Energy drink

Energy drinks are beverages that are designed to give the consumer a burst of energy by using a combination of methylxanthines (including caffeine), B vitamins, and exotic herbal ingredients. Energy drinks commonly include caffeine, guarana (extracts from the guarana plant) or taurine plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, while most brands also offer an artificially sweetened version. The central active ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine the same stimulant found in coffee or tea, often in the form of guarana (as in Josta, for example) or yerba mate. The average 237 ml (8 fl. oz.) energy drink has about 80mg of caffeine, about the same amount as a weak cup of coffee, with 480 ml (16 fl. oz.) drinks containing around 150mg, although recent drinks have created a stir by containing as much as 300mg of caffeine.

These drinks are typically marketed to young people, and people 'on the go.' Approximately 65% percent of energy drink users are under the age of 35 years old, with males representing approximately 65% of the market. Energy drinks may cause seizures in those who suffer from certain forms of epilepsy due to the "crash" following the energy high that occurs after consumption. France has an ongoing ban on one popular energy drink after the untimely death of athlete Ross Cooney after drinking the energy drink Red Bull. The French Scientific Committee concluded that Red Bull has excessive amounts of caffeine. Denmark and Norway have created similar laws to France.

In the United States, some states are cracking down on energy drink makers that have potentially hazardous ingredients, such as alcohol included in the mix. Since alcohol is a depressant, and caffeine is a stimulant, this combination can result in a person being unaware of their lack of sobriety.

History
It may well have come from Scotland in the form of Irn-Bru, first produced in the form of "Iron Brew" in 1901. In Japan, the energy drink phenomenon dates at least as far back as the early 1960s, with the release of the Lipovitan. Most such products in Japan bear little resemblance to soft drinks, and are sold instead in small brown glass medicine bottles or cans styled to resemble such containers. These "genki drinks", which are also produced in South Korea, are marketed primarily to the salaryman set, to help them work long hours, or to stay awake on the late commute home.

In UK, Lucozade Energy was originally introduced in 1929 as a hospital drink for "aiding the recovery;" in the early 1980s, it was promoted as an energy drink for "replenishing lost energy."

In 1995, PepsiCo launched Josta, the first energy drink introduced by a major US beverage company.

In Europe, energy drinks were pioneered by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur who developed Red Bull based on the Thai drink Krating Daeng, itself based on Lipovitan. Red Bull was introduced to the US in 1997 and is the dominant brand there, with a market share of approximately 47%.

By the year 2001, the US energy drink market had grown to nearly 8 billion per year in retail sales. Over the last 5 years, it grew an average of over 50% per year, totaling over $3 billion in 2005. Diet energy drinks are growing at nearly twice that rate within the category, as are 16-ounce sized energy drinks. It is estimated to hit nearly 4 billion in 2006, and both Goldman Sachs and Mintel predict that the energy drink market will hit $10 billion by 2010. Major players such as Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Molson, and Labatt have tried to match the small companies' innovative and different approach, with marginal success.

Energy drinks have also become popular as mixers. Many malt beverages such as Sparks, 3sum malt beverage and Max capitalize on the effects of caffeine while drinking alcohol.

Derivatives
Smart energy drinks combine energy drinks with smart drinks. Drinks such as SmartPower and NOS claim that their ingredients modulate how the brain neurochemistry reacts to caffeine, enhancing its positive effects and reducing side-effects.

"Hair of the Dog" brand Energy Drinks are intended to supply liver detoxifiers and anti-oxidants in order to neutralize the effects of alcohol on the body. The combination of detoxifiers was originally developed by doctors to aid cancer patients taking chemotherapy drugs to combat the harmful effects of the drugs have on the liver.

Hybrids of energy and sport drinks, containing electrolytes and herbal extracts such as RELOAD and Vault are also available.