. European Journal of Nutrition (2014).