Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Feeling Fit: The Dangers of Energy Drinks

Aired June 09, 2001 - 08:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At this dance club in Atlanta, it's one order for energy drinks after another.

UNIDENTIFIED CONSUMER: It kind of makes me stay awake where I get, I get energized.

UNIDENTIFIED CONSUMER: It just makes me feel alert, awake.

COHEN: Sport nutritionist Liz Applegate (ph) is one of the few researchers who studied energy drinks, so we asked her what's in them that seems to perk people up. Her answer was very simple.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And frankly they're nothing much more than caffeine in a can with a lot of sugar.

COHEN: One can of Red Bull, the most popular energy drink, has about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. The makers of Red Bull told us other ingredients such as vitamins and amino acids, help boost energy, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And these are sexy sounding ingredients, and while they may give the allure that they're going to help athletic performance or help you feel energized, research studies actually don't support that.

COHEN: Most of the people we met here actually weren't thinking much about athletic performance. They like their energy drinks mixed with vodka, sometimes one after another.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they were to drink multiple glasses of this mixture or concoction, I think there'd be a danger such as racing heartbeat, elevation of blood pressure and even potentially a heart attack.

COHEN: A spokeswoman for Red Bull declined to be interviewed on camera, but in a statement said, "Red Bull does not actively market itself as a mixer for alcoholic drinks." So the experts we talked to said the bottom line is there's nothing wrong with these drinks in moderation and yes, they will pep you up, but so would anything with that much caffeine.

For "Feeling Fit," I'm Elizabeth Cohen. (END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com