Energy producers call their products “drinks of the XXI century”. Although they sometimes differ in taste and composition quite strongly, they are united by one thing – the effect on the human nervous system, the activation of mental activity, the “shake-up” of the body, the activation of all the inherent resources, overexcitation, refusal from sleep.
Energy drinks are also called tonics, as they contain tonics: chemical caffeine, guarana, mate or tea extract, as well as other substances: alkaloids found in cocoa fruits: theobromine and theophylline, an easily digestible form of glucose or sucrose, and vitamins, often in excess doses. In addition, many energy drinks contain taurine – a strong stimulant of nervous processes, leading to increased excitability.
Tonics are indispensable in emergencies when it becomes necessary to work all night or after a flight to another time zone, during a session, competition, or the delivery of a project. However, you need to understand that these drinks do not give a person new strength, but only activate his own, therefore, constant work on tonics can exhaust the vital resources of the body, lead to severe, irreversible consequences for the nervous system and the brain. Sometimes after taking them for a long time, the body’s natural defenses are triggered and intolerance to energy drinks or certain substances that they contain.
Caffeinecontained in energy drinks, can be of both plant and chemical origin, the latter is used much more often. This stimulant acts on the cerebral cortex, activating it and maintaining excitability for a long time. If a person feels the effect of simple coffee within two hours, then the energetic can act for more than four hours, the caffeine content in it is several times higher – up to 320 ml / l. Some drinks instead of pure caffeine contain guarana seed extract – the Brazilian palm tree, which is generally more beneficial for the body, since it does not irritate the intestinal mucosa and does not harm normal gastric activity.
sucrose and glucose are actively absorbed and participate in redox processes, increasing energy production and improving metabolism. However, frequent consumption of these substances adversely affects the body – the condition of the teeth and gums worsens, there is a risk of caries, in addition, sucrose is deposited by the body as a nutritional reserve, which negatively affects the figure and health.
Vitamins, first of all, group B and C, stimulate nervous activity, activate metabolism. However, most doctors believe that increased doses of these elements do not affect a person in any way, since they are immediately excreted from the body, thereby creating an unnecessary burden on the liver. With the existing lack of vitamins, their increased content in an energy drink can lead to the desired effect.
The tonics may contain melatonin… Fluctuations in the concentration of this substance in the body regulate daily activity, including timely bedtime. Due to an increase in its concentration in the blood, a person stops falling asleep at the usual time and can continue to work. However, long-term use of melatonin or a strong increase in its percentage can upset the regimen, cause insomnia and feel unwell.
The optimal doses in which you can use energy drinks: one or two cans a day, then refusal from such drinks for at least a week. These drinks are not recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases, glaucoma, pregnant women and young children. Many countries prohibit or restrict the production of energy drinks, for example in Germany and France their distribution in regular stores is not allowed by municipal laws.
Power engineers often drink after alcohol to restore mental clarity and come to a normal state, but this combination can cause a “deceptive effect” – a person thinks that he is sober, although he is not responsible for his actions. In addition, there are a number of cocktails that include both alcohol and energy. These drinks can cause unpredictable nervous system effects.
The use of energy drinks during a diet brings double harm: firstly, the sugars contained in it begin to be actively stored by the body, reducing the effect of the diet to a minimum, and secondly, dietary nutrition, especially at the very beginning, weakens all human systems, including the nervous and immune , and the tonic is a powerful “shake-up”, a blow that can dramatically worsen the state of health. In no case should these drinks be consumed before and after workouts, fitness classes.