There is no denying that
energy drinks are popular—Americans consume nearly $8 billion of Red Bull,
Rockstar, Monster, and related beverages every year. And yet, numerous media
reports have called energy drinks “useless” to “dangerous.”
Although most energy
drinks are little more than flavored caffeine/sugar concoctions, some products
are striking out in new directions to deliver the energy boost that tired
consumers are craving without the sugary side effects. As a nutritionist, I’m
often conflicted when I’m asked if energy drinks are “safe” for kids (they
are—if you choose intelligently) or whether they’re “healthy” to consume on a
daily basis (most are certainly not, but some newer options are coming close).
Sugar
Rush
All of the mainstream energy drinks deliver 3–4 grams of sugar per ounce—so for
drinks ranging from 8 to 20 ounces, you’re looking at a massive dose of 25–80
grams of sugar. Your typical 12-ounce Coke packs 39 grams of sugar per can
(almost 10 teaspoons of sugar and 160 calories). The sugar-free versions aren’t
much better because you’re trading your sugar rush for a range of artificial
sweeteners that often can only trick your brain and taste buds temporarily
(your appetite is likely to increase significantly in the evening after having
consumed an artificially sweetened beverage earlier in the day—so you end up
consuming those “missing” sugar calories later anyway.) I’ll speak more on this
delayed appetite effect of artificial sweeteners in a future blog.
Palatinose is a brand
name of isomaltulose, a unique natural sugar that is absorbed about 50% slower
than regular sugar (sucrose). This makes isomaltulose a “low glycemic” type of
sugar that is less likely to result in the “spikes” of blood glucose that are
common with traditional energy drinks. Isomaltulose is a form of sucrose (cane
sugar) that has been naturally fermented in a way that slows its rate of
absorption, which is good for energy levels, brain function, and fat-burning.
For example, consuming an
energy drink sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup is likely to
result in a fast rise in blood glucose and a resulting spike in energy levels
and rapid drop in fat-burning. It is also likely to result (about 90 minutes
later) in a fast drop in blood glucose levels and a corresponding fall in
mental and physical energy levels.
Caffeine
Connection
Most mainstream soft drinks and energy drinks use synthetic caffeine added at
50–200mg per can to their high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors—not a
very appetizing brew (5-Hour Energy has 207mg, Red Bull has 80mg, Coke has
35mg, and a typical coffee has 100mg). This level of caffeine has been shown to
improve subjective feelings of physical energy, mental focus, and reaction
time, alertness, and overall cognitive performance. A handful of studies have also
demonstrated an improvement in energy expenditure (burning more calories) as
well as improved physical performance in both sprint and endurance events.
Clearly, there is a
short-term benefit of energy drinks on various aspects of mental and physical
performance—but what about the long-term health effects? It’s obvious that high
doses of sugar are detrimental to health in myriad ways from insulin overload
to outright addiction. Caffeine overdoses are associated with elevated stress
responses, higher blood pressure and heart rate, exacerbated hyperglycemia,
tension, and insomnia.
As a physiologist,
nutritionist, and endurance athlete, I don’t want anyone to be over-consuming
either sugar or caffeine, and when they (myself include) DO consume energy
drinks, I’d prefer the sugars to have a lower glycemic index (such as
Palatinose) and the caffeine to come from natural sources (which can be
“slower” forms of caffeine in several ways).
Green tea leaves, coffee
beans, Guarana seeds, Maca roots, Cha de Burge leaves/fruits, yerba mate
leaves, and Kola nuts are all rich sources of natural caffeine that tend to be
absorbed into the blood stream more slowly than synthetic caffeine. The
combination of natural caffeine plus lower-glycemic sugars results in a more
sustained, longer lasting, and less “jittery” form of energy—without the common
up/down spikes that come from many mainstream energy drinks.
Added
Supplements
At the more “premium” end of the energy drink spectrum (not the stuff you buy
at the gas station), it’s becoming more common to see exotic energy boosters
such as Panax Ginseng roots (very effective for mental/physical energy, but
also very expensive) and stamina/endurance enhancers such as ribose (great for
cardiovascular and muscular energy), as well as amino acids such as taurine (to
increase blood flow) and tyrosine (for mental focus). Unfortunately, these
exotic ingredients are often added to many energy drinks in tiny “pixie dust”
amounts (too little to be effective). So don’t put too much faith in a long
list of exotic ingredients unless the actual product has undergone some level
of scientific validation of its energy boosting claims.
MonaVie
Emv—A Healthier Alternative
An independent clinical study of MonaVie’s Emv energy drink, conducted at the
University of Southern California (USC), found improvements in several measures
of both physical and mental performance. In volunteers exercising at a sustained
moderate intensity (average heart rate of 150 beats per minute), those
consuming Emv showed a 7% improvement in perceived exertion (indicating that
Emv users felt that the workload was “7% easier” compared to placebo).
On measures of mental
focus and mood state, Emv users also showed improvements in reaction time,
memory performance, and measures of psychological vigor (mental/physical
energy). The USC researchers concluded that, “With some of the safety concerns
regarding current energy drinks on the market, especially with the large
concentration of caffeine in a relatively small volume, the MonaVie Emv
beverage might offer a safer and healthier alternative.”
MonaVie Emv Is Certified by INFORMED-CHOICE
In addition to the “healthier” approach that MonaVie takes with our Emv energy
drink, is the question of purity of ingredients and finished product. Because a
wide range of professional and elite-level athletes consumer Emv, MonaVie has
partnered with INFORMED-CHOICE—an independent third-party certification program
for sports supplements, ingredients and manufacturing facilities. This program
assures athletes that products carrying the INFORMED-CHOICE mark (as Emv and
Emv Lite do) have been regularly tested for substances considered prohibited in
sport. In addition, INFORMED-CHOICE also ensures that products have been
manufactured to high quality standards. Read more about MonaVieEmv and INFORMED-CHOICE.
Summary
The bottom line when it comes to energy drinks is to look for some of the
“healthier” options that are coming to market. Those with “slower” types of
both sugar and natural caffeine—perhaps combined with meaningful levels of
exotics such as Panax ginseng, ribose, and tyrosine—offer a more sustained
increase in whole-body energy levels and improvement in mental focus. MonaVie
Emv fulfills each of these criteria and represents perhaps the most advanced
(and delicious) energy drink on the market today.
About the Author: Dr. Shawn Talbott is
MonaVie’s Vice President for Innovation & Education. He holds a MS in
exercise science (UMass Amherst) and PhD in nutritional biochemistry (Rutgers).
As an exhausted dad, scientist, and ultramarathoner, he is a frequent user of
Emv because it’s an energy drink that takes a healthier approach to restoring
mental and physical energy levels.
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