Does your heart hurt? heal your feet! As a child, I always had cold hands and feet. This was one of the signs of my painful condition. I was weak and did not move much. But once, being alone on the seashore, I overcame myself and made some simple

On the shelves of many stores you can find various tin cans, glass and plastic bottles filled with drinks, which are commonly called energetics.

Companies issuing the product indicate their ability to not only quench their thirst, but also stimulate the activity of the human nervous system, since the effect of these drinks on the human body is anti-sedative.

Of course, not everything is so simple, and the use of such drinks can lead to various negative consequences for the cardiovascular system of a person, the brain and the body as a whole. What happens to the human heart and the body as a whole when using power engineers and how to reduce the risk, we will consider in our article.

What is included in their composition?

Buyers of products of this type are well aware that they are available in containers with a volume of 0.33 liters, less often 0.5 liters. There are several reasons for this. One of them is the desire of manufacturers to limit the one-time consumption of power engineers by the person who bought them.

In various countries of the world there is a restriction on the sale of such drinks. For example, in the United States since 2010, it is forbidden to sell energy in all states.  In some European countries, products of this type are sold only in pharmacies.

The composition of most power engineers includes:

• Caffeine.  Included in all types of energy drinks. Performs the role of the main stimulator of the brain. By itself, but only in adequate dosages and in the form of natural coffee.
• Taurine.  Stimulates metabolic processes in the body, has anticonvulsant properties.
• Carnitine.  Reduces muscle fatigue and accelerates the oxidation of fatty acids.
• Guarana.  It has tonic properties, removes lactic acid from muscle tissue.
• Matein.  Dulls hunger and contributes to weight loss.
• Sugar.It has a devastating effect on blood vessels and the body as a whole.

Also check out the infographic:

Each type of drink has vitamins of various groups. Carbon dioxide contained in the stake contributes to the rapid absorption of the drink into human blood. The effect of invigorating the body is felt from the first sips. For a short time, a person feels a surge of strength.

Important!Energy drinks should not be confused with energy products. They have a different purpose and composition.

The action of power engineers on the body lasts no more than 4 hours. A 0.25 ml can of energy corresponds to 2 cups of expresso coffee.

Effects on the cardiovascular system

Most people know that energy, acting on the nervous system, increase efficiency and reduce drowsiness.

Studies of the effects of drinks on the human body have shown that in addition to their positive properties, they carry a danger.

A large dose of the drink causes palpitations and tremors of the limbs. Daily use of high doses of caffeine contained in the product leads to depletion of forces, imbalance of the water-salt balance in the human body and gastritis.

According to studies, the consequences of the harmful effects of such drinks can be:

• depression and increased irritability;
• fatigue and insomnia;
• heart palpitations (tachycardia), heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias) and many other cardiovascular diseases;
• high blood pressure (hypertension);
• uncontrolled nervous breakdowns.

Exhaustion of the nervous system causes an excess of vitamin Bentering the human body with a drink.

Caution!The regular use of more than 2 cans of energy per day contributes to the development of hypertension and diabetes in humans.

The energy sector is especially dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. Often their use leads to angina pectoris and arrhythmias.  Serious studies of power engineers were conducted by French scientists. They revealed that out of 257 recorded facts of the negative effects of drinks on the human body, 95 related to the cardiovascular system.

The people participating in the study had attacks of angina pectoris, arrhythmias, and arterial hypotension. In medical practice, the expression "caffeine syndrome" is used. Under it is understood a complex of symptoms and diseases, including tachycardia, trembling hands, increased agitation, severe headache.

Caution!Caffeine interferes with the enrichment of the heart and blood with oxygen.

The use of energy by people with heart disease can lead to cardiac arrest. Drinking drinks is strictly forbidden even to healthy people immediately after graduation or during physical training. A weekly regular intake of the product leads to an increase in heart rate by 7.8%, and after 2 weeks by 11%.

Why can it hurt in the chest after using it?

The most common consequence of drinking energy drinks is tachycardia, manifested by pain in the heart and sensation, as if it is beating violently. Tachycardia requires serious treatment.

If a person drank an energy drink and felt pain or a tingling sensation in his heart, this should be taken seriously. The first thing to do at the first sign of malaise is to stop drinking these drinks and eliminate any additional stress on the heart.

A sharp deterioration in health requires the provision of emergency medical care. It is best to call an ambulance. With mild ailment, sleep can help. With an increased heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute, a person can take several actions on your own to help you feel better.

They include:

• Holding the breath for 10-15 seconds (the exercise is repeated after each breath for 10 minutes).
• Taking a cold shower (in the absence of such an opportunity, you can replace the shower with a wash).

With a pulse of more than 150 beats per minute, you must take Corvalol or Diphenhydramine.

Can the heart stop from these drinks?

The highest risk of heart failure is noted by doctors in people with undiagnosed problems with the cardiovascular system. The risk group includes children, adolescents, as well as the elderly.

The heart can stop in completely healthy people when using energy drinks along with other alcoholic drinks or when taking them during serious physical exertion.

It is not known for sure how much power engineers need to drink so that the heart stops for sure. However, the dose causing this risk is 2 cans of 250 ml drink.

How to reduce harm - 4 rules

The reception of power engineers has a number of contraindications and can greatly harm health, which will then be difficult to restore. There are a number of diseases, the presence of which makes the use of the drink deadly. Among these diseases are hypertension, angina pectoris and other heart diseases.

In no case should:

1. combine the intake of energy with coffee, strong tea and drugs;
2. drink immediately more than 2 cans of the product;
3. drink a drink during training, on the dance floor or when performing heavy physical work;
4. do not drink energy immediately after sleeping in the morning.

Regular use of the product is addictive and contributes to weight gain.

A few words about the right diet

People with problems with the cardiovascular system should be attentive to. There are a number of products that can be used as therapeutic or prophylactic agents. Among them:

•   It is best to include in the menu, and.
•   "Healers" of the heart -,

Experts warn that consuming just two energy drinks in a row can lead to heart failure in people with undiagnosed cardiovascular problems.

Australian scientists have studied how caffeinated drinks affect the risk of heart failure in people with long QT syndrome (LQTS), a hereditary disease that can lead to the development of dangerous heart arrhythmias. This condition very often goes unnoticed, as it is not accompanied by any physical symptoms.

The head of the study, Professor Samsaryan, noted that the potential risk to the heart from the use of energy drinks is becoming an important public health problem. Most at risk are adolescents and young people, on whom the sale of power engineers is oriented.

The study involved 24 patients aged 16 to 50 years who were diagnosed with extended QT interval syndrome (LQTS). All respondents were divided into two groups.

The first were given two cans of Red Bull, which contain 160 mg of caffeine and 2,000 mg of taurine, but do not contain sugar. The second was given 500 ml of a stimulating drink without caffeine or taurine.

For one and a half hours, all participants were monitored for pressure and electrical activity of the heart, measurements were taken every 10 minutes. After monitoring, three patients from the first group began to manifest dangerous symptoms of LQTS. Their heart activity was impaired, which meant that it could not properly pump blood, and two of these three patients also experienced a sharp increase in blood pressure.

“When something, in this case, energy drinks, is consumed by millions of people around the world, 12.5 percent is not so small, and the results deserve careful study,” said study co-author Federia Dagradi of the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmia of Genetic Origin Italy.

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Today, many have heard about energy drinks - they can be found on store shelves, and their obsessive advertising on TV promises “awesome” sensations and a boost of energy. But when they are used, the body experiences severe stress, and the stress on the heart increases several times, which leads to increased pressure and malaise. The brain suffers no less from their action due to a “cocktail” of psychostimulants. Active use of these drinks can lead to a hospital bed and even death, in the presence of serious problems with blood vessels and heart muscle. What is the harm to power engineers?

Energy: activity or severe stress?

On January 1, 2018, a law came into force banning the production and sale of alcohol-containing energy drinks in the Russian Federation. But this does not mean that these drinks completely disappeared from circulation, they began to sell them underground in night clubs or use cocktails made from non-alcoholic energy drinks and strong alcohol. But even if the law is respected exactly, non-alcoholic energy is no less dangerous to health, although it is deprived of the toxic properties inherent in ethyl alcohol. The intake of all types of energy is a strong stress for the body, arising from the powerful boosting of the metabolism by the components that make up its composition. They cause especially strong stress and negative health effects in the child and adolescent body, as well as among young people. There are no restrictions on the sale of non-alcoholic compounds today, with the exception of Moscow and the Moscow Region, where their sale has been regulated since 18 years.

What are the energies so dangerous for, because stress and activation, the “revitalization" of metabolism are useful to the body to a certain extent? The fact is that when you use these drinks, the boundaries of stress go beyond physiological norms and lead to depletion of resources, negative effects on, vessels, nerve tissue and many other organs of the body.

Even if we do not consider the now forbidden alcoholic energies that affect the liver and brain, soft drinks of this kind are no less harmful. They are used by people during periods of increased stress, so as not to sleep before the session, on a long trip or all night in a club, when the body is initially tired and overloaded with information. They activate metabolism for 3-4 hours, spasm of blood vessels, increasing pressure and changing blood circulation of tissues. In relation to the brain, a similar effect can be compared with a driven horse, which is whipped by a whip, so that it gallops further. In conditions of fatigue, the brain consumes more glucose and other nutrients, it needs more oxygen, but a tired body cannot adequately fill all its needs. After a short and ineffective excitation and activity, a marked decline and sharp inhibition of brain functions inevitably occur, hypoxia of nerve cells is formed, some of which die. Frequent reception of power engineers also accustoms brain tissue to work only in conditions of “stimulation” and forms a kind of addiction, without power engineers the brain “dulls”.

The composition of power engineers and the effect of components on heart function

The main component of these drinks are extremely high doses of caffeine, extracts of matein, guarana and ginseng, and taurine, melatonin, and L-carnitine are found in some drinks. These components are designed to stimulate metabolism, increasing the activity of the nervous system. The amount of caffeine in these drinks is extremely large, which is why they negatively affect the functioning of the heart and vascular tone. Such a cocktail of stimulants leads to a sharp increase in heart contractions, vasospasm, which causes an increase in pressure and a surge of strength, vigor. If it is an alcoholic energy drink or it is used in a mixture with alcoholic drinks, ethyl alcohol also affects the heart. It dilates blood vessels, reducing pressure, but at the same time makes the heart beat even more often. If there are problems in the structure of the myocardium, vascular walls or they are affected by atherosclerosis, this threatens a heart attack or stroke.

Although taurine and ascorbic acid are useful for blood vessels and the heart, but in the composition of such a “cocktail” they simply lose all their potential benefits.

When exposed to ultra-high doses of caffeine and additional stimulants, the pressure can increase very strongly, sometimes to critical numbers, which threatens with headaches, poor health, nausea and malaise. Against the background of high pressure, blood supply to the brain is disturbed, hypoxia of nerve cells with insomnia, aggression and anxiety is formed. Frequent intake of caffeine leaches calcium from the bones of the skeleton, increasing the risk of osteoporosis, irritates the gastric mucosa, forming heartburn, nausea and bloating. The abuse of energy threatens with nervous breakdowns, depression and hypertension.

Carbohydrates in the composition and "food chemistry"

In addition to all of these components, the energy industry contains a lot of light carbohydrates (sugars). The harm of these substances in excess amounts has long been known. As part of carbonated drinks, light carbohydrates lead to fat deposition, damage to tooth enamel and caries. Initially, these carbohydrates in the product are designed to saturate the brain and all tissues with energy, but under the influence of caffeine and other components of the drink (including alcohol) and tissue hypoxia, they are metabolized with the formation of intermediate compounds that load the liver and metabolism.

No less dangerous in the composition and substitutes for natural carbohydrates - sorbitol or aspartame. And if you add the presence of dyes, preservatives, stabilizers and other chemicals, the blow to the body becomes very powerful and serious, the liver and kidneys suffer, the risk of allergies and sudden changes in metabolism are high. The amino acids that are potentially beneficial for the body, added to drinks, under conditions of such stress, are not able to help the body resist the negative effects of other components of the drink.

Recently, the use of energy drinks has become increasingly suspicious because there is a potential danger to the heart due to their supposedly high concentration of caffeine in addition to other substances such as taurine, guarana and L-carnitine, which are largely unknown to the general public. In addition, a large number of energy poisonings have been reported worldwide, including cases of seizures and arrhythmias.

Energy drinks (energy drinks or energy drinks) are carbonated drinks that do not contain alcohol or in small quantities at all and have an exciting or tonic effect on the body. Most power engineers have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system.

As part of the energy sector, caffeine is most often found, which can be represented by other substances such as thein, matine. Additionally, theophylline or theobromine, which are essentially psychostimulants, as well as taurine and carbohydrates, is included in the drink. All this in abundant amounts is stabilized by carbonic acid.

According to wikipedia.org.

The use of energy tonics is increasing every day, as many advertisers present drinks as having a positive effect on performance, overall well-being and mood. In fact, energy can do a lot of harm to health, especially the cardiovascular system.

Video: About energy drinks

Physiological effect of power engineers on vital functions

It is widely believed that caffeine, especially in high doses, is associated with multiple concomitant heart diseases, including heart palpitations and a number of arrhythmias, such as atrial fibrillation and supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia. Also, caffeine, with an acute increase in blood pressure, has a negative effect on the cardiovascular system, which increases the likelihood of arrhythmia. It has been shown that such hypertension is more pronounced in the elderly and those with hypertension.

According to energy drink companies, one can contains between 30 and 360 mg of caffeine, while in Canada, 400 mg is considered the upper limit for caffeine.

A study of 20 healthy young people who used Red Bull against a background of mental stress showed that, compared with drinking water, drinking 355 ml of Red Bull caused a cumulative cardiovascular load. At the same time, systolic blood pressure increased by about 10 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure by about 7 mm Hg. Art. and heart rate of 20 beats per minute. Additionally, a decrease in blood flow velocity in the brain of -7 cm / s was observed

Recently, in a comprehensive and systematic review of case studies related to energy tonics and their adverse health effects, it was pointed out that energy drinks most often have a negative effect on the neurological and cardiovascular systems.

Neurological side effects are mainly expressed:

• Bouts.
• Neuro-psychotic agitation.
• Aggressive behavior.
• Suicidal thoughts.

This may be because caffeine and taurine are known psychoactive agents.

From the side of the cardiovascular system, side effects are;

• Arrhythmias (the highest percentage is 35% in other cases).
• Coronary vasospasm.
• Dissection of the aortic aneurysm.
• Heart failure.
• QT interval lengthening.
• Acute cardiomyopathy
• Progressive hypertension.
• Reversible postural tachycardia syndrome.
• Acute coronary thrombosis.
• Myocardial infarction with ST segment.

The authors attribute cardiovascular side effects to energy ingredients such as caffeine and taurine, which, based on research, increase platelet aggregation, disrupt endothelial function and possibly cause vasospasm due to the development of hypertension.

Although there is a direct link between the consumption of energy drinks and platelet aggregation together with endothelial dysfunction, the exact substance causing these effects is still unknown.

The risk of developing the above diseases increases several times if the energy drink is combined with alcohol or other substances.

Caffeine and heart

It is widely believed that most energy drinks contain a significantly higher concentration of caffeine than the same cup of coffee. Cardiovascular reactions to caffeine use have been extensively studied. Some of the effects of caffeine on the heart muscle have long been considered a possible culprit in heart disease in some people. Over the past couple of decades, coffee has been associated with various harmful effects, such as:

• Hypertension.
• Stomach ulcer.
• Heartbeat
• Atrial flutter.
• Myocardial infarction.

Therefore, caffeine plays an important role in the development of dangerous complications when using energy drinks.

Biochemical effect of caffeine on the heart:

• In healthy people, caffeine, methylxanthine, enhances the activity of the sympathetic nerve. The molecular mechanism of caffeine is its competitive inhibition of phosphodiesterase. This leads to an increase in the level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and, as a result, to a positive inotropic effect on the myocardium.
• Inhibition of adenosine receptors, on the other hand, prevents the negative inotropic effect caused by adenosine. Thus, consuming large amounts of caffeine can increase blood pressure and plasma levels of catecholamines, renin and free acids.

Toxic doses of caffeine can affect the conductivity and refractoriness of the heart, which leads to the development of various arrhythmias. Symptoms of a caffeine overdose mainly include:

• Heartbeat
• Hypertension
• Irritability.
• Insomnia.
• Tremor.
• Cramps.

In addition, the hypertensive effects of caffeine cannot be ignored, as they can lead to dangerous cardiovascular conditions.

There is a widespread belief that caffeine can be arrhythmogenic in those who regularly consume it. However, a large-scale Danish study did not show a higher risk of atrial fibrillation / flutter with varying amounts of caffeine consumed. In addition, the stimulatory effect of caffeine seems to be different in individuals, and the degree of tolerance and dependence on this substance is apparently a hereditary factor and may be associated with polymorphisms.

Caffeine Metabolism

This process is extremely diverse and depends on the particular user; thus, the effects of caffeine are uneven. The half-life is 4.9 hours, however, the level of absorption mainly depends on:

• human genotype;
• age
• gender
• liver condition;
• consumption of drugs such as oral contraception, antidepressants, and antiarrhythmic drugs;
• tolerance to the effects of stimulants.

Caffeine is mainly metabolized through the liver cytochrome P450 1A2 enzyme (CYP1A2). The presence of defects in this enzyme leads to a change in the metabolism of caffeine and its half-life. Therefore, genetic polymorphisms along the CYP1A2 pathway may cause some inconsistencies in drinking coffee and its effects on health.

A table comparing the amount of caffeine in various drinks.

Taurine and heart

Taurine is a derivative of amino acid cysteine \u200b\u200band is found in large quantities in the cardiac and skeletal muscles. It is quite a lot defined in energy drinks, such as 5-h energy and Red Bull. Although taurine is considered an important nutrient for humans, extensive clinical trials evaluating the effects of taurine have not yet been conducted.

It was previously discovered that taurine is useful for improving the lipid profile by increasing transcription of CYP7A1, an important enzyme in the conjugation of bile. It is also involved in increasing LDL uptake by the liver and upregulation of LDL receptors.

The use of taurine may also be associated with a decrease in blood pressure. Perhaps this is due to a weakening of the effect of angiotensin II, which causes vasoconstriction or “enhances” the effect of the kinin-kallikreinovoy system, which usually contributes to the development of vasodilation.

During a study of ethnic Chinese, an inverse correlation was found between a 24-hour taurine extract and diastolic blood pressure in people of Khan (the main Chinese ethnic group) and a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Tibetan subjects when consuming the corresponding foods. Similarly, a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed in 19 patients with borderline hypertension.

In addition, it was found that taurine deficiency causes a decrease in the sensitivity of the heart muscle to Ca ions. As a result, the inotropic ability of the organ decreases. This may be the reason that supplements increase physical performance due to improved blood supply to other organs, especially the musculoskeletal system.

It was determined that the concentration of taurine is higher in the muscles of the left ventricle of the heart of patients who died from chronic heart failure than in patients who died from other causes and have no cardiac pathology.

The study notes that taurine can, in fact, have an inotropic effect, which is directly associated with cardiovascular side effects that occur while taking energy drinks.

A comparison of the effects of drinking energy drinks containing only caffeine and those containing caffeine and taurine showed:

• The average 24-hour systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and average blood pressure were significantly higher in people who took energy containing caffeine and taurine.
• Acceptance of tonic acid-containing tonic acid increases the risk of myocardial infarction. This is most likely due to the fact that caffeine and taurine can interact.
• Drinking a caffeinated drink alone does not cause any significant cardiovascular changes as determined by magnetic resonance. At that time, when taking a combination of caffeine and taurine, the peak systolic discharge increases significantly.

The interaction between taurine and caffeine was dealt with by Schaffer and colleagues, who, in agreement with the European Union Scientific Committee on Food, concluded that taurine should neutralize some of the adverse effects of excess caffeine. In particular, it was noted that the physiological functions of taurine turn out to be incompatible with the adverse symptoms of cardiovascular disorders caused by excessive consumption of drinks containing caffeine and taurine.

Video: The truth about energy drinks. Quality Formula Program,

Guarana and heart

Paulliniacapuna, also known as guarana, is a South American plant that was first mentioned in 1872 and used to treat headaches. Amazonia natives used the seeds of these fruits to increase their working capacity and energy charge.

The stimulating effect of guarana is due to the peculiarity of the chemical composition similar to the structure of caffeine. It was determined that 2% -4.5% caffeine is found in guarana seeds, while 1% -2% caffeine is contained in coffee beans.

The effect of guarana is not fully understood. Whether this is an additive or synergistic effect in combination with caffeine is unclear. Guarana in an energy drink with a volume of up to 500 ml is from 1.4 mg to 300 mg. The FDA usually recognizes this plant as safe, although there are no prescribed doses, and it is unclear how many guarana per drink, because many companies do not give the composition in milligrams. Therefore, it should be assumed that the amount of caffeine in products containing guarana is actually greater. Not surprisingly, young people were hospitalized in the emergency department with cardiovascular manifestations after excessive ingestion of guarana-based energetics.

Overall rating

The increasing number of overdoses associated with energy drinks and caffeine clearly shows that there is a real risk for the development of adverse effects in the form of the same arrhythmias. However, with moderate use and without combination with other stimulants or alcohol, the risk of such side effects is negligible.

It should be noted that a large number of serious health complications were caused by excessive consumption of energy drinks in a short period of time. Therefore, it may be important for energy drink companies to alert their products to avoid problems.

The exact amounts and concentrations that are ideal to minimize health risks are unknown. Patients with underlying diseases such as liver failure or cardiomyopathy should avoid stimulants, including energy, at least be careful when consuming them in small quantities. If overdose symptoms develop, it is very important to stop consuming energy drinks.

Concerning the constituents of the energy drinks themselves, caffeine concentrations are apparently comparable or even lower than many popular coffee drinks, which makes the energy drink in small quantities quite safe. In fact, medical studies have shown that moderate caffeine intake is directly associated with a reduced risk of arrhythmias.

As for taurine, medical literature shows a general positive effect on health, especially for the cardiovascular system, so it is unlikely that this substance can harm the heart and blood vessels. However, if there is a risk of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and cardiomyopathy, products containing taurine should be used with caution.

Guarana can have a synergistic effect similar to caffeine, therefore, when using energy drinks with these substances, a negative effect on the heart and blood vessels can occur. Such statements still require additional information about their combined effects.