Oklahoma Culture

Energy Drinks Turn Dangerous For Some Students

With finals week approaching, some students are using energy drinks to alleviate their stress. Some students will consume more than four cans at a time.

By Rachael Cervenka
Gaylord College, University of Oklahoma
November 22, 2011

All college students have felt the anxiety that accompanies finals week. Some turn to drastic measures in order to get their studying done. Sean West, 20, turned to the energy drink, Red Bull, to ease his finals week woes.

While pulling the traditional finals week all-nighter, West consumed four Red Bulls and several cups of coffee in a four-hour period of time. The recommended intake listed on a can of Red Bull says not to exceed two cans in a 24-hour period.

While taking his final the next morning, West began sweating heavily, feeling woozy and blacking out. He thought the feeling would pass, but it got worse. So he called for an ambulance and was admitted to the hospital. It turned out West’s heart rate was far above average, at 183 beats per minute. The average is anywhere from 60 to 100 beats per minute.

“I totally thought I was going to die,” West said.

West remained at the hospital for six hours. Doctors made him drink liquid charcoal to calm his escalating heart rate.

CONCERN GROWS AMONG PROFESSIONALS

College students across the United States consume energy drinks similar to the ones West used on a regular basis. With college students chugging energy drinks like never before, concern is growing among medical professionals that these drinks might be putting some users at risk.

Medical professionals also worry about the long-term effects of overusing energy drinks. West, for example, has developed a panic disorder that was diagnosed by his therapist after his bad experience. He said he still has frequent panic attacks in which he thinks he is having a heart attack. He is now on medication to prevent them.

Prior to his accident, consuming large amounts of caffeine was nothing new for West.

“I would drink coffee at every meal,” he said.

Heather Kirkes, outreach coordinator for the Huston Huffman Fitness Center, recommends that students not use these drinks at all. Energy drinks create a sense of heightened energy because the main ingredient, caffeine, stimulates the central nervous system and increases the heart rate. If these drinks are consumed regularly, they can lead to a cycle in which the user gets a temporary boost in energy, followed by extreme fatigue, followed by consumption of another energy drink, and so on. This cycle can lead to overconsumption, and in turn lead to accidents like West’s.

Kirkes said she has found that there can be quite a few side effects including: sleep deprivation, headaches and impaired memory.

STUDENTS IGNORE SIDE EFFECTS

Nolan Kraszkiewicz, 20, said he purchases two four-packs of Monster energy drinks each week, plus more if he stops at a gas station for a quick drink. He has been an active energy drink user since the summer of 2007, he said. Kraszkiewicz said he has experienced side effects such as shaky hands, heart palpitations and jumpiness, yet he continues to consume them. So why does he drink energy drinks?

“Crack is too expensive…my kidneys are probably destroyed,” Kraszkiewicz said.

Another type of energy supplement has come about in the last few years in the form of energy shots. These products are also causing concern among medical professionals. These four calorie shots are, “light, portable and effective,” according to 5-hour Energy's website. “They are the no nonsense way for adults to stay bright and alert,” the website goes on to say. However, a 5-hour Energy shot has almost twice the amount of caffeine as a Red Bull, in a much more condensed form, Landes said. A 5-hour Energy shot has 200 milligrams of caffeine. A can of most other energy drinks has around 80 milligrams.

Chloe Reynolds, 20, has been using 5-hour-Energy shots for about a year. Reynolds, a social work junior at the University of Oklahoma, said she wanted to try something besides coffee that would help her with her studies. After drinking a whole shot she feels her heartbeat increase, she said. When Reynolds began taking the shots she definitely noticed an increase in her energy levels. But, after a year of frequent consumption she said she feels immune to their effects.