Most of the people have a habit of sipping on energy drinks to boost up their mind and energy level during work and normal daily routine. However, experts advise lowering the intake of energy drinks, considering them bad for the heart. According to researchers, drinking more energy drink increase the level of blood pressure, hence increasing the risk of heart disease. They said that if a person drinks 32 ounces of energy drink in a short period of time, it may increase its blood pressure level, affecting the rhythm of the heart.
For the research, 34 healthy persons, between the age of 18 and 40 years were asked to drink 32 ounces for three days. For the experiment, they included two energy drinks, a placebo drink and one of two commercially available caffeinated energy drinks. The Volunteers drank a bottle of 16 ounces in 30 minutes. The Caffeine ingredient in both of these drinks was between 304 to 320 milligrams. However, the Caffeine content less than 400 milligrams is not considered risky for the heart. Some other contents of the energy drink were- taurine, glucuronolactone, and B-vitamins and placebo drink had carbonated water, lime juice, and cherry flavoring in it.
The Team tested if there is any change in the electrical activity of the person’s heart, which was put on Test. It was tested by using an electrocardiogram, a device used to measure the functioning of a person’s heart. Also, their blood pressure level was checked. These testings were carried out every 30 minutes from start to 4 hours after the consumption of 32 ounces of drink.
The Qt interval of the person, who drank the energy drink was 6 milliseconds or 7.7 milliseconds higher at 4 hours in comparison to placebo drinkers. It is the is a measurement made on an electrocardiogram used to measure the time taken by the ventricles to beat the heart. An abnormal Qt, whether long or short, results in an increased risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms and sudden cardiac death. The results of these tests were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
