Energy Drinks and Sports Performance, Cardiovascular Risk, and Genetic Associations; Future Prospects

Abstract

The consumption of energy drinks (e.g., containing caffeine and taurine) has increased over the last decade among adolescents and athletes to enhance their cognitive level and improve intellectual and athletic performance. Numerous studies have shown that drinking moderate doses of such drinks produces beneficial effects, as they considerably boost the sporting performance of elite athletes in various sports, including both endurance and explosive events. However, apart from their ergogenic effects, the regular consumption of energy drinks also increases blood pressure and consequently incites problems such as hypertension, tachycardia, and nervousness, all of which can lead to cardiovascular disorders. A potential positive correlation between genetics and the moderate consumption of energy drinks and athletic performance has recently been reported; notwithstanding, a better understanding of the genetic variants involved in metabolism is a key area for future research to optimize the dose of energy drink consumed and obtain the maximal ergogenic effect in elite sports. The aim of this literature review, therefore, is to present the results of recent studies, classifying them according to the differences in the associations between energy drinks and: (i) Athletic performance; (ii) cardiovascular risk factors while practicing sports; and (iii) genetic associations and future prospects between the consumption of energy drinks and performance.

Genetics and sports performance: the present and future in the identification of talent for sports based on DNA testing

“…For example, acute ingestion of the phytochemical caffeine is a dietary factor that increases endurance performance with considerable interindividual differences (Guest et al 2021 ). Future genetic studies that associate caffeine ergogenicity, genetics and interindividual responses may help to enhance the use of caffeine supplementation to improve sports performance in a more individualized manner (Gutiérrez-Hellín and Varillas-Delgado 2021 ). Finally, a certain amount of individual variation in responses to training may also be attributed to measurement error, a factor that should be accounted for wherever possible in future studies, to clarify and quantify the role of these factors with the ultimate goal of improving the prediction of training responses to endurance exercise and to provide further insight into the mechanisms of aerobic-based training adaptations (Fig.…”

Assessment of the effects of energy drinks on the cardiovascular system among students of the medical science

“…Dokumentovani nepovoljni kardiovaskularni efekti uključuju tahikardiju, ekstrasistole, povećani volumen moždanog udara i moguće druge aritmije. Pored toga, energetski napici sadrže visoke doze taurina koje skraćuju trajanje akcionog potencijala i usporavaju brzinu terminalne repolarizacije srčanog akcionog potencijala, promovišući atrijalne i ventrikularne aritmije ili srčani zastoj [19][20][21].…”

Energy Drinks: Cardiovascular Complications

“…In 2013, the International Sport Society stated that EDs contain many ingredients who safety is unknown. They therefore recommended that children and adolescents should not consume EDs without parental permission [117,124,125].…”