The proliferation of energy drinks is a worldwide phenomenon and has also been morphed into snacks, energy bars and shots.
An energy drink beverage is typically defined as containing large amounts of caffeine, added sugars, other additives, and legal stimulants such as guarana, taurine, and L-carnitine. These legal stimulants can increase alertness, attention, energy, as well as increase blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
What is common to all these products are the massive amounts of caffeine they contain. Soft drinks have about 30 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per serving; coffee has about 100 mg of caffeine per cup; but energy drinks can have anywhere from 100 to 300 mg of caffeine per serving – up to 3 times more than one cup of coffee!
This caffeine boost can lead to an elevated heart rate and a chemically-induced sugar-rush boosting your energy just enough to make you crave your next can. However, large doses of caffeine affect the user’s behavior.
It is no surprise that most energy drinks are the main sponsors of high risk, adrenaline producing sports such as Formula 1, drifting cars, base jumping, motor-cross, stunt drivers, and so on. Studies show that the consumption of many energy drinks cause the consumers heart beat to increase significantly.
It has become common practice to mix energy drinks with alcohol despite some packaging warning against this.
Dangers of Energy Drinks
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States reported that 1499 people went to an emergency room for an energy drink related emergency in 2011.
Some of the dangers of energy drinks include dehydration, heart complications such as irregular heartbeat and heart failure, Anxiety and Insomnia. Frequent users of energy drinks regularly report having shaky hands.
This in turn can cause behavioral issues in the workplace. Employees that work with dangerous equipment cannot afford to have unsteady hands or suffer from the effects of insomnia. Those in stressful work environments are further endangering themselves due to the effects that energy drinks have on their heart.
Employers should monitor the intake by employees of these drinks and inform employees of the dangers resulting from continuous or excessive consumption. Dangerous behavior resulting from energy drinks needs to be addressed timeously and habitual users should not be allowed to work with dangerous machinery or in risky environments.
Encourage employees to DRINK WATER! The human body consists of up to 60% water and it remains the healthiest beverage on the planet!
For more information call Robert Niemand, Managing Director: LabourNet Eastern Cape (Pty) Ltd, on 041 373 2994 or 082 824 7359. He may also be emailed on robertn@labournet.com or contact PK Malamlela, Client Relationship Consultant on 041 373 2994 or 060 6428 659 or pmalamlela@labournet.com