JESSIE GAMBRELL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

Energy drinks are a source of energy for most of us students these days, but are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Most energy drinks contain a mixture of caffeine, sugar, taurine, guarana, cola nut and B vitamins. These mixed components can cause heart palpitations, increased heart rate and blood pressure and dehydration.

“The moderate dose of caffeine per day is 250mg which is the equivalent to three cups of coffee,” Dr. Michelle Barrack, a professor in the Kinesiology department, said.

In 1994, Congress enacted the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which enabled any company to be unregulated by the FDA.

“What is in the energy drinks is [sic] reacting with your body in a physiological way,” Kaitlyn Siewart, a CSUSM alumnus with a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology, said.

Some people use energy drinks as a boost for athletic performance.

“If you are an athlete, they probably improve performance in moderate to intense exercise… If you are a regular or average individual, benefits are probably less…this has just as much to do with the fact that most physical activity they [sic] do does not merit energy drinks or supplement use, and that research is sparse in less trained persons…,” Dr. Todd Astorino of the Kinesiology Department said.

But energy drinks are beneficial to athletic performance.

“We don’t want to show that caffeine is bad for exercise. Caffeine within the limits of caffeine intake can be productive and safe,” Dr. Barrack said. Students felt the same.

“I used to drink an energy drink before gym session, but after a while you’re left off with stomach cramps and a useless sugar rush,” CSUSM student Koresh Dashtizadeh said.