Abstract
The prevalence of ED consumption has increased over the past 10–15 years. Studies describing the effects of caffeine and caffeinated beverages show confusing results, so it seems important to regularly summarize the available facts, and in more detail. By a thorough analysis of more than 156 scientific papers, the authors describe the molecular background of absorption, as well as the positive and negative effects of different dosages of caffeine, just like its effects in physical activity and performance. ED and EDwA consumption is a regular habit of not only adults, but nowadays even of children and adolescents. There are no safe dosages described of caffeine or ED consumption for children. There are no positive short- or long-term effects of these compounds/products concerning developing brain functions, psycho-motor functions, or social development. Instead, there are many unpleasant side effects, and symptoms of regular or higher-dose ED consumption, especially at younger ages. This mini review describes many details of these unpleasant side effects, their severity, and motivations for consuming these compounds/products. In a quantitative research in Hungary (10–26 years, mean age: 15.6 ± 3.8 y, 1459 subjects, randomly chosen population), a survey based on a questionnaire asking people about their ED consumption habits was conducted. According to the data, 81.8% of the participants consumed EDs at least once, and 63.3% tried several products of the kind. A positive correlation was found between age and consumption (p < 0.001). The results show that a high proportion of this group often consumed EDwA, in many cases leading to harmful side-effects of caffeine overdose. In a sample of Hungarian high school and college students (17–26 years), ED consumption matched the international data, and only 19.7% of respondents did not use EDs at all (had never tasted an ED in their life).
Highlights
Caffeine is a compound of many plants—a special psychostimulant, according to some data—and it is one of the most frequently used psychoactive substances in the world [1].After consumption, it is absorbed quickly.The potential cellular effects of caffeine might be explained by three mechanisms: The antagonism of adenosine receptors [2,3]; mobilization of the intracellular calcium storage; and inhibition of phosphodiesterases [4]
The positive and adverse effects of different caffeine dosages in the body and in human performance; Short- and long-term effects of Energy drink (ED) in different age groups; Motivations for ED consumption; Effects of ED for consumption with alcohol (EDwA) consumption among youngsters; The categories and topics selected for this publication were based on our interest; these topics are very popular in different research areas as well
The peak blood caffeine levels are reached 1 h post-ingestion [7], while others suggest that maximal plasma concentration is reached after 30–60 min from
Summary
Caffeine is a compound of many plants—a special psychostimulant, according to some data—and it is one of the most frequently used psychoactive substances in the world [1].After consumption, it is absorbed quickly.The potential cellular effects of caffeine might be explained by three mechanisms: The antagonism of adenosine receptors (especially in the central nervous system/CNS) [2,3]; mobilization of the intracellular calcium storage (from the ER); and inhibition of phosphodiesterases [4]. Caffeine is a compound of many plants—a special psychostimulant, according to some data—and it is one of the most frequently used psychoactive substances in the world [1]. The most well-recognized mechanism is that caffeine acts in the CNS as a competitor of adenosine in its receptors [4], inhibiting the negative effects that adenosine induces on neurotransmission, excitation, and pain perception [5,6].
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