Er in energy drinks
what does your pick-me-up contain?
MOnSTER ORiGinal (500Ml) 55g sugar, 160mg caffeine sports drinks such as Lucozade to fuel their workout and improve their performance, due to the similarities in packaging they are often confused with caffeinated energy drinks, which are a totally different product.
She adds: “Isotonic sports drinks have quite a bit of scientific research behind them and are intended for sportspeople or athletes who are sweating a lot and doing prolonged activity of more than an hour.
“Unfortunately many people drink sports drinks as an everyday drink or during low levels of activity which is not what they are intended for.”
Sports drinks tend to have lower sugar levels than energy drinks and the ingredients are balanced to replace fluids and electrolytes lost through activity. For example a 500ml bottle of Lucozade Sport contains 18g of sugar compared to 55g of sugar in Monster Energy. Any food or drink that is high in sugar may impact dental health and this is particularly the case if consumed on a regular basis.
Dr Nigel Carter of the Oral Health Foundation says: “Energy drinks have become increasingly popular and this is a very dangerous trend when it comes to oral health.
“Energy drinks have dangerously high amounts of sugar and consuming them can cause tooth decay. Tooth decay will mean you have to get a filling and in extreme cases can cause you to need to have teeth removed.
“Energy drinks are also highly acidic which causes the tooth enamel to wear away, exposing the dentine underneath which may be unsightly and in extreme cases may require quite extensive dental treatment. You should really try to avoid them altogether.” While an occasional quick fix isn’t going to do most people much harm, consuming any drink that is high in sugar and caffeine on a regular basis is not ideal. Yet don’t be tempted to go cold turkey and cut them out overnight, warns Emma.
“If you want to reduce your intake, the best way to do this is cut down gradually.” She suggests swapping to a sugar-free version initially. “If you have been consuming a high level of caffeine (more than the recommended daily intake) over a long period, you may find cutting down on caffeine leads to an increase in headaches and fatigue.”
Replace one drink per day with water or another lower calorie/low caffeine option. Gradually cut down on energy drinks until you reach a level you feel happy with.