Whether it be to survive classes, power through intense gym workouts, or simply enjoy the fizzy and soda-like taste, energy drink brands like Red Bull, Monster, and Celsius have been omnipresent all around Galileo. However, what began as a way to stay awake and have a burst of energy or concentration began to evolve into something more widespread and concerning: an energy drink epidemic.
Many students who consume energy drinks have a story behind how they got started. Junior Hulan L., who’s favorite energy drink is Celcius, explained how she got started on them, saying, “I watched a TikTok that provided advice about how it can boost metabolism and help with losing weight.” Similarly, Junior Sienna L. another huge Celsius fan, explained her reasoning for consuming the drink, saying, “I started playing 4 sports last year and Celcius was the only thing that allowed me to do that.” Junior Taishi R. began drinking Monster, another popular choice in energy drinks, in 8th grade because he enjoyed the flavors. Still, it has now become a necessity for him to enhance his focus while doing homework.
For these students, there are a range of reasons concerning their consumption of energy drinks, as well as a variety in the amount of consumption. Hulan drinks them 1-2 times a day a few times a week because it helps her stay awake in 1st period. Sienna limits herself to one a day, mainly to get through long hours of school and sports, or on impulse when she gets panicked or stressed out. Similar to Sienna, Taishi will consume a can containing 160 mg of caffeine when he feels stressed, which may be pretty frequent due to his workload in his classes.
In terms of the side effects they experience, there is also some variety in the answers. Hulan observed that she doesn’t notice any difference in her focus or energy levels, suggesting that energy drinks may not always give you that “boost” when it comes to different individuals. However, although Sienna does feel the boost of energy, in contrast to Hulan’s experiences, she says, “I experience negative side effects such as shaking and feeling icky, which sometimes makes me feel concerned about the amount of caffeine content I’m consuming.” While Taishi does feel a sudden boost of energy after drinking them, he also feels a great increase in heart rate, leading him to limit the amount of energy consumption to about 200 mg of caffeine a day.
Although none of the students are concerned about becoming addicted to energy drinks, the possible negative side effects of energy drinks make them also open to trying alternatives. Taishi said, “I love apples and bananas. I think they might be able to help substitute energy drinks for me,” while Hulan and Sienna both agreed they would be open to trying alternatives, such as tea, smoothies, or protein shakes.
