Energy Drinks and "pre-workouts"
Energy drinks and pre-workout powders are a common but potentially dangerous item ingested before exertional physical activity. There are many risks associated with these stimulant drinks and mixes that are often overlooked due to the buzz or rush of alertness and energy one feels once ingested into the human body.
Normal bodily responses to a stimulant are:
Increased Heart Rate
Increased Blood Pressure
Dehydration
Heart Palpitations
anxiety, irritability, and restlessness
Insomnia (inability to sleep, or fall into "restful sleep"
When these items are paired with exertional physical activity (practice, weight training, competition etc) the body puts an abnormally high strain on blood vessels such as arteries and veins, and the vitals like liver and kidneys. High levels of chronic stress can cause severe irreversible damage to these crucially important structures and place the student-athlete at an increased risk for stroke or other severe cardiovascular episode.
Forms of Energy Drink and Pre-workouts to be mindful of and avoid:
Commercially distributed can (Red Bull, Monster, Bang, Rockstarr, C4, 3D, Celsius)
Pre-workout powder (C4, total war, Beyond Raw, Bucked Up, Ghost, Jacked 3D etc)
Pill (Vali Caffeine, performance lab stim,ProLab, Nutricost, Zhou, Bulksupplement)
Gum (Military Energy Gum, Viter, Apollo, Zenergy, X8, Jolt, Vibe, Plow on)
Patch (Trio Wake up call, Vie, 8hr energy, the good patch, perk energy bracelet)