Are You Living On Energy Drinks?

By Denny Holmes

If you’re like most Americans there’s a good chance your diet could use some adjustments and that’s why I’m here. I started this blog because I wanted to share my knowledge and experience to help inform the general public about health, fitness and nutrition. The amount of information out in the world on what to eat, fitness and on nutrition in general is so vast and generalized to the point that it can be confusing and misleading. To make matters worse, most of the generalized information doesn’t take into account the simple fact that an individuals calorie needs will vary significantly based on body type, lifestyle and habits. 

In the fast paced American work environment of today it’s hard to make time for healthy meals and in turn more sustained energy throughout the day. Many Americans have turned too quick fix solutions in the form of energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, or excessive coffee consumption. Ive watched this happen, slowly, over the past 25 years. The reality is that habitual and excessive use of energy drinks and caffeine can have serious health consequences.

My experience with vitamins and supplements started back in the 1960’s when a product came on the market called Muscle On (Great name btw), and boy did that take off. Unfortunately Muscle On had way too much sugar, at that time we didn’t know the dangers of high sugar consumption and its effects on the body, it did however, have a lot of good protein.  I was taking the product and decided to go meet the owner since his factory was near my home. His name was Mel Williamson, we became good friends and he eventually helped me create my own brand of suppliments. Mel kept making better and better products and became a major force in the health food and supplement industry.  

About 8 years after I met Mel, I had my own gym called Dennys The Boddy Shoppe on Mission St in in San Fransisco. I wanted to create a supplement line to sell and use at the gym and Mel helped me develop a product called: Dennys Pro Blend. I had learned about proteins and supplements through my experience being a bodybuilder and I researched, studied and used just about every product on the market that I felt had any value, I still do this today actually. I also consulted the large network of bodybuilder friends I had during that time. Denny’s Pro Blend was a success and the experience gave me an insight and background on this subject that’s second to none. 

So what’s the problem with energy drinks? How can it be dangerous if companies sell it and it’s not illegal.

Sugar, caffeine and many other substances when used in moderation can offer short term benefits, they allow you to feel better, maintain focus, be more alert and let you to do things you might not normally be able to do for longer periods of time. That idea combined with our natural human drive towards feeling good can lead to dangerous habits that affect health. The danger of energy drinks is that some people are prone to addiction, habitual activity and some are not aware of the consequences from long term use. Compulsive behavior and addiction doesn’t make you a bad person but it can create many health problems that you may be unaware of.

Reasons to limit energy drinks.

• Habit forming and dehydration – Daily use of energy drinks may be habit forming as I mentioned. Not because the drink contents are addicting, it’s the extra energy you feel. Energy drinks also contain diuretics. Diuretics cause dehydration over long periods of time. As you continue daily use you can’t help but want to drink more fluid, with continued cravings for more liquids you might think: why not take another energy drink?

• Appearance – When you eat or drink stimulants your heart speeds up and blood flow decreases to capillaries, the small vessel located along the portion of the skin located just under the surface. As blood vessels constrict, circulation decreases to the skin and with long-term use it can hasten wrinkles, hair loss and most of the natural aging processes. It’s insidious, It happens so slowly it’s imperceptible.

• Low nutritional value – When you rely on energy drinks you often lose food cravings. Real food provides nutrients available to your body throughout the day.

• Minimal vitamin’s – Energy drinks have low quality vitamins with little or no nutrient value. Vitamins and Nutrients from food have real value.

• Cravings – When you don’t eat food, (sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine are non-foods having no nutritional value) you overload the pancreas by causing it to overproduce insulin. Producing too much insulin results in high blood sugar levels and you begin to have cravings for foods with too much sugar.

• Loss of sleep – Sleep is disturbed during the night as the body tries to use up all the sugar, caffeine, taurine and foods/or sweets taken in before bed. This leaves you even more tired than the day before. Your body only needs between 300-500 calories to keep your heart and other organs working through the night.

Conclusion

Taurine and caffeine are the typical substances found in energy drinks, they can help you to focus and feel that burst of energy that helps get you through a long day. If you can limit yourself to one or two energy drinks a week, eat a nutrient rich diet with consistent meals throughout the day you may benefit from occasional use without affecting your long term health. I strongly recommend against daily and habitual use and never replace meals with energy drinks.