An Added Boost

The names, Aurora Buffington points out, are exciting, in keeping with the products' chosen demographic:

Red Bull. Full Throttle. Rockstar. Daredevil. Monster.

They're energy drinks, reputed to perk one up and improve physical performance.

"They're really popular because of that, especially among teenagers and young adults," said Buffington, a registered dietitian.

They're also huge in local nightclubs, where they're generally served as mixers with alcohol, usually vodka. Sean Christie, co-owner of Blush at Wynn Las Vegas, estimates that 75 percent or more of the club's table service involves the top-selling energy drink Red Bull, with which Blush has a partnership. And he estimates that 10 percent to 20 percent of all drinks sold in Blush contain Red Bull. Christie said he has seen a large increase in the popularity of energy drinks over the past five years, to the point that they're a "staple" of nightclubs and bars.

"They're probably one of our biggest-selling mixers," agreed Cy Waits, one of the managing partners of Tryst at Wynn Las Vegas.

But the questions are many: What are the advantages? Are they safe? At what age? In what quantity? And what happens when alcohol, a depressant, is mixed with an energy drink, by its very nature a stimulant?

Buffington said energy drinks may have their advantages. A few small studies have shown that consuming one does tend to reduce sleepiness on long-distance trips for about 90 minutes, she noted.

"They keep you up when it's late at night, going on 2, 3 in the morning," Waits said. "It gets their energy back up."

"I think it's kind of like having a cup of coffee without having to drink coffee," Christie said. The difference is that energy drinks are served cold, which tends to be more refreshing when one's doing the club circuit. And he said soft drinks "feel heavy" and have an image problem.

"I don't think people connote these energy drinks as being as bad for you -- although they may be -- as Coca-Cola," Christie said. "Soda has a kind of negative spin on it these days."

The popularity of energy drinks hasn't led to a lot of zombie-eyed teens roaming school hallways, said Jeff Geihs, principal of Cheyenne High School. Geihs said the 7 a.m. start times at most valley high schools are what prompt some students to drink them -- especially, he said, the most dedicated students.

"Contrary to typical belief, standards in education are higher now than ever before," he said.

"The most dedicated students are going to find a way to remain dedicated," he said. The problem is that, unless a student has stashed another energy drink in his or her backpack, an after-lunch crash is inevitable.

Among the areas of potential concern are that not all energy drinks are created equal.

Most, as Buffington pointed out, contain caffeine in a range of roughly 40 to 140 milligrams in 8 ounces, or about the same amount as a cup of coffee.

Here's how the numbers stack up, according to MayoClinic.com:

* 8 ounces of plain brewed coffee: 95 milligrams caffeine

* 8 ounces of brewed black tea: 47 milligrams caffeine

* 8.3 ounces of Red Bull: 76 milligrams caffeine

* 8 ounces of Rockstar: 80 milligrams caffeine

* 8 ounces of Full Throttle: 72 milligrams caffeine

Then again, others tend to be outside the average range. The Mayo Clinic site notes that No Name Energy Drink -- known as Cocaine until negative public reaction prompted a switch -- contains 280 milligrams of caffeine in 8.4 ounces. And Spike Shooter, Buffington said, contains 300 milligrams in 8 ounces.

She has some experience with Spike Shooter. Her 18-year-old son drank a can on his way to work as a lifeguard.

"He said he felt horrible, like he was going to throw up," Buffington said.

One sign of caffeine intoxication is the sensation of wanting to vomit; others are heart palpitations, insomnia, tremors, sweating and diarrhea. (Caffeine intoxication can be fatal, although only in extremely high doses.)

Then again, her 15-year-old son tried it and didn't think there was anything wrong with it. But, Buffington said, he "was nonstop talking. He was totally annoying me."

One way to ward off problems might be to monitor which energy drinks you or your teen are consuming. "The problem is, as a parent, I can't control what he buys at these stores when I'm not there with him," Buffington said.

Some of the newer energy drinks contain alcohol, she added.

"If you went into a kid's room, as a parent, you might just think it's an energy drink," she said. Sparks, for example, is 6 percent alcohol by volume.

And Buffington said some studies have found that people who drink energy drinks with alcohol show diminished responses of their motor skills, and may feel that they're not as intoxicated as they actually are. Waits and Christie both said they haven't noticed such an effect among their customers. Bartenders, Christie noted, are trained to "shut a person off" when he or she has had a few too many, whether an energy drink has dulled that perception or not.

While the target market is Generation Y, Christie said it "has stretched much further at this point, in both directions." His 55-year-old father recently was in town, Christie said, and when his aunt yawned, his father said, "Why don't you have a Red Bull?"

That might in fact be a good thing, because the original target market may be most at risk.

"Anybody who's still in adolescence really should watch their intake" of caffeine, Buffington said, adding that "adolescence" generally refers to the ages of 13 to 22.

And she said it's important to pay attention to the other ingredients in the drinks, many of them herbal. While caffeine and sugar are principal ingredients, she said, others are vitamins B6 and B12 and the herbs guarana, ginseng and taurine. Some people believe that these ingredients can enhance weight loss or help a person exercise longer or harder, although she said studies haven't supported either theory.

Some of them, though -- such as guarana -- do work synergistically with caffeine, she said.

"Not only are you getting caffeine, but you're getting the additional stimulant effect from the guarana," she explained. "One problem with the addition of herbs is that they haven't really been proven safe."

Buffington said like many other things, energy drinks are best consumed in moderation, and by an informed consumer.

"A little bit of it shouldn't be a bad thing," she said. "But if you drink them regularly, evaluate the caloric content, too."

As for Christie, he seemed almost philosophical about energy drinks' place in the world.

"It seems like every week, someone's coming to us with a new energy drink, because it's very lucrative," he said. "But it doesn't seem like many of them make it."

Contact reporter Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0474.