Exhaustion: the academic energy epidemic

Sana Ullah / The Beacon

Selima Hussain / Contributing writer

Energy drink cans and empty coffee cups litter the floor of junior finance major, Yuyang Hou’s dorm. Notebooks and highlighters lay scattered across the desk under the florescent glow of a laptop screen.

“The remnants of an all-nighter,” Yuyang said with a tired voice.  “Thank God for Rock-star.”

Hou is one of the many college students who gravitate toward energy drinks like Rock-Star and Red Bull in order to stay awake to study. Students will overlook the 8-hours-of-sleep-a-night regime and instead use the time to immerse themselves in human biology or modern American civilizations.

“I study best at night,” said Sarah Mayhew, a junior psychology major. “I know energy drinks aren’t the healthiest things in the world, but they are a really big help to me when I’m trying to stay awake. I catch up on my sleep later.”

Mayhew isn’t the only college student with this mindset. According to a study by Nutrition Journal, over 67% of University students use energy drinks as a substitute for inefficient sleep.

Those who don’t use energy drinks prefer drinking strong cups of coffee.

“I go through about 5 cups of coffee a day,” said Farida Wazidali, alumnus finance student.

Other students, however, have different opinions on quick fixes.

“I tried Red Bull once,” said Caitlin Opitiz, a junior business major. “I got jittery and passed out. When I tried 5-hour-energy, I had hot flashes.”

Richard Azimov, junior business major, also stays away from the liquid energy.

“I don’t use the intense energy drinks because of the high sugar content,” said Azimov. “I prefer drinking Boost, because it’s packed with vitamins and doesn’t have as much caffeine.”

While some students, like Azimov, tend to search for alternatives to energy drinks, the fact remains that college students are likely to use them at some point.

According to Timothy Silky James, a personal trainer and nutritional expert at the Recreational Center, energy drinks aren’t always bad—when taken in moderation.

“There are some energy drinks that are better than others, but in general, they’re not good for you because of the high calorie content,” James said. “Energy drinks are a temporary solution to tiredness, but in order to sustain real energy throughout the day, a diet full of vitamins, nutrients, and lots of fiber is important.”

When it comes to coffee, James has a slightly different viewpoint.

“Coffee is a natural diuretic; it helps your body burn calories and jump-starts your metabolism. The danger in coffee is the cream, sugar, and caffeine. Caffeine is addictive, and people become dependent on it.”

James suggests light snacks—like granola bars or bananas—and simple carbohydrates as alternatives to energy drinks. He also mentions that a multivitamin in the morning can help students feel more energized throughout the day.

“I don’t think there’s one vitamin that’s more important than the rest,” James said. “But the B-vitamin is used mainly for energy storage.”

Earl Mendell, author of “Earl Mendell’s Vitamin Bible,” also claims that the potassium in bananas can help alleviate the fatigue students feel after drinking caffeinated beverages.

Even with this nutritional advice, some proponents of energy drinks are not swayed. “If there was a legitimate healthy replacement, I would consider it,” said Hou. “Something that would instantly energize me the same way Rock-Star does. But for now, I’m going to keep on using them.”

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