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Introduction
Xenergy drinks are a great tasting performance energy drink that fuels athletes. Xenergy gives its consumers the POWER TO WIN by excluding sugar and calories. Many flavors are available including: Frostberry Blast, Cran Razz, Mango Guava, Cherry Lime, and Melon Mayhem. My personal favorite, Mango Guava, is my a good go-to energy boost. It is great before a workout or even just to sip on throughout the day. By always having my favorite energy drink, I never get tired! I have always been curious as to what in these drinks gives you energy and alertness.
Composition of ...
- Citric Acid - natural conservative
- Taurine - when combined with caffeine it improves mental performance
- Glucuronolactone - natural metabolite of glucose and regulates formation of glycogen
- Vitamin B3 - can help improve cholesterol and lower cardiovascular risks
- Ginseng - used for improving thinking, concentration, memory and work efficiency, physical stamina, and athletic endurance
- Guanine - reduces fatigue
Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components
Two of the main ingredients in Xenergy energy drinks are caffeine and taurine. Caffeine is a plant product found in coffee beans, tea, soft drinks, cocoa, and chocolate. It can also be found in prescription and nonprescription drugs. Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system. The body may feel the effects of the caffeine within 15 minutes of digestion and last up to six hours. Taurine is naturally found in meat, fish and breast milk, and is commonly available as a dietary supplement. Some studies have shown taurine improves athletic performance, which explains why it is used in energy drinks. Taurine regulates heartbeat, muscle contractions, and energy levels. When these main components of Xenergy are combined they improve one’s mental performance.
Chemistry's Role
Energy drinks are designed to ‘boost’ performance and increase stamina. Though many ingredients are used in these drinks, caffeine is the main source of energy. Caffeine, C8H10N4O2, is a stimulant and works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain and other organs. Adenosine promotes sleep by slowing cellular activity. When the adenosine is blocked by caffeine molecules, they can’t bind to the receptors to slow down the cellular activity. The stimulated nerve cells then release adrenaline. This makes the body have an increase of heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to muscles. As the liver is releasing glucose to the bloodstreams, it is providing a readily available energy source. This available energy makes the body feel alert and energized. Caffeine is also diuretic causing the kidneys to remove extra fluid. This leaves less fluid in the body. When the diuretic effect is combined with sweating, dehydration may occur. To avoid this from happening, one just has to drink lots of water with the energy drink.
Background Research
Energy drinks are a subgroup to the early soft drink industry, like Pepsi or Coke. These industries were originally marketed as an energy booster. The company Xyience was established in 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was first just a sports nutrition and supplement company until 2006 when the company launched its energy drink, Xenergy. It’s sponsorship agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) has made Xience a presence in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Resources
Information about Xenergy Mango Guava Drink and Background Research
http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/res00000856/the-chemistry-of-sports-and-energy-drinks
Information about the Chemistry of Energy Drinks
Information about Taurine
http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/guarana
Information about Guarana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_drink#History
Information about Energy Drinks
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1000-GINSENG
Information about B Vitamins
About the Author
Kortney McNeil is a Junior at Billings Senior High School. She is the daughter of Brian and Juli McNeil. Her brother, Trevin, is attending MSU Bozeman to study Chemical Engineering. Kortney’s hobbies include golfing, playing basketball, hunting, and reading. Her future goals are to attend college on a golf scholarship, while studying something in the medical career.
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