Study Dispels Life-Threatening Myth that Energy Drinks with Alcohol Can Boost Alertness

For party-goers and students who believe combining alcohol with energy drinks will give them an edge on staying awake, driving or making good decisions, recent research has another message – it won’t.

Millions of people who use energy drinks, especially teenagers, may falsely believe myths that by combining the drinks with alcohol, they can drive better and remain more alert. Recent research from Boston University, together with Brown University, is pointing to the reality that energy drinks – typically loaded with caffeine – have no effect on helping people stay alert or awake when they combine the drinks with alcohol.

Alcohol has a sedation effect and lowers coordination, alertness, decision-making and motor skills. None of these effects can be offset by energy drinks, say study researchers, with results published in the journal Addiction.
During the study, participants were divided into groups, with some given alcoholic drinks in combination with caffeine, some given non-alcoholic beverages that contained caffeine, and some beverages that had neither caffeine nor alcohol. They were then asked to perform on a driving simulator. The participants using alcohol showed marked driving impairments, but so did those consuming alcoholic drinks which also contained caffeine. In terms of attention span and ability to react quickly, those using alcoholic drinks with caffeine didn’t show significant results in comparison to those consuming only alcohol.
Energy drinks continue to be a source of debate and investigation, with some states banning drinks that already include a combination of alcohol and caffeine. The market, estimated at more than $3.5 billion, has tapped into the desires of college students to stay awake for long periods, either to stay out late with friends or to study.

Especially concerning, say experts, is the false believe of students that the energy-producing components in the mixture will somehow dampen the sedative effects of alcohol. Many students report that they feel less fatigue from alcohol when it’s combined with energy drinks, but the recent study reports almost none of these effects are true.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent out a warning statement in 2009 regarding the drinks, saying that the beverages may contribute to dangerous behaviors for college-age drinkers. Adding to the danger is the fact that students will continue consuming larger amounts of alcohol for longer periods of time, because they believe they may not believe they are experiencing the drowsiness associated with alcohol.

In addition, the drinks, which can continue levels of caffeine four times higher than a soda, may also have synephrine – an alternative to ephedra, which has been used for its stimulating effects and to help people lose weight. The energy drinks can also cause serious problems with heart beat, raise blood pressure and contribute to risky or aggressive behaviors.

Researchers hope the study will urge users to understand that drink combinations of caffeine and alcohol will not protect them from the dangers of driving under the influence, and will not make them a safer or more alert driver. New efforts are being planned to let students know that the drinks provide almost no level of protection from the hampering effects of alcohol, and could contribute to dangerous and life-threatening choices.