The Forum

Everyone knows that college students have busy lives. Between school, work, childcare, and hobbies, there may not be time to get enough sleep. When someone is tired or burnt out, they might reach for caffeine as a boost, particularly an energy drink.

As per the FDA, 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is safe, but one energy drink may contain half of that if not more. Celsius, a popular energy drink, for instance, has 200 milligrams of caffeine. One can is only twelve ounces and tastes like sparkling water, making it easy to consume multiple in one day, and you only need a couple energy drinks to reach 400 milligrams.

STLCC has a variety of energy drinks located across campus in vending machines and in the campus convenience store for tired students. Options range from low caffeine drinks like Kickstart to higher caffeine drinks such as Celsius. If 200 milligrams isn’t enough, then there’s Starbucks Tripleshot™, which is technically a coffee drink, but is similarly a canned, high-caffeine beverage, containing 225 milligrams of caffeine. These are all popular drinks, but it may be best to be cautious when choosing an energy drink over traditional coffee. With more caffeine per ounce, regular consumption of energy drinks can lead to caffeine dependence and addiction. 

According to the Journal of Caffeine Research, many students who buy energy drinks are unaware of their caffeine content, which puts them at greater risk of overconsuming it. Too much caffeine has negative side effects such as increased heart rate, high blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, jitters, upset stomach, and headache, according to the FDA. Prolonged daily caffeine consumption can also lead to withdrawal symptoms such as drowsiness, irritability, depressed mood, and feeling foggy.

At the end of the day, though, it's your choice. The Flo Valley campus offers a variety of tasty and energizing drinks for those who think it's worth the risk.