MUNICH -- Consuming energy drinks can have positive benefits on heart function, claims research presented at the ESC Congress by Dr. Matteo Cameli from University of Siena, Italy.
"In recent years the energy drink market has exploded, with more people than ever before turning to these products as quick 'pick me ups,' whether to stay awake during all-night study vigils or gain the edge in sport," said Cameli. "With energy drinks containing both caffeine and taurine, concerns have been raised of adverse effects on the heart. While caffeine increases blood pressure, studies suggest that taurine may stimulate the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum." (Taurine is an amino acid known to stimulate calcium production in muscle.)
The researchers used speckle-tracking echocardiography and echo Doppler analysis to examine the influence of energy drinks on heart function. For the study, 35 healthy subjects (mean age 25 years), drank a body surface area indexed amount of an energy drink (168 ml/m2) containing caffeine and taurine.
They assessed heart rate, blood pressure, left ventricular function and right ventricular function at baseline and one hour after consumption.
Cameli said that the research showed that "standard energy drink consumption induces a light increase in diastolic blood pressure. … Taken together, these results show that energy drinks enhance contractions of both the left and right ventricles, thereby delivering a positive effect on myocardial function. This could be explained by the inotropic effect of taurine that, as previously demonstrated, stimulates the release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum."
He continued: "Our study was performed in young healthy individuals at rest. Future studies need to focus on whether such benefits persist after long-term consumption of energy drinks, and what the effects are of consuming these drinks during physical activity. It will also be important to determine which of the effects are induced in patients with cardiac disease to further our understanding of the potential benefits or risks of energy drink consumption."
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 75,000 cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean.
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Too much caffeine can cause people to sweat and experience heart palpitations, W. Douglas Weaver, former president of the American College of Cardiology, told Bloomberg.
"People are showing up in the emergency room and doctor's office after having these drinks and not feeling well," he told the news agency. "Now we can see some of the physiological effects."
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