Energy Drinks: The Monster on Fort Bragg

Energy Drinks: The Monster on Fort Bragg
By John Ramsey
Staff writer
With names like Monster, Full Throttle and Red Bull, energy drinks are the new beverage of choice at Fort Bragg.
This year, Monster Energy is eclipsing Mountain Dew as the top-selling drink on post. But with 13 teaspoons of sugar and three times more caffeine than a can of Mountain Dew, doctors question whether Monster and other energy drinks are safe when consumed in high quantities.
Karen Daigle, a dietitian at Womack Army Medical Center, said ingesting between 200 and 400 milligrams of caffeine a day can increases focus and performance.
But soldiers who consume energy drinks all day can easily reach the point where performance is hurt, Daigle said.
A 16-ounce can of Monster contains 160 milligrams of caffeine. At least two brands of energy drinks contain 500 milligrams or more.
By comparison, a typical cup of brewed coffee contains about 107 milligrams of caffeine.
In high quantities, Daigle said, the drinks can cause jitters, extreme increases in heart rate and gastrointestinal problems.
"It's harder to focus at those higher ranges" of caffeine, Daigle said.
Stimulants also increase the risk of heat injuries, she said, but that may be less of an issue in the military because of how much the services stress hydration to their troops, pushing them to drink enough water.
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Energy Drinks The Monster on Fort Bragg