What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Energy Drinks Every Day?

Energy drinks have surged in popularity over the last decade, thanks to marketing that highlights benefits like improved focus, enhanced performance, and reduced fatigue. However, most of these beverages contain high levels of caffeine, large amounts of sugar or artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients like taurine, guarana, B vitamins, and herbal extracts.

While occasionally enjoying an energy drink may help you fight off drowsiness, it’s important to understand some common energy drink side effects and the potential issues caused by long-term energy drink consumption.

If you’re a drink energy drinks every day, or if you simply enjoy one now and then, find out more about what experts say about daily energy drink health effects.

Caffeine: The Central Stimulant

Energy drinks are defined by the amount of caffeine that they contain, and the link between caffeine and heart health is well-documented. Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the body’s central nervous system. A typical adult can safely consume around 400 mg of caffeine each day. However, many energy drinks contain anywhere from 150 to 300 mg per serving. This means that two energy drinks can surpass the daily allotment.

In the short term, you may notice increased heart rate and a spike in concentration and focus. However, the long-term effects may be far worse. They can include chronic high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and a physical dependency on caffeine just to “feel normal.”

Sugar: Hidden Calories and Metabolic Concerns

While there are some sugar-free energy drinks on the market, some of the most popular brands and flavors contain large amounts of sugar. In some instances, this sugar content can exceed the daily recommended amount. For context, dietary guidelines recommend that added sugars make up no more than 10% of your daily calories.

Sugar can cause rapid spikes in blood glucose levels, followed by a crash that can leave you feeling far worse than you did when you needed a quick jolt of energy. Over time, high sugar intake increases the risk of weight gain, insulin resistance, type-2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.

It’s important to note that even sugar-free alternatives may not be completely safe. Many of these options brand themselves as sugar-free because they use artificial sweeteners that come with their own side effects, especially when consumed daily.

Other Ingredients: Taurine, Guarana, and Additives

Caffeine and sugar aren’t the only ingredients in energy drinks that you need to be aware of. Taurine is an amino acid that helps with cellular function, but when combined with high levels of caffeine, those benefits may not be fully realized. Guarana is a plant-based extract that is often marketed as natural, but it can add to the caffeine levels in the drink.

Many drinks also market the use of ginseng and other natural ingredients as marketing ploys. However, research on the long-term safety of these ingredients is still ongoing. It’s hard to determine how these ingredients may interact with one another. Even seemingly healthy ingredients, such as Vitamin B, can cause problems when over-consumed. Excessive Vitamin B consumption has been linked to decreased liver function. With so many questions surrounding additional ingredients, the potential energy drink side effects remain to be seen.

Sleep, Mood, and Mental Health

Since caffeine impacts the central nervous system, it has a direct impact on your sleep cycle. Poor sleep quality has been shown to increase irritability and feelings of anxiety, lead to daytime fatigue, and contribute to mood swings.

For youth and adolescents, who often consume energy drinks in social settings or with alcohol, these side effects may be even more pronounced. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol, which has been a trend among young adults for years, is especially dangerous. High levels of caffeine may mask the impact of alcohol, resulting in consumers not feeling as impaired as they actually are.

Dependency and Withdrawal

One of the most worrisome aspects of long-term energy drink consumption is the way that high levels of caffeine affect brain chemistry. Over time, you may need more caffeine to achieve the same effect, which leads to a cycle of increasing consumption. When you try to cut back or quit, you may experience fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and more. Experts agree that the risk of dependency is among the most convincing arguments for moderation or complete abstention from energy drinks.

What Should You Do If You Love Energy Drinks?

Energy drinks have quickly become as common as coffee and tea in professional settings, schools, and even at home. If you’re one of the millions of people who buy these drinks every day, you may assume that you need to stop drinking them completely, but that’s not necessarily the case.

In the same way that sweet treats and fried foods can generally be enjoyed in moderation, the occasional energy drink is probably not going to create issues. However, if you have any preexisting cardiovascular conditions, it’s wise to speak to your physician about high levels of caffeine consumption. Finding healthy alternatives, such as natural sources of vitamins and minerals, can often help erase feelings of fatigue. Needing an infusion of energy is normal, but long-term energy drink consumption is not the answer.

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