Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Mar 19;15(3):544.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph15030544.

The Effect of Acute Consumption of Energy Drinks on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and Blood Glucose in the Group of Young Adults

Dariusz Nowak  1 , Michał Gośliński  2 , Kamila Nowatkowska  3
Affiliations

The Effect of Acute Consumption of Energy Drinks on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate and Blood Glucose in the Group of Young Adults

Dariusz Nowak et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Energy drinks (EDs) are very popular among young people, who consume them for various reasons. A standard ED typically contains 80 mg of caffeine, as well as glucose, taurine, vitamins and other ingredients. Excessive consumption of EDs and accumulation of the above ingredients, as well as their mutual interactions, can be hazardous to the health of young adults. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of acute consumption of energy drinks on blood pressure, heart rate and blood glucose.

Methods: The study involved 68 volunteers, healthy young adults (mean age 25 years), who were divided into two groups: the first consumed three EDs at one-hour intervals, and the second drank the same amount of water. All participants had their blood pressure (BP)-systolic and diastolic (SBP and DBP)-as well as heart rate (HR) and blood glucose (BG) measured. In addition, participants could report any health problems before and after consuming each portion of ED.

Results: In the above experiment, having consumed three portions of ED (240 mg of caffeine), the participants presented a significant increase in DBP (p = 0.003), by over 8%, which coincided with a lack of any significant impact on SBP (p = 0.809). No significant changes were noted in HR (p = 0.750). Consumption of EDs caused a significant increase (p < 0.001) in BG, by ca. 21%, on average. Some participants reported various discomforts, which escalated after 2 and 3 EDs.

Conclusions: Acute consumption of EDs contributed to increased diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose and level of discomfort in healthy young people. Our results reinforce the need for further studies on a larger population to provide sufficient evidence.

Keywords: blood glucose; blood pressure; energy drinks; heart rate.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Changes in SBP and DBP of participants—ED group. Data are mean ± SD (n = 36); * Statistical significance (at p < 0.05) was only stated between 2.5 and 3 h; SBP—systolic blood pressure; DBP—diastolic blood pressure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in DBP after consuming EDs and water. * Statistical significance (at p < 0.05) between ED and water. DBP—diastolic blood pressure.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Values of blood sugar (mean) in the study participants before and after 3 EDs/water consumption.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Breda J.J., Whiting H.S., Encarnacao R., Norberg S., Jones R., Reinap M., Jewell J. Energy drink consumption in Europe: A review of the risks, adverse health effects, and policy options to respond. Front. Public Health. 2014;134:1–5. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2014.00134. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nowak D., Jasionowski A. Analysis of the consumptions of caffeinated energy drinks among Polish adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2015;12:7910–7921. doi: 10.3390/ijerph120707910. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Malinauskas B.M., Aeby V.G., Overton R.F., Carpenter-Aeby T., Barber-Heidal K. A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students. Nutr. J. 2007;6:35–41. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-6-35. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. O’Brien M.C., McCoy T.P., Rhodes S.D., Wagoner A., Wolfson M. Caffeinated coctails: Energy drink consumption, high-risk drinking, and alcohol-related consequences among college students. Acad. Emerg. Med. 2008;15:453–460. doi: 10.1111/j.1553-2712.2008.00085.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gallucci A.R., Martin R.J., Morgan G.B. The consumption of energy drinks among a sample of college students and college student athletes. J. Community Health. 2016;41:109–118. doi: 10.1007/s10900-015-0075-4. - DOI - PubMed