Energy Drinks

We've all been there, yawning, tired, brain dead and in desperate need of a quick-hit energy boost. In times like those, we love our caffeinated beverages. A nice, cold soda perks us right up and goodness knows, we will always love, love, love our coffee. But mixed together in a "carbonated beverage that fuses Coke effervescence with coffee essence ... to enliven your senses and welcome new possibilities?" Effervescent coffee? Carbonated fusion java? Soda and coffee, all at once in one brew?

The parents of a 14-year-old Hagerstown girl who died in December are suing an energy drink company in a California court, alleging that caffeine in the beverages contributed to her death, according to court records. A complaint filed Friday by Wendy Crossland and Richard Fournier states that their daughter, Anais Fournier, went into cardiac arrest after drinking two 24-ounce Monster Beverage Corp. drinks within a 24-hour period. Monster is based in Riverside County, Calif., where the case was filed.

Mike Gimbel travels around Baltimore with a cache of energy drinks, everything from Red Bull to Monster to 5-Hour Energy shots. When he talks to teenage athletes, the Towson-based substance abuse expert uses his display to help them understand what they consume when downing an energy drink before practice. Sure, they get the caffeine and the sugar that provide the boost they're looking for, but Gimbel said the athletes — and their parents — would be surprised to discover what else is on the label.

With the extreme heat, and even in less extreme temperatures, those who spend any time outside must stay properly hydrated. Some drinks are better than others, and some people need more fluids than others, says Dr. Marc I. Leavey, an internist at Mercy Medical Center and Lutherville Personal Physicians. Should people drink mineral/vitamin waters or Gatorade? And what about energy drinks (i.e., Red Bull, Rockstar): Are they dangerous? What about alcoholic drinks? For dehydration from exercise and heat, cool water is still the best.

Recently, one of my colleagues, a pediatric gastroenterologist, told me about a teenage boy who had come to see him because of severe stomach pain he'd had for about two months. The boy had been referred by his primary care doctor, who had evaluated him for several possible causes, including infections and ulcers. That doctor had also recommended or prescribed a variety of medications to relieve the pain, but to no avail. The specialist performed an endoscopy, in which a camera is inserted into a patient's esophagus and down into the stomach and upper part of the small intestine.

Michael Thomas Truluck, 13, texted his family that he needed a ride home shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. His mother said she saw nothing unusual in the request and sent her fiance to pick up Michael and two other boys, who had spent the afternoon together. "I knew he was hanging out with a bunch of friends, and there was nothing unusual about that," Kristina Keys said. "He texted and asked for a ride home. We picked him and two friends up. " Keys said she had no idea that his Saturday afternoon, which usually included lunch at a fast-food restaurant and hoops at Double Rock Park in Parkville, involved drinking an alcohol-laced energy drink, which an unidentified adult purchased for the pre-teens.

The slogans for so-called energy drinks promise benefits with instant appeal: Athletes will excel, partiers can stay on the go-go, students will be alert enough to study till dawn, and you'll be more productive than that annoying co-worker in the next cubicle. In fact, canned energy in the form of Red Bull, Sobe Adrenaline Rush, Hype, and countless other flashy caffeine- and sugar-choked beverages crowding the shelves has the potential not only to give you a lift but also to drop you on your own slim designer can. The boost in these hip-sounding products comes largely from caffeine -- about the same as a cup of strong-brewed coffee in each 8-ounce serving.

They claim to "give you wings," "unleash the beast" and propel you to attack life at "full throttle," but the bevy of energy drinks on the market could provide more than a turbo-charged rush. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University say some of the wildly popular beverages contain potentially harmful levels of caffeine - as much as 14 cans of Coca-Cola. In a review article appearing in this month's issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the researchers say the drinks should carry warning labels displaying their caffeine content and possible health risks, such as nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, rapid heartbeat and tremors.

Energy drinks charged into the U.S. market in 1997 with Red Bull and its claim: "Improves performance ... increased concentration ... stimulates the metabolism." At 66.7 milligrams of caffeine per 8.3-ounce can, that would be a mere blip in the bold new world of energy drinks. A cup of coffee, by contrast, has 107.5 milligrams. Today, provocative handles like Cocaine (since changed to No Name, owing to a 2007 Food and Drug Administration ruling against naming a product after an illegal drug)

It used to be eight glasses of water a day was enough. Now drinking for good health has gotten a lot more complicated. In the past few years, cold beverages have been the hottest sales category of any specialty foods, according to Specialty Food magazine. Between 2002 and 2004, sales of these New Age drinks jumped almost 40 percent. Last year alone, a staggering 1,020 new alternatives to traditional sodas were introduced. That's a lot of enhanced water beverages, energy drinks, flavored teas and specialty sodas.

Pancakes. Sandwiches. Omelets. And that's just breakfast. Michael Phelps' notorious calorie-dense training diet is so well known, even a NFL football player is using it to bulk up for the season. Aaron Maybin, a linebacker for the New York Jets, says the Olympian's eating habits have been his inspiration to gain 20 pounds. “He eats like one of us,” Maybin told the New York Post, gesturing to his hulking teammates. Maybin, who lives in Maryland, says during the off-season he's spent time with Phelps and watched in awe as he's chowed down.

Growing up in Texas, I played fast pitch softball. After playing in the hot Texas sun, our team, the Sweetpeas, had a snack of oranges and water, in containers brought from home. Today, my husband and I are new Howard County residents and we have gotten our children, ages 6 and 4, involved in sports activities, beginning with T-ball. We have been struck by the well-groomed baseball fields and the engaged volunteer parents. We were impressed with it all — until the post-game snacks came out. Over the last three weeks, these snacks have included chips, fruit roll-ups, sugary rice treats, chocolate-covered doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles, assorted fruit punch and sports drinks.

Growing up in Texas, I played softball - fast pitch. After playing in the hot Texas sun, our team, the Sweetpeas, had a snack of oranges and water, in containers brought from home. Today, my husband and I are new Howard County residents, and we have gotten our children, ages 6 and 4, involved in sports activities, beginning with T-ball. We have been struck by the well-groomed baseball fields and the engaged volunteer parents. We were impressed with it all - until the post-game snacks came out. Over the last three weeks, these snacks have included chips, fruit roll-ups, sugary rice treats, chocolate-covered doughnuts with rainbow sprinkles, assorted fruit punch, and sports drinks.

Baltimore-based Under Armour Inc. is accusing Beverly Hills sports drink maker Body Armor Nutrition LLC of trademark infringement for using a brand name and logo that confuses consumers, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court. The sports apparel maker filed the case in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on April 26, seeking an injunction banning the California company from using the name Body Armor, a logo that resembles Under Armour's interlocking U and A, or the tagline Protect + Restore, which Under Armour says is similar to its tagline, Protect This House.

This week the Wall Street Journal's health blog celebrated its five year anniversary. And not with cake. With the Michael Phelps diet. Or, rather, with the memories of it. In a post looking back at its five years in existence, the bloggers recalled some of their biggest hits. Near the top of the list was one about the Baltimore swimmer's famously fattening power meals. "With over 475 comments and counting," the Wall Street Journal writers said, "it's still one of the most trafficked posts 3 ½ years after it was written.

Michael Thomas Truluck, 13, texted his family that he needed a ride home shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. His mother said she saw nothing unusual in the request and sent her fiance to pick up Michael and two other boys, who had spent the afternoon together. "I knew he was hanging out with a bunch of friends, and there was nothing unusual about that," Kristina Keys said. "He texted and asked for a ride home. We picked him and two friends up. " Keys said she had no idea that his Saturday afternoon, which usually included lunch at a fast-food restaurant and hoops at Double Rock Park in Parkville, involved drinking an alcohol-laced energy drink, which an unidentified adult purchased for the pre-teens.

Are energy drinks bad for you? They're not going to kill you. But many of these increasingly popular drinks contain significant amounts of caffeine, which can make you jittery and cause insomnia. They also contain loads of sugar, which nobody needs. Worse, these drinks are often marketed to kids and teenagers, many of whom already struggle with weight and don't need to add caffeine addiction to their troubles. "Energy drinks are rip-offs," said Bruce Silverglade, legal director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a Washington-based consumer watchdog group.

With the extreme heat, and even in less extreme temperatures, those who spend any time outside must stay properly hydrated. Some drinks are better than others, and some people need more fluids than others, says Dr. Marc I. Leavey, an internist at Mercy Medical Center and Lutherville Personal Physicians. Should people drink mineral/vitamin waters or Gatorade? And what about energy drinks (i.e., Red Bull, Rockstar): Are they dangerous? What about alcoholic drinks? For dehydration from exercise and heat, cool water is still the best.

First Nutrition recently opened two locations in Harford County, one in Bel Air Plaza and the other in Swan Creek, Havre de Grace. Karl and Sharon Graybeal are coaches at the Bel Air operation and Gary and Diane in Havre de Grace. The nutrition clubs are open for breakfast and lunch each day and close around 6 p.m. Both of locations are independent distributors of Herbalife Products, specializing in weight management programs. A new line of "24" brand athletic products is also now available at each site.

Mike Gimbel travels around Baltimore with a cache of energy drinks, everything from Red Bull to Monster to 5-Hour Energy shots. When he talks to teenage athletes, the Towson-based substance abuse expert uses his display to help them understand what they consume when downing an energy drink before practice. Sure, they get the caffeine and the sugar that provide the boost they're looking for, but Gimbel said the athletes — and their parents — would be surprised to discover what else is on the label.