“Caffeine is a crafty drug that temporarily blocks adenosine [a chemical involved in how tired we feel] pathways, giving you a boost while allowing 'feel good' molecules in the brain – such as dopamine – to be released more readily.
Acute effects of energy drink consumption on mood
For instance, double-blind trials have shown benefits of energy drinks compared to placebo in relation to well-being, vitality, and social extrovertedness,22 depression and anxiety,21 and in improving or maintaining mood under fatiguing or cognitively demanding tasks.
Increased Headaches And Mood Swings
High levels of stress, depressive mood symptoms, and suicidal conduct in teens who regularly drank energy drinks may be explained by the mood swings and irritability brought on by caffeine overdose or withdrawal.
Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system which increases heart rate and blood flow. If consumed in access, can cause anxiety, heart palpitations, agitation, and other physical symptoms. Dr. Page believes there are many healthy alternatives if you are looking to be more awake and aware during your day.
As a boost of energy
One of the most reasons people drink energy drinks is to give them a boost of energy. It is popular among athletes, who need a faster recovery after exercise, or consume pre-workout to give their body the boost it needs to perform best during exercise.
As for most adults, up to 400 milligrams of caffeine a day appears to be safe, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Healthy adults who choose to drink energy drinks should not exceed one can per day,” the Mayo Clinic's Zeratsky said.
Energy drink is addictive because it causes the brain to release dopamine, the feel-good hormone. Energy drinks are beverages that contain high amounts of sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants. The most common uses of these drinks are to increase physical performance, improve mental alertness, and boost energy levels.
Even though caffeine is a stimulant, it's not generally recommended as a treatment for ADHD because it hasn't proved to be as effective as prescription medications.
In several studies, energy drinks have been found to improve physical endurance, but there's less evidence of any effect on muscle strength or power. Energy drinks may enhance alertness and improve reaction time, but they may also reduce steadiness of the hands.
“If you know you're having a stressful day or you're in an anxious period, definitely avoid energy drinks and caffeine. You may think that a cup of coffee will help to power you through a difficult day but with anxiety being so crippling for concentration and focus, there is a strong chance it will make it all worse.”
The best stress-relieving drinks include ginger, chamomile tea, valerian, black tea, coconut water, milk, green tea, coffee, lemon balm tea, water, and vegetable and fruit juice. Aromatherapy is another self-soothing practice shown to have benefits for mental health. You can read more about it here.
Caffeine increases the effects of two neurotransmitters: dopamine, which helps to regulate mood, and serotonin, which improves focus and motivation. Caffeine blocks the neurotransmitter adenosine, which tells the body that it's getting sleepy.
Probably due to a lack of usage of your energy. When you drink Red Bull it is speedeing up your metabolism, putting that unused enrgy to work and making you body feel like it's actually using all that it has, therefore calming you.
Engage in meaningful or enjoyable behaviors. When your energy is low and you're experiencing a depressive episode, you may not feel like doing anything, even things that used to bring you joy. Yet, doing something enjoyable or meaningful has been shown to boost energy.
Stimulants are believed to work by increasing dopamine levels in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation, pleasure, attention, and movement. For many people with ADHD, stimulant medications boost concentration and focus while reducing hyperactive and impulsive behaviors.
Because it has stimulant properties, consuming caffeine could theoretically be a helpful way to manage ADHD symptoms. However, caffeine affects everyone differently. While some with ADHD find that it helps them focus and concentrate, others experience the opposite effect and become increasingly irritable or agitated.
With ADHD, dopamine levels are already low. Adding caffeine will increase the dopamine, which ultimately gets the levels just right, helps settle down the areas of the brain that are overactive and gets them to cooperate better with other areas of the brain.
Cipollone et al. (27) found similar patterns among soldiers: those with ADHD diagnosis tended to consume more caffeinated products and also had a higher prevalence of SUD than those without an ADHD diagnosis.
Is there a winner? Though energy drinks aren't all bad, coffee is the better choice. The potential health benefits and the ability to restrict the number of additives when it comes to coffee outweigh the trace amounts of nutrients and sugar crash usually associated with energy drinks.
According to experts, healthy adults should limit their energy drink intake to roughly one can per day because they are loaded with synthetic caffeine, sugar, and other unnecessary ingredients that can do more harm than good.