infographic from the hilarious Onion.com.
Eighteen deaths may not sound like a lot, especially in a world where millions of energy drinks are sold and consumed each year, an $8.9 billion-dollar industry. But that’s still 18 people whose lives were possibly cut short thanks to, well, a short cut. And if the death toll isn’t shocking enough, how about this stat: a federal report found over 13,000 emergency room visits linked to energy drinks in 2009.
I have been in the latter group and, depending on who you ask, I was nearly in the former.
I feel sick just remembering it. The funny thing is that I was so sick, I don’t remember much of the experience but the one thing I remember most was how horribly awful I felt. In 2010 I ran a local 10-mile race. No biggie, I’d run more than twice that distance in the past and my friends and I had signed up for it just to have an excuse to put on tutus, run and laugh together. It was supposed to just be a fun run. But because of my super perfectionist drive (and because I’d just had a baby and was trying to prove that I was back in black), I’d gotten it in my mind that I was going to try for a PR (personal record, in running parlance). Never mind that I hadn’t trained for a PR. Never mind that I still wasn’t fully recovered from childbirth. Never mind that I knew, deep down, that even if did run my socks off it still wouldn’t make me enough. Because no matter what I did, I never felt like was enough in those days. I hadn’t learned yet how to separate who I am from what I do.
So when we queued up at the start line and a friend offered me a couple of mysterious “energy” pills (including a powder I mixed into my water bottle), I took them. I took them because I couldn’t look “failure” in the face and to me “failing” was doing anything less than 110% of what I was capable of. Looking back it all sounds so ridiculous now. It was a relatively small race in a relatively small town and I’ve never been the fastest runner. I’ve never won anything, ever. Not a single person in the world cared what my finishing time would be. No one would love me less for running slow. Except me.
Here’s what happened, as blogged here by me the day after:
“You remember the children’s story The Red Shoes? Little orphaned girl covets red dancing shoes, girl gets shoes and loves them more than anything else, the shoes become possessed and bind to her feet forcing her to dance until at last she convinces someone to chop off her feet. And then she dies! Charming little tale: deadly sin, demonic possession, punishment that way overshadows the crime – sure don’t make fairy tales like they used to! Well, I was now the girl in the red shoes. My legs only had one speed: sprint. So I ran the first three or four miles at a crazy pace and then it hit me. No, not another stick. The nausea that had been building now punched me in the stomach and I immediately knew I shouldn’t have blogged about runners who poop their pants because I was pretty sure I was about to join their ranks. I stopped just long enough to blow chunks. Thankfully they came out of my mouth. (I never thought I’d be so grateful for barf!)
I have never, ever vomited during a race. Wanted to, yes. Done it, no. I walked a few paces and then my stupid possessed legs took off again. This became my strategy for the last 6 miles: sprint until I was 99% sure I was going to puke again, retch/vomit and then walk. Sprint, dry heave, walk. Repeat. I’m pretty sure this particular strategy isn’t covered in any of the major running manuals. Can’t say I recommend it either. By mile 8 I just wanted to die. If I’d known the neighborhood at all, I would have ducked out of the race but I knew I had to make it to the finish line to find my friends and my ride home. So I continued to run the most schizophrenic race ever, alternately confusing and horrifying fellow runners and bystanders alike. Hey kids, don’t do drugs!
The finish line is supposed to be a glorious moment where you sprint with your arms held high in the ecstasy of victory. I dragged over it after having walked most of the final mile, my possessed leg muscles twitching in protest. To be honest I don’t remember much after that. I hugged Gym Buddy Dennis. Some man I didn’t know gave me a picnic blanket to put over the two sweatshirts I was already wearing over my running clothes and I still couldn’t stop shaking. I ate one bite of a salted nut roll only to throw it back up in my mouth. My legs were weak, I wanted to cry and my heart was beating so fast and funny I was sure I’d just self-medicated myself into a heart attack. I kept a brave face on until I got home (at least I think I did, my friends would have to tell you how convincing I was) hoping that my husband would be home. He wasn’t.
I burst into hysterical sobs, threw up again and eventually managed to drag myself into bed which is where my kids found me sometime later crying and hyperventilating. By the time my husband got up there I begged him to take me to the E.R. because I was that sure I was dying.”
Not my finest moment, to say the least.
In the days following this saddest of all race reports, I got more than a few e-mails from readers telling me how stupid I’d been. (And I agreed with them. Who takes pills/powder without even knowing what they are?!) But I got two particularly memorable notes, from doctors, telling me I was lucky I’d puked so much of it back out because I could have died from that amount of caffeine*. Indeed, people have died doing pretty much what I did. The combined effect of the stress on the heart from running and the stress on the vascular system from the energy pills/drinks can be lethal. That was very sobering. I had just had a baby. I had four kids who only had one mom. I can’t even imagine not being able to come home to them because of something as silly as a race time.
Energy drinks like Rockstar, Monster, J3cked and especially 5-hour Energy have been in the news of late, thanks to a number of lawsuits against the companies saying their product is often harmful, sometimes lethal. There’s been a lot of discussion around the web about whether or not these cases can be attributed to the energy drink alone or if the problems occurred because the drink was taken with something else (vodka Red Bull tonic, anyone?) or because it was taken far in excess of the recommended serving. To me, while those arguments are interesting, they’re ultimately irrelevant.
The only salient question in my mind is this: Why do you need an energy drink?
I’m sure that there are people like night-shift nurses and air traffic controllers who will say they need a 5-Hour Energy to do their jobs properly. And I won’t dismiss that. But the vast majority of answers I’ve heard are fairly frivolous, like mine was. Slightly increased athletic performance. Studying through the night for a final exam. Dancing until dawn. Needing it to “wake up” in the morning. Ice fishing (wha?). Weight loss.
There’s a reason you see a Starbucks cup molded into every Hollywood starlet’s hand in every paparrazzi pic. There’s a reason that diet drinks are all “fortified” with kola nut, mate, and guarana (all sneaky names for caffeine). There’s a reason diet pill is synonymous with caffeine pill. Caffeine is known to be an appetite suppressant and also gives you a boost of energy that you may need due to dieting – at least until you get used to the effects. Which only takes about two weeks. At which point you either need to take more or switch to a different formulation… until you get used to that one. And so it goes. This is why diet pills don’t work. You may drop some pounds in the beginning but it’s not a lasting effect. I’ve known anorexics who routinely took enough caffeine to kill a horse. You can’t win. Like Oprah said, “If there was a diet pill that really worked, I would have found it by now and it would be one of my Favorite Things.” (Pill bottles with little bows for everyone in the audience! Magic!)
These days, as I’m still very sensitive to it, I mainly avoid caffeine. Sometimes I drink a Crystal Light energy (60 mg caffeine) before a really hard workout or on a really bad morning. I don’t think it’s bad in and of itself and there are good uses for it. But like many things, some is good and more is not better. Scale is important: There’s a difference between a cup of coffee in the morning and pounding Red Bulls like they’re water. You need to be really aware of what you’re putting into your body (and make sure to figure out what all those other things in that “proprietary energy blend” are!) but even more importantly you need to know why you’re taking it. Even if it’s a small risk, is it worth it just to get an extra hour of studying in?
And then there’s this: As if pills, powders, drinks, gum and candy weren’t enough, now Cracker Jacks are coming in a caffeinated version.
So now I’m asking you: Do you ever use energy drinks/pills/supplements? If so, why? Anyone else ever OD’d on them like I did? Do all these new statistics coming out make you nervous? Would you eat caffeinated Cracker Jacks??
*To this day I’m still not sure exactly how much caffeine I consumed, mostly because when I did finally figure out what the products were and looked them up, all the formulations were proprietary. And because they were marketed as supplements and not food/beverages, there was no FDA oversight requiring such disclosure. My best guess is it was around 2 grams. (The average cup of coffee is 60- 90 milligrams). It should also be noted that not everyone reacts as badly to caffeine as I did. I hardly ever have it so my tolerance for it is very low. The person who gave it to me took the same dose I did and was totally fine.
I remember when you posted that story and it still haunts me! I have awful reactions to caffeine, a cup of strong coffee can leave me shaky and light-headed for hours. I don’t touch caffeine at all before a race out of fear of reliving your experience! Ah, don’t you love that it has become a cautionary tale?
Haha – I live to serve! Seriously though, if I can help people learn from my mistakes I’m all for it;)
And that story backs up the old “don’t try anything new on race day”. Two grams of caffeine!?!
While I do enjoy my daily cup of coffee (or two), I’ve never liked energy drinks. The first time I tried Red Bull was almost 20 years ago, and I thought it tasted like gummi bears dissolved in soda with a dash of cough juice, read gross!
I accidentaly overdosed on guarana. Twice. Last time it was in the form of a herbal tea blend. The one time I forgot to read the label. That stuff kept me up all night, a jittery mess. Sigh!
Yes, I learned the hard way that race truism:)
Yikes, that sounds scary. On my 19th birthday, I thought I was going to die from an overdose of Red Bull. We had pre-drinks at my friend’s house and then we went to another bar before hitting the club. In total, I probably had 12-15 Jagerbombs in the space of two hours. It’s the only time in my life I have completely blacked out and not been able to remember anything. I ended up in the emergency room, convinced that I was going to die. I kept wanting to sleep but the nurse kept telling my friend to hit me so I didn’t lose consciousness. I thought someone had spiked my drink, but then I realised having the equivalent of 10 Red Bulls in a row probably wasn’t the best idea. It definitely scared me off drinking for a while!!
The worst I’ve ever felt when out drinking was when I did Jagerbombs. I’ve never been so sick. Thankfully, I didn’t black out, but I wanted to die for a little while there. Now, I can’t be in the room and smell Red Bull without getting queasy!
Hahah you guys are making me glad I don’t drink! Glad you are both ok:)
I’ve been drinking so much caffeine I’m largely immune to it. I drink 16 oz with a few espresso shots before my workout daily and have done so for years out of habit. It doesn’t even get my heart rate up anymore.
I’ll stick to my normal coffee consumption, thanks. Never had an energy drink (beyond a sip), don’t plan on it. Even non-caffeinated syrupy sweet and/or carbonated drinks make me want to puke, even without the running.
ha! Good point! They taste awful!
I remember that race story – scary!
I’m not an energy drink fan, but I drink coffee every morning. Love coffee. Tried green tea pills once and they made me jittery, so they went in the garbage.
My husband used to drink energy drinks. He’d get together with his friends and they’d stay up late playing computer games, and he’d drink energy drinks. He was diagnosed with scary-high blood pressure, he had to go on medication, and he actually started reading labels on things and energy drinks are one of the things that became off limits.
My husband delivers fuel at night. So he drinks a 5 hour energy maybe twice a week. It’s the only caffeine he uses, so it works… but he’s pretty stingy with how often he uses it…
When I want energy to complete a tougher than normal workout I turn to T-Tapps Pyruvyl-Glycine. Zero caffeine. Zero sugar. Just amino acids, B vitamins and deionized water.
I have IBS and any amount of caffeine totally effs up my stomach. Despite that, about 10 years ago I used to have an Americano every morning to mask my fatigue and keep me fueled for the stupid workouts I did and a load of college, internship, works, etc. Like clockwork about 5 hours later, I would be in horrible digestive pain. Lovely decision on my part.
I haven’t had any coffee or the link in 8 years and it’s the best thing I’ve done. Yes, I’m tired sometimes and fatigue can suck, but at least I know I have natural energy or natural fatigue and don’t try to artificially design or mask it. Natural foods might not be the same thing, but good lord, you never have to worry about dying or having a heart attack from an overdose. Coffee in moderation, but I don’t understand those who pop pills or powders on the regular.
If you’re so busy and tired that you can’t take care of yourself, you need to reevaluate your priorities. (Steps off soapbox.)
As a fellow IBS sufferer (thankfully under control now) I agree about the caffeine problems. And this: “If you’re so busy and tired that you can’t take care of yourself, you need to reevaluate your priorities. ” Yes. Another thing I’ve had to learn the hard way.
I really like this: “But like many things, some is good and more is not better.” Going off caffiene was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It really is a drug. I miss it though!
I agree – it is def. a drug! Congrats on quitting it – that can be really difficult!
I haven’t heard anything about an age limit getting put on energy drinks, but yes they are able to kill you. They can really blow your heart up if to many are drunk.
2 grams and then you ran? Wow…I’m so glad you were OK. You really could have…yeah. Well you know that…
People seem to think that since caffeine is available daily that it’s safe…that there is no risk, even with rediculous amounts. I recall when I worked in a coffee shop in university coming on shift just after two coworkers were bored and had an espresso drinking contest. After 8 shots they both were ill…and 1 went in to emerg with heart palpitations and were given 2 days off work without pay as reprimand…it gave us all a healthy respect for caffeine.
I am frustrated that since snack companies are feeling threatened because people are trying to get their kids to eat less crap and do more so they want to put caffeine in things. First it was in fruit juice (which thankfully they were denied)…but in cracker jacks? Seriously? Sugar and caffeine in one package? Man…I wish there was an age restriction on these things…
I admit, while in grad school I relied on caffeine sometimes to make it through exhausted days on 4 hours of sleep, but even I knew my limits. I’m quite sure my crazy stress fits on more than one occasion were caffeine fueled. Weaning myself off down to a cup or two of coffee a day afterwards was not fun…and made me realize just how addictive and dependancy making caffeine can really be.
” made me realize just how addictive and dependancy making caffeine can really be.” It’s so true and scary how quickly we can acclimate to it and how hard it is to detox again… Glad your coworkers were ok!
I tried a couple of energy drinks a few years ago. They tasted like cough syrup, so I only had a sip.
It seems that a new energy/weight loss/”miracle” supplement comes out every couple of years. There’s no FDA regulation, and people die. I read a story in the 90’s about a young mom who was given supplements by her trainer at the gym, had a heart attack in her sleep, and was found by her husband.
And remember Phen/Phen? That WAS regulated, and people STILL died.
I think what Geosomin said is right on: Companies are getting desperate. How long before we start hearing of kids being rushed to the hospital after eating Cracker Jacks?
Back in college I once took a No Doz so I could write a term paper. I was still sleepy, but loopy. I decided the paper would be better if I typed with my nose.
Never took those caffeine pills again. I stick to coffee. 1 or 2 cups per day, and never at night. My nose is grateful.
So true about companies consistently upping the ante when it comes to drawing in more customers. I had a No Doz incident myself in college!
“What a story!
I’ve never liked energy drinks, but coffee and caffeine pills… I’ve been hooked more than once. I discovered caffeine pills when I modeled; I had to drive 1.5-2.5hrs each way depending upon traffic to and from the bay area several times a week, suffered from chronic fatigue issues and was terrified of drowsy driving. But I didn’t want to have to stop to pee five million times either so enter the pill form! Bonus, I still had energy to exercise and maintain my weight. Stopped doing that though when I got pregnant.
Then, after my second child, my loving husband bought me a Kuerig. 3+ cups of coffee a day is a great substitute for quality sleep, right? It got to the point where I was drinking all of this coffee just to go from feeling like crap to feeling like warmed over crap. So I quit cold turkey a couple weeks ago. After a few days of hellacious headaches, I felt better! Surprise! And I look forward to an occasional coffee treat, when I’ll actually feel the boost since my adrenal glands are no longer worn out.
I’m so glad you mentioned your adrenals! I forgot to talk about that in the post but burning out the adrenal system is a real risk of over-stimulating. And congrats on quitting it cold turkey! I remember in my diet pill phase – it was wretched going off them.
I like coffee. I don’t drink it every day, actually, I’ts been 6 or 7 months without coffee for me. I have my caffeine in other ways sometimes. But one day a few years ago just when all this energy drink fad was starting I had a bad time with one. My boyfriend and I wanted to go to a museum, so we took the subway and headed there. While changing subway lines we felt thirsty and decided to buy something to drink. I found “something” (I assumed it was soda) in a very cute colourful can. So I bought it and drank it. It tasted funny but good, so I finished it and kept the can (the real reason I bought it). By the time we arrived to the museum I started to feel very VERY active, and excited about anything. I tried to concentrate on the exhibit but my body just wanted to run around prehispanic sculptures. My boyfriend asked me if I was OK but then I started to feel scared and anxious and frankly paranoid. We had to skip the museum visit and instead we walked for 2 hours back home waiting for all the caffeine to ware off. When we got home I had an epic caffeine crash and stay away of those horrible energy drinks.
So glad you’re okay! That stuff makes me feel panicky and paranoid too!
Awww, I remember this story :(. One ice tea or diet coke can keep me going all day. If I have a good amount of caffeine (say, the equivalent of a few diet cokes or coffees) in an evening, I will wake up the next day anxious and on the verge of what I can only assume feels like a panic attack. I used to use a redbull shot in the AM of races, now I get away with just a cup of chai tea to get a boost.
Also, I found that my “go out hard and try to hang on strategy” doesn’t work so well, and it’s easier to control myself at the start of a race when I’m not all happy waggly puppy. My best bet is to consume a little in the AM (tea) and use caffeinated fuel along the way in small doses. It took a lot of practice to figure out what worked!
So glad you figured out what works for you! And this: “and it’s easier to control myself at the start of a race when I’m not all happy waggly puppy” made me laugh so much. I know that feeling!
I drink a lot of caffeine from the coffee and soda I drink, but I’m not a fan of energy drinks. Of course, I’ve done diet pills in the past, but haven’t done so for several years now and don’t plan on doing it again.
I scored a 5 Hour Energy sample at a race expo and kept it for “when I really needed it.” I’ve had it since July and haven’t touched it. Now, with the heart attack risks, I’ll be throwing it away.
This is exactly why I never drink this crap! I know it’s hard for most people, but you gotta wean yourself off of it :\
Long ago I used to have an energy drink after a big night out or on a long drive but then along came children – and since I’ve breast feed both I gave it up.
I do still have a coke here or there through the week, sometimes more than I’d like. But with 2 small boys who are very active and one of who still wakes up to 4 times a night sometimes a glass of coke is all that gets me through the afternoon ( I now buy their mini bottles though so it’s only 200ml).
The thing that worries me the most about putting caffeine into snacks isn’t that it’s in a single product but that these products eaten in combinations could unwittingly lead people especially children or teenagers and those who aren’t label conscious to an unhealthy level of caffeine very quickly !
Good point about the greater the number of caffeinated products, the greater the risk of OD’ing on them… Scary!
Why does anyone need/ want caffeinated cracker jacks?!? I get addicted easily and have been off and on addicted to caffiene, off now and not missing it. I could never get into energy drinks cause I don’t like the taste.
I get that in hindsight taking caffiene pills randomly before a race doesn’t sound like the best idea. But I honestly would have done the same thing. I once took some random caffiene pills on a really long drive by myself. I actually took a whole box. It gave me the shakes and made me so hyper. I got home from a 14 hr drive and cleaned my entire apartment, did all the washing and couldn’t sleep for hours. My room mate was stoked though. I felt so sick the next day.
Haha glad I’m not the only one who does stuff like that but I’m more glad that you’re ok!
I am way sensitive to caffeine, even just a diet coke can make it hard to fall asleep. As such, I never got into coffee even during the long hours of my job. 5 hour energy or rockstar or whatever is out of the question! Your story was scary; I’m glad everything turned out ok!
I don’t do cafienne and when I do have it, I know about it! The only stuff I have is black decaf tea. Hate coffee. In the past though I took red bulls at fitness conventions because they were free. Yeah what a great way to super charge us during 8+ hours of exercise than a high cafienne drink? I did have a few heart palpitations/panic attack sensations but nothing super serious like yours.
I will say that a race I did last year I had similar post race symptoms to you, couldn’t get warm, core temperature dropped too low. Took me 4 hours to warm up, by then we were eating brunch having driven the 45 minutes home!
Also my pace is usually all over the place anyway depending on the music playing on my iPod 😉
I’m a big energy drink fan myself (Monster and AMP)
Funny thing is caffein has a mild effect on me at best. I’ve drank energy drinks in the past and fallen fast asleep soon after.
I just love the taste and the carbonation.
Once in a while I’ll stop drinking them just to see if I have any effects. I just miss the drinks, but no changes in energy level.
I think caffein in general is just like anything else. It can be abused, it can effect people to different degrees. But I hesitate to put it into a category of something we must avoid.
I also just read someone claiming energy drinks cause adrenal fatigue. I haven’t looked into it, but i’m willing to bet there are 101 other causes of adrenal fatigue, stress, over training, poor diet, lack of sleep, anxiety, ect.
My 2 cents are that energy drinks can be a symptom of a problem or expose an existing problem or sensitivity rather than being an issue in and of themselves.
I don’t do any caffeine- exercise for me gives me plenty of energy 😉 I hate coffee, don’t drink caffeinated beverages or energy drinks or any of that bull. I eat whole, healthy foods and work out- that’s all the energy I need…a la natural style 😉
I don’t drink much caffeine at all, just the occasionally chai, tea or very rarely an imported coke with real sugar. I was never much of a coffee drinker (which makes me think that I was the one adopted not my brother as my family is way coffee-addicted) but in college I got in the habit of drinking Mr. Pibb a ton. broke from the pop habit for a long time then had a roommate who always had it stocked and was back to one a day for three years. I have since given it up again and am so glad I did. I know many people who would do the same thing and pop a caffeine pill or chug coffee on race day and am so glad that you made it through the craziness.
main reason I commented was to share about a CrossFit competition I went to earlier this year – they had all of these great vendors there including a lot of paleo and nutritious offerings… and then the red bull car pulled up. Out popped the red bull girls that I am amazed were able to carry the coolers on their back. They walked around and were astounded that everyone pretty much ignored them or turned them down! I have to admit I loved watching it happen! They didn’t last long and took off. I can’t even imagine choking down one of those cough syrup mixes and then doing the intense workouts we did that day.
I’m running behind (as usual these days). I also remember when you posted the original story. I have a funny heart so have to be really careful. About a year or so ago I bought what I thought was an Iced Tea from the cafe near work. I didn’t check the label (for Iced Tea ?) but it contained Guarana. Before I’d finished half of it I had heart palpitations, was sweating and thought for sure I was going to die ! I don’t think I’d survive more than a mouthful of an energy drink. There’s been a bit in the news about it in Australia too. The pollies are talking about putting big warnings on it or something (the politician answer to everything – either plaster it with warnings or tax it into oblivian, or both !)
Man, that’s terrifying. I drank half a RedBull once before stair running and I got way tired, way fast. That was my first and last energy drink! I’m trying to get my boyfriend to stop drinking Monsters, too. He doesn’t do it often but it freaks me out anyway, especially because he rarely drinks coffee, or eat chocolate, or have much of any source of caffeine.
Also, this semester we did ECGs (those little “beep…beep…beep…” squiggly graphs of your heartbeat) in our physiology lab, and after drinking coffee our subject’s heart rate shot way up, about the same as right after running laps. Can’t imagine consuming caffeine right before exercise- so much stress on a poor little heart 🙁
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