Energy drinks contain numerous chemicals including caffeine, taurine, glucose, and niacin. These chemicals can boost your cellular metabolic rate and improve performance. However, as we explain later on, consuming large amounts of energy drinks can be bad for your health.
Energy drinks are designed to be consumed immediately before doing physically strenuous activities. The idea is that they help to boost the body’s metabolism and ability to convert glucose to energy (glycolysis). The heart and skeletal muscles, in particular, need to convert glucose into energy rapidly during strenuous physical activities.
Energy drinks contain chemicals that support fast metabolism. However, they can be detrimental to your health if you drink them without doing any physical activity that requires a rapid metabolic rate. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, consuming too many energy drinks may lead to serious chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart ailments.
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How dangerous are energy drinks?
Lots of office workers, public transport drivers, and students rely on energy drinks to help them stay awake and alert while working. While this can be useful on an occasional basis, many people are risking their health by consuming far too much. That’s because energy drinks contain high levels of sugar and stimulants, which can cause potentially dangerous side effects.
Some of the main health risks and dangers of drinking too many energy drinks are outlined below.
Risk of type 2 diabetes
Energy drinks contain high levels of glucose that are easily absorbed and metabolised by the cells. Glucose is a necessary chemical that gives our body the fuel it needs to contract muscle cells and synthesise enzymes. However, our cells only use certain amounts of glucose, depending on their energy needs. Any unused glucose is either stored as glycogen and fats or excreted. The cells also need the help of the hormone insulin to absorb glucose.
High concentrations of unused glucose in the body for prolonged or repeated periods can lead to insulin tolerance. As a result, the cells require a higher amount of insulin to consume the same amount of glucose. Damage to the cellular receptors for insulin and glucose over time can lead to type 2 diabetes, otherwise known as diabetes mellitus. Consequently, the cells become very inefficient in absorbing and metabolising glucose. 
Potential heart complications
Regularly consuming too many energy drinks can also lead to heart complications. The stimulants found in these types of drinks increase your heart rate, which may cause tachycardia (a rapid heartbeat) and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). Over time, this can result in chronic heart disease or heart failure.
Danger of dehydration
Some athletes, like marathon runners, consume energy drinks to boost their stamina and strength. However, the stimulants in energy drinks can actually lead to dehydration as more water is excreted in the form of urine and sweat to prevent the body from overheating. 
Electrolytes are also lost through excretion as a result of the osmotic pressure change in the body’s cells. Severe dehydration can result in potentially lethal scenarios such as seizures and even cardiac arrest.
Developing insomnia
The high levels of caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks disrupt the body’s normal circadian rhythms. The stimulants suppress the production and absorption of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that aids healthy sleep. Consuming energy drinks may therefore cause insomnia, which can have serious consequences for our mental and physical health. 
Are energy drinks bad for your heart?
When energy drinks are consumed moderately and solely for the purpose of stimulating metabolism during a strenuous activity, the risk of heart complications is low. However, as we’ve explained, abuse and misuse of energy drinks can be bad for your heart, resulting in ailments like tachycardia, arrhythmia and even heart failure.
Common chemicals in energy drinks
Energy drinks contain several chemicals that are designed to boost the cellular metabolic rate above normal levels, even without physical exertion and stress. These chemicals usually include caffeine and glucose, along with other legal stimulants.
1. Caffeine
Caffeine (C8H10N4O2) is a naturally-occurring stimulant found in coffee and tea. It stimulates the brain and nervous system by boosting the circulation of certain chemicals, like cortisol and adrenaline. As a result, caffeine can help to make us more alert and suppress sleep. On the flip side, consuming too much caffeine can cause insomnia and anxiety.
2. Taurine
Otherwise known as 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, taurine is an amino acid that’s largely found in bile and the large intestine. It has the chemical formula C2H7NO3S. Unlike caffeine, it’s not a stimulant, but plays an important role in modulating cellular calcium levels. Taurine helps to regulate our heartbeat and blood pressure by controlling the calcium levels in the body.
3. Sugar
Energy drinks contain sugar in the simplest form, which is glucose. Glucose has the chemical formula C6H12O6. It’s readily absorbed and metabolised by the cells with the help of insulin. Consuming too much glucose can lead to an insulin tolerance and eventually type 2 diabetes.
4. Niacin
Niacin is a form of vitamin B. Otherwise known as nicotinic acid, it has the chemical formula C₆H₅NO₂. Niacin plays an essential role in helping to convert food into energy. It also stimulates the production of ‘good’ cholesterol.
5. Guarana
Extracts from the guarana plant (Paullinia cupana) are common ingredients of energy drinks. They contain caffeine and other stimulants, particularly theophylline and theobromine, which can be unsafe when consumed in large amounts.
6. Ginseng
Various species of ginseng belong to the genus Panax, such as Korean ginseng and American ginseng. Ginseng root plants contain different types of phytochemicals, although not all of these chemicals are stimulants. The active ingredients of ginseng are ginsenosides.
What do energy drinks do to your body?
Energy drinks increase blood glucose and stimulate your body’s central nervous system. They also make your heart beat faster, suppress the release of serotonin, and increase the circulation of adrenalin in the body.
While energy drinks can provide a short-term boost in energy and stamina, regular misuse of these beverages can pose long-term health risks.
How many energy drinks a day is safe?
Experts generally agree that the upper safe limit of caffeine is 400 milligrams a day. Although caffeine is the main stimulant in energy drinks, other stimulants and high levels of glucose are also present. The safe level of blood glucose is thought to be just below 100 mg/dL per day. This means you shouldn’t consume more than an average of five 250 mL cans of energy drinks per day, even if you have a physically active lifestyle.
The upper safe limit for consuming energy drinks is less than 1,000 mL per day. It should be noted, however, that the caffeine and sugar content can vary considerably between brands. To be on the safe side, do not drink more than 500 mL of energy drinks per day if you have a sedentary lifestyle.
Of course, you also need to be careful about how many other drinks you consume which contain caffeine and sugar, too.
Summary
Energy drinks contain high levels of sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants. When consumed properly and in safe amounts, energy drinks can make us more alert and help us to perform strenuous physical activities. However, long-term misuse of energy drinks can cause potentially serious health issues such as heart complications, insomnia, and type 2 diabetes.
