Alcohol‐Induced Impairment of Balance is Antagonized by Energy Drinks

Abstract

Visual assessment of balance impairment is frequently used to indicate that an individual has consumed too much alcohol (e.g., as part of police-standardized field sobriety testing or by a bartender assessing when someone should no longer be served more alcohol). The current findings suggest that energy drinks can antagonize alcohol-induced increases in body sway, indicating that future work is needed to determine whether this observation regarding neuromotor functioning applies to alcohol in combination with all types of stimulant drugs.

Effects of Caffeine Ingestion on Human Standing Balance: A Systematic Review of Placebo-Controlled Trials

“…Whatever the reason for this individual result, it remains the case that all other studies in younger adults—many rated as strong in quality—were in agreement that caffeine induced no change in balance when standing on a firm surface [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 32 ]. This is also supported by numerous studies which did not meet the full criteria for this review [ 34 , 35 , 38 ], meaning we are confident that caffeine ingestion has little to no effect on standing balance in younger adults under these conditions.…”

“…Some studies which investigated the effects of caffeine on human balance were not included because the full inclusion criteria were not met. Of note, three studies were excluded for using a non-placebo control (i.e., coffee vs. caffeine abstinence [ 34 ]; Red Bull vs. Squirt citrus-flavoured soft drink [ 35 ]; caffeine powder mixed with water vs. water only [ 36 ]). A further three were excluded for using a before–after caffeine study design with no control condition [ 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”

Interaction of Energy Drinks with Prescription Medication and Drugs of Abuse

“…Like in previous studies, mutual antagonism was not evident in all tasks and depended on alcohol and ED dose, and the blood alcohol limb [85]. The most recent studies [86,87] assessed the effects of AmED on driving-related skills, and showed that EDs increase willingness to drive while drunk, but did not, or only partially counteract alcohol effects on objective performance outcomes. An increase in alcohol and caffeine plasma concentrations was also observed with AmED in comparison with alcohol or ED alone [86].…”

Effects of energy drinks on adolescent health

“…Drinkers may not feel the symptoms of alcohol intoxication because the feeling of "wide awake drunkenness" keeping the individual awake longer with the opportunity to continue drinking and encourage greater consumption [13,40,41] . If excessive alcohol intake alone is particularly problematic for the adolescent brain, which is still undergoing structural development [42] , the consumption of ED and Am ED among adolescents is associated with negative outcomes like lead to poor decision making and increased levels of risk behaviors as a being taken advantage of someone sexually, drink driving, smoking, failure to use seatbelts, illicit drugs use, fighting, violence, and being injured [9] . The frequency of ED use was a significant predictor of the illicit use of prescription stimulants, being directly related to the quantities and the number of days of ED consumption [41] .…”