2008 Woodie Awards
Energy drinks not smart for athletes
Antonio Graves
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Sports
Originally published: 12/6/07 at 5:31 PM EST
Last update: 12/6/07 at 5:30 PM EST
- Page 1 of 2 next >
For many athletes, consuming energy drinks may be used as a quick way to consume extra energy and to compensate for a perceived deficiency in vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
Senior forward for the Plattsburgh State Cardinals Travis Gorham, and senior former triple-jumper Rashid Thompson, say they are done with drinking energy drinks.
"I don't even mess with that stuff anymore," Thompson said in reference to the energy drink named, Vault. "The last time I drank it I was extremely hyper and couldn't go to sleep. I felt as if there was something wrong with me."
Gorham said, "Even though it gave me an energy boost, I would crash about 20 minutes after stepping onto the court. I would suddenly just feel down."
Originally, both athletes said they believed the energy drinks would boost their endurance, speed up recovery from exercise, burn fat, increase lean muscle mass or improve brain functions. However, based on the results they experienced, the following is hardly the case when talking about the effects of energy drinks.
According to Jason Pachter, head athletic trainer at PSUC, energy drinks are marketed towards athletes who train hard and often complain about energy drain and fatigue. Energy is needed in our lives to perform the everyday daily tasks in addition to allowing an athlete to reach his or her peak performance. One of the issues that surround the popular energy drink is its heavy use of caffeine.
According to Simmons Market Research Bureau, Rockstar, Red Bull and Monster made $3.4 billion in 2006, which was an 80 percent increase from the previous year. Also, the SMRB reports thirty-one percent of U.S. teenagers say they drink energy drinks, which represents a 3 million increase to 7.6 million teens.
"They are so popular because of our culture's desire to want quick results and their (the various companies respectively) marketing schemes," Pachter said. "They trick people into believing their products provide healthy energy."
Senior forward for the Plattsburgh State Cardinals Travis Gorham, and senior former triple-jumper Rashid Thompson, say they are done with drinking energy drinks.
"I don't even mess with that stuff anymore," Thompson said in reference to the energy drink named, Vault. "The last time I drank it I was extremely hyper and couldn't go to sleep. I felt as if there was something wrong with me."
Gorham said, "Even though it gave me an energy boost, I would crash about 20 minutes after stepping onto the court. I would suddenly just feel down."
Originally, both athletes said they believed the energy drinks would boost their endurance, speed up recovery from exercise, burn fat, increase lean muscle mass or improve brain functions. However, based on the results they experienced, the following is hardly the case when talking about the effects of energy drinks.
According to Jason Pachter, head athletic trainer at PSUC, energy drinks are marketed towards athletes who train hard and often complain about energy drain and fatigue. Energy is needed in our lives to perform the everyday daily tasks in addition to allowing an athlete to reach his or her peak performance. One of the issues that surround the popular energy drink is its heavy use of caffeine.
According to Simmons Market Research Bureau, Rockstar, Red Bull and Monster made $3.4 billion in 2006, which was an 80 percent increase from the previous year. Also, the SMRB reports thirty-one percent of U.S. teenagers say they drink energy drinks, which represents a 3 million increase to 7.6 million teens.
"They are so popular because of our culture's desire to want quick results and their (the various companies respectively) marketing schemes," Pachter said. "They trick people into believing their products provide healthy energy."
Be the first to comment on this story