Energy Drinks: More Than Just a Drug Testing Issue

For years, the Athletic Training Department and it's Team Physicians have been warning about the use of energy drinks. During drug education meetings, supplements and energy drinks are thoroughly discussed because they are often the source of NCAA banned performance enhancing drugs: guarana, caffeine, and citrus aurantium to name a few. The use of these energy drinks becomes even more troublesome when combined with stimulant medications that are commonly used for the treatment of ADD/ADHD.

Consuming even one of these energy drinks could result in some negative side effects such as: increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, irregular heart beats, and sleep distrubances. With the hazards of heat illness and dehydration in the southern region of the United States, consumption of energy drinks could spell disaster.

The New York Times and MSNBC have interesting articles regarding the dangers of consuming energy drinks. To read these articles in their entirety, just click below:

New York Times: Scientists See Dangers in Energy Drinks...

MSNBC: Energy drinks can be dangerous for teens, report says...