Waistline warning on caffeine energy drinks (article)

[liquidstayce]

Waistline warning on caffeine energy drinks
23 August 2005
By NIKKI MACDONALD

Caffeine-loaded energy drinks are worse than soft drinks for the waistline, research shows.


The Auckland University of Technology-led study suggested a worrying interaction between caffeine and sugar that suppressed the body's fat-burning and caused it to convert the sugar to fat more rapidly than non-caffeinated soft drinks, Professor of Nutrition Elaine Rush said. "These results could have huge implications when you think about how much sugar and caffeine people consume these days, and the high rate of inactivity."

The research team studied 10 healthy women aged between 18 and 22. They fasted overnight and were given either 250ml of energy drink or lemonade on the first day and the alternative on the second. By testing breath levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide for 30 minutes after drinking, the researchers were able to identify what fuel the body was using – sugar (carbohydrate) or fat.

Subjects who had drunk neither an energy drink nor lemonade burned up 1.5 grams of fat. After drinking lemonade that dropped to 1g as the person used up more carbohydrates, but after the energy drink that number became negative, indicating the body's fat-burning was suppressed and new fat was probably being created.

The result was unexpected and could have worrying implications, Professor Rush said. The results are an important clue to the potential dangers of combining caffeine and sugar.

"The half-life of caffeine is between four and six hours. If you have anything sugary within that time the effect could be similar."