Energy drinks and how they affect your heartrate

We all get tired. The feeling comes when we haven’t had enough sleep, are stressed or we are simply getting ready for bed. The feeling can be so relaxing but also inconvenient during the middle of the day. To fix this inconvenience some people might drink pop, coffee or energy drinks.  

Energy drinks do exactly what they say, they give you energy. This energy that we all love, does come at a cost. Australian Genetic Heart Disease Registry determines “There are three main effects energy drinks can have on the heart: increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and evidence of increasing blood thickening that can lead to clots forming in the heart and other parts of the body.”  

All these side effects are dangerous for your health. An increased heart rate alone could lead to Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) or, in some extreme cases, ventricular fibrillation. These side effects are something that should be taken seriously. Your heart is vital to your life.  

Along with all the effects on your heart, energy drinks are loaded with caffeine. Hint, why the drinks are filled with energy. Some advice to remember when drinking caffeine, do not mix with alcohol, kids/teenagers should have limited caffeine and pregnant women are advised to drink caffeine in small amounts. There are also negative effects to drinking too much caffeine. 

According to Sutter Health, too much caffeine side effects include:  

Some alternative solutions to gaining more energy throughout the day are getting more sleep the night before, exercise frequently, drink more water or change your diet to include more high protein foods.

For more information on energy drinks and caffeine, read our other blogs:  

Energy drinks: Do they help …or harm? | Genesis Healthcare System (genesishcs.org)

How does coffee really make you feel? | Genesis Healthcare System (genesishcs.org)

Caffeine: A Blessing or a Curse? | Genesis Healthcare System (genesishcs.org)