Celsius. Monster. Alani Nu. Red Bull. This colorful assortment of energy drink cans can be found tucked in student fridges, crushed in campus recycling bins or clutched in the caffeinated fists of college students as they hurry across campus, bleary eyed and buzzing from too little sleep and too much caffeine.
Second-year nursing student, Anne Rechsteiner, said that a high demographic of people drink energy drinks, particularly in college.
“If you haven't already started, then you probably don't want to get into it,” Rechsteiner said. “But when you're in college, you do it. Then, it becomes a daily beverage, for sure.”
Students consume energy drinks for a variety of reasons said Jack Goldsmith, a clinical professor who teaches biochemistry and nutrition to first-year medical students.
Some may use them to work through the levels of a new video game while others drink them for a boost of energy between a late-night shift and an early morning class — especially when exams and papers begin to stack up, Goldsmith said.
Rechsteiner, a self proclaimed "constant energy drinker", said coffee doesn't do it for her. In order to satisfy her high caffeine threshold, Rechsteiner said she usually downs an energy drink, preferably a Monster, in the mornings.
“This morning I drank an energy drink and I went to the gym," Rechsteiner said. "But, like, if an energy drink is not had, I don't think I can go to the gym or do anything active for that matter.”
While second-year sports management student Diesel Knight doesn’t regularly consume energy drinks himself, he said students tend to "pound" a bunch of energy drinks to get through finals week or to do well in their classes. This creates the narrative of the "exhausted college kid," he said.
“I think everyone's exhausted,” Knight said. “I think everyone's brains are being run dry, so they do what they can to keep whatever energy they can get.”
According to Science Direct, despite energy drinks' adverse effects they are marketed to stimulate physical and mental benefits to create alertness and increased engagement in sports.
Rechsteiner said Celsius and Alani Nu are marketed towards the fitness community while Monster is marketed towards "adrenaline and junkies."
These beverages become part of college culture due to peer pressure, Goldsmith said. Students may start with coffee before moving up to things such as Red Bull, Monster and Celsius, she said.
Students can find these drinks at Walmart, gas stations or even on campus, Rechsteiner said. There is a Monster energy truck that delivers free drinks weekly to campus, and many people Rechsteiner knows will wait for it to arrive, she said.
USC registered dietitian Katie Graham said students may flock to energy drinks due to additional benefits listed on the can, such as antioxidants, vitamins or minerals. However, Graham said these claims may not be true. Energy drinks are marketed as a supplement, meaning that any health benefit claims they have on them do not need to be FDA approved, he said.
“Students and other people in the community, the public, thinks that they're getting these things out of the beverage or thinks that they can get that quick energy from the beverage to kind of get them through their next afternoon day,” Graham said. “When (in) actuality, they might get a short spike in energy and probably won't get — or may or may not get those nutrients.”
Many energy drinks contain a lot of caffeine, with a can of Celsius alone making up about 200 milligrams of caffeine. While a healthy individual should consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine in a day, college students may push that boundary without being aware of it, Goldsmith said.
For people who aren't used to caffeine, a drink like Celsius can cause someone to feel tightly wound or jittery, Goldsmith said.
"They can feel anxious," Goldsmith said. "Depending on what their health is, they could end up with a fast heartbeat, some things like that."
According to the Mayo Clinic, overconsumption of caffeine can lead to insomnia, nervousness and physical and psychological dependance on the stimulant.
In Graham's nutrition appointments, which consist primarily of students seeking help for eating disorders, she has seen some students use caffeine as a way to reduce their appetite, skip meals and forgo sleep. Drinking too much caffeine can lead to malnourishment, dehydration and increased heart rate, Graham said.
Graham also said that it’s up to students to be conscious consumers and be knowledgeable about what they are drinking.
“I think it's like one of those things, just like with sugar,” Graham said. “Demonizing one specific thing is sometimes not our best route. We just want to make sure that we're aware of the knowledge and able to go with moderation.”