From: Is the consumption of energy drink beneficial or detrimental to health: a comprehensive review?
Classes of nutrients | Nutrients | Ingredient's name | Examples of ED containing the ingredient | Information on ingredients | Health benefits | Side effects | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Macronutrients | Carbohydrates | Sugar |
| Simple sugars (such as sucrose, fructose, or beet sugar) are a fast-acting source of energy and are used in energy drinks to boost cognitive performance. Sugar content in drinks is normally around 27 g per 8 oz. Energy drinks with a higher volume surpass the daily sugar limit of 32 g (Rath 2012) | N/A | Excessive consumption of high-energy drinks may raise the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes (Bedi et al. 2014) | |
Glucuronolactone |
| The human body produces glucuronolactone (DGL) when glucose is broken down by the liver. This component is found in all connective tissue | DGL is believed to help with detoxification, the release of hormones and other compounds, and vitamin C production. It is included in energy drinks because it claimed to help with glycogen depletion by preventing other compounds from depleting muscle glycogen stores. (Yunusa and Ahmed 2011) | N/A | Yunusa and Ahmed (2011) | ||
Protein | Taurine |
| A semi-essential amino acid that is not involved in protein synthesis and is abundant in mammalian tissues is known as taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid). It is naturally found in human bodies, mostly in the brain, eyes, heart, and muscles (Beyranvand et al. 2011) | Taurine has been recommended as a treatment for epilepsy, heart failure, cystic fibrosis, and diabetes due to its anti-inflammatory properties (Caine and Geracioti 2016). Taurine may help to manage blood sugar levels and fight diabetes. Without any modifications in food or exercise, long-term supplementation reduced fasting blood sugar levels in diabetic rats used in research laboratories (Chauhan and Piracha 2020) | N/A | Beyranvand et al. (2011), Caine and Geracioti (2016), Chauhan and Piracha (2020) | |
Maltodextrin |
| Maltodextrins (C6H10O5)n·H2O are saccharide polymers composed mostly of glucose units linked by -1,4 glucosidic boundaries. Maltodextrins are produced by enzymatic hydrolysis with or without acid, although only to a lesser amount than starch syrups (Klinjapo and Krasaekoopt 2018) | Maltodextrins, like any other carbohydrate, were found to reduce net glycogen breakdown during long-duration exercise while maintaining a high whole-body glucose oxidation rate (Hofman et al. 2016) | N/A | |||
Carnitine |
| L-Carnitine is an amino acid produced mostly by the liver and kidneys that aids in metabolism and energy production (Yunusa and Ahmed 2011) | Carnitine acts as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound. Thus, it may reduce the exercise-induced muscle damage (Sawicka et al. 2020) | Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea are examples of rare adverse effects (Yunusa and Ahmed 2011) | Yunusa and Ahmed, (2011), Sawicka et al. (2020), Yunusa and Ahmed (2011) |