Chugging down an energy drink to get through a night of work might seem like a normal thing to do, but isn’t ideal for your health. According to a new study, consuming too many energy drinks, specifically in a short span can increase blood pressure and disrupt heart rhythm.
The study’s findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. It enrolled 34 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 40. They were randomly assigned to drink 32 ounces of one of two commercially available caffeinated energy drinks or a placebo drink on three separate days.
They were asked to consume the drinks in a 60 minute period but not faster than 16-ounce bottle in 30 minutes.
The research team at the University of the Pacific in the US, that conducted the study had measured the electrical activity of volunteers’ hearts by electrocardiogram, which records the way a heart is beating. They also recorded the participant’s blood pressure. The measurements for this study were taken before the beginning of the study, every 30 minutes before for four hours after drink consumption.
The energy beverages used in the study contained 304 to 320 milligrams of caffeine per 32 fluid ounces. Other common ingredients in the energy drinks in the study included taurine (an amino acid), glucuronolactone (found in plants and connective tissues) and B-vitamins. The placebo drink contained carbonated water, lime juice, and cherry flavouring.
The participants who consumed either type of energy drink were found to have the QT interval was six milliseconds of 7.7 higher at 4 hours compared to the people who had the placebo drinks. The QT interval is a measurement of the time it takes ventricles in the heart (the lower chambers) to prepare to generate a beat again. If this time interval is either too short or too long, it can cause the heart to beat abnormally. The resulting arrhythmia can be life-threatening.
“We found an association between consuming energy drinks and changes in QT intervals and blood pressure that cannot be attributed to caffeine,” said Sachin A Shah, a professor at the University of the Pacific.
“We urgently need to investigate the particular ingredient or combination of ingredients in different types of energy drinks that might explain the findings seen in our clinical trial,” said Shah.
The study is the largest controlled study of the effects of energy drinks on the heart and blood pressure in young healthy volunteers. “Energy drinks are readily accessible and commonly consumed by a large number of teens and young adults, including college students. Understanding how these drinks affect the heart is extremely important,” said Kate O’Dell, a professor at the University of the Pacific.
The research team hopes that their study is able to help spread the word. They urge healthcare professionals to advise certain patient populations, for example, people with underlying congenital or acquired long QT syndrome or high blood pressure, to limit or monitor their consumption
