Research Guides: Drug and alcohol information for PDHPE students: Energy drinks and caffeine

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Energy drinks and caffeine

Formulated energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages containing caffeine (‘caffeinated’). They are designed to increase energy and enhance mental performance. As their name implies, energy drinks promise a ‘boost’ of energy. They are marketed primarily to young adults, athletes, students and people in occupations that require sustained alertness in particular, although a significant proportion of the consumer market are children and adolescents.

Energy drinks typically contain the following ingredients in varying amounts:

caffeine
taurine – an amino acid naturally present in meat, fish and milk
glucuronolactone – a natural substance produced by the metabolism of glucose in the human liver
herbal extracts (eg, guarana, ginseng)
water-soluble vitamins (eg, vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12)
sweetening agents (eg, glucose, sucrose).

Energy shots are a concentrated form of energy drink, which contain caffeine and other substances similar to energy drinks, but in small volumes (typically 50-60mls).

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Drug facts

Use the following websites to find information about specific drugs, including their long and short term effects, how they are used, legal status and information on mixing drugs.

A-Z of drugs - Drug Info, State Library of NSW
Find information on a range of legal and illicit drugs. Drug Info is a joint initiative of NSW Health and the State Library of NSW.
Your Room - NSW Health
Find information and free pamphlets about the most commonly used drugs in Australia. Your Room is a joint initiative of NSW Health and St Vincent's Alcohol and Drug Information Service.
#Drugs the facts - Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF)
Find information about drugs and the impacts of drug use.
Drugs A-Z Factsheet
Drug information from Positive Choices specifically targeted at students from years 7-12, including the short and long term effects on the body and mind.
National Alcohol and Drug Knowledgebase - National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA)
This website draws on the highest quality Australian data to provide accurate and easy-to-understand information about alcohol and other drugs. A series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) is used to present data in an easily understood manner.

Journal articles

Journal articles are a good source of explanations and discussions of drug and alcohol issues. There are several eresources with links to journal articles available in the State Library.

Health and Wellness Resource Center (Gale)
Includes a medical encyclopaedia, a dictionary and journal articles from a variety of popular and scholarly publications. Document supply available.
ProQuest Psychology Database [eresource]
This database encompasses a wide range of topics from leading psychology and psychosomatic publications. In addition to clinical and social psychology, it also provides coverage of related disciplines including genetics, psychology of business and economics, communication, criminology, addiction, neurology, social welfare, and more. Document supply available.

A quick guide to drugs and alcohol

A quick guide to drugs and alcohol
An easy to read reference book with information on a range of drugs, drug effects, drugs and driving, pregnancy, treatment, statistics, drugs and the law and where to go for help and further information.

Further information from Drug Info

Visit the Drug Info website for free drug and alcohol information for the community of NSW. Drug Info is a partnership between NSW Ministry of Health and the State Library of NSW.