Here at Peninsula High School, we have a little student store called The Hawk Shop. The Hawk Shop has all kinds of merchandise, such as Peninsula t-shirts, sweatpants, spirit wear, snacks, and drinks. The Hawk Shop is most known for selling energy drinks with flavoring added in. These drinks are called Red Bull Spritzers. The debate on whether energy drinks are good or bad for you has gone on for a while. We sell them in school, but how many students really know the pros and cons of energy drinks?

PROS; Several people drink energy drinks before playing in a big game like football, basketball, etc. People do this because drinking energy drinks can give you the energy you need for the game. Additionally, energy drinks can sometimes improve your mood and attitude. The energy boost you receive from energy drinks can make you feel happy like you can take on anything.

CONS; If you drink an energy drink and do not work out afterward, it can make your heart rate go up very fast, and it can hurt you badly. Drinking too many energy drinks can result in several health problems. It can cause you to have a high heart rate for a long time. Energy drinks can also be addictive. It can also lead to cardiomyopathy, a condition that makes it harder for the heart to get blood all around your body which can lead to heart failure. Energy drinks give you caffeine, and if you don’t burn the energy from the caffeine you can have a hard time sleeping, which can lead to sleep disorders. If you drink lots of energy drinks in a day, week, or month, you can get addicted to them and start drinking them every day, which would lead to lasting health problems. 

        Now you know the pros and cons of energy drinks. Has your opinion on them changed? Do you drink energy drinks every day? Will you continue to do that now, or just from time to time? Will you start drinking energy drinks if you didn’t before? Here at Peninsula, it’s easy for students to find and purchase energy drinks. Do you think it is a good idea for a high school student to be drinking energy drinks every day? Should the Hawk Shop sell them just two days a week or even one day to keep students from getting addicted? Whatever your opinion, it is clear that energy drinks are neither completely good nor bad, and their effect on you will depend on how you choose to consume them. 

SOURCES

Kennedy, E. (2023). Pros and cons of Energy Drinks. The Fluco Beat.

https://theflucobeat.com/lifestyle/2021/05/28/ellie-pros-and-cons-of-energy-drinks/#:~:text=A%20few%20pros%20of%20consuming,weight%20gain%2C%20and%20sugar%20highs.&text=Energy%20drinks%20can%20actually%20improve%20your%20cognitive%20functions. 

Pearce, J. (2022, March 7). The Pros and Cons of Energy Drinks. Nova Medical Centers. https://n-o-v-a.com/blog/pros-cons-energy-drinks/ 

PHOTO

Joseph, B., Joseph, I., & Frese, D. (2014). Pexels. 

https://www.pexels.com/