Energy Drinks: Boost or Burnout?

Authored by: Hanni Yang

Art by: Rachel Jacob

As a college student, opening Canvas and bank accounts is the most nerve wracking thing ever. College students are often stacked with dozens of assignments, projects, quizzes, and preparation for prelims along with constant socializing with peers. To keep up with all of these demands, students’ best choice is to consume energy drinks to stay up late to catch up on work. While the energy drinks do keep the students awake and perhaps focus more, its impact on students’ health is going on a downside. But are energy drinks actually helping students thrive, or are they just setting them up for burnout? Let's take a closer look at the health effects of these energy drinks and explore better ways to stay energized without consuming them.

Energy drinks may promise a quick burst of energy, but what’s really happening inside your body might surprise you. Energy drinks often contain high levels of caffeine and sugar, sometimes Vitamins B₆ and B₁₂ and Taurine [1]. The companies promote their product by exaggerating that their energy drinks can boost people’s energy levels and stay more focused, which hits exactly what the college students want — to stay up late or pull all-nighters for projects and prelims.

However, energy drinks often come with negative effects on students’ mental health and academic performance. Excessive intake of caffeine can lead to caffeine reliance with symptoms of insomnia, restlessness, and headache [2]. A systematic review analyzed 57 studies, where they discovered that college students who have consumed energy drinks may have negative impacts on their sleep and nervous systems [2]. The study has also found that there is a correlation between the consumption of energy drinks and unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol use and smoking. 

Besides students’ mental health, energy drinks also have a significant impact on physical performance. According to a systematic review led by Joseph Mandato, they have concluded that energy drinks can boost the risk of having arrhythmias and heart failure, especially for the individuals who already have cardiovascular issues [3]. The increase of blood pressure and heart rate underscores the potential risks of consuming energy drinks. Another cross-sectional study conducted by Alan Mahmood and other researchers examined the relationship between the consumption of energy drinks and the effects on cardiovascular health and behavioral patterns in a number of students at the University of Zakho [4]. They have found that students who consume more energy drinks have symptoms of tachycardia, elevated blood pressure, palpitation, fatigability, somnolence, and aggression. 

Energy drinks have been inevitably replacing water and proper meals. Its high levels of sugar and caffeine can be detrimental to students’ mental and physical health. Participants from a study suggest reducing the consumption of energy drinks by offering energy drink sales only to adults, increasing the price and size of energy drink advisory statements to make it more visible, and using plain fonts and dull colors to make it less appealing to students [5]. Besides these suggestions, it is also important to educate students about the downsides of consuming energy drinks. College can educate students that gaining energy doesn’t mean they have to consume energy drinks. People can gain energy by drinking more water, exercising, and using time management to have better sleep habits.

To conclude, energy drinks can help students to stay energetic in a short amount of time, but the consequences of having too many energy drinks can bring long-term risks. The excessive intake of energy drinks will cause students to have mental health and cardiovascular issues, which can eventually negatively influence their academic performance. Students can choose many other ways (e.g. drinking water, exercising, etc) to gain their energy without consuming energy drinks. By doing so, students can reduce the risk of burnout when drinking energy drinks. Instead of relying on energy drinks, students should consider healthier strategies such as hydration, regular meals, exercise, and better sleep habits.

References:

1. Protano, C., Valeriani, F., Giorgi, A. D., Marotta, D., Ubaldi, F., Napoli, C., Liguori, G., Spica, V. R., Vitali, M., & Gallè, F. (2023, March). Consumption patterns of energy drinks in university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition, 107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2022.111904

2. Ajibo, C., Griethuysen, A. V., Visram, S., & Lake, A. A. (2024, February). Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people: a systematic review examining evidence of physical effects and consumer attitudes. Public Health, 227, 274-281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2023.08.024

3. Mandato, J., Kola, R., Tyson, T., Laffin, L., & Bales, R. (2025, November 14). The Effects of Energy Drinks on the Cardiovascular System: A Systematic Review. Current Cardiology Reports, 27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-025-02293-w

4. Mahmood, A., Ali, H., Jamil, D., Ahmed, R., Kalo, N., Saeed, N., & Abdullah, G. (2024, August 16). Effects of Energy Drink Consumption on Specific Cardiovascular and Psycho-Behavioral Parameters Among Medical Students at the University of Zakho. Cureus, 16(8). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.67790

5. Francis, J., Martin, K., Costa, B., Christian, H., Kaur, S., Harray, A., Barblett, A., Oddy, W. H., Ambrosini, G., Allen, K., & Trapp, G. (2017, October). Informing Intervention Strategies to Reduce Energy Drink Consumption in Young People: Findings From Qualitative Research. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(9), 724-733. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2017.06.007