Texan Mosaic

Author:  Madison Happley, COMM2311-601 Newswriting; photos from students in COMM 1318 Photography 1. Featured photo by Clay Patton.

For many college students, pulling an all-nighter or having lengthy study sessions is almost a rite of passage. And for some, the easy solution to staying awake has become the quick energy in a can.

“I reach for a Red Bull maybe three or four times a month, mostly when I have a long day of classes,” Texas Tech University student Summer Schultze says. 

South Plains College student Gavin Carr says he drinks an energy drink three to five times a week.

“I usually drink them around the morning,” he says.  “And then when it gets to the weekend, I drink them during the night so I can play video games.”

Energy drinks appear to be everywhere at the store and in the classroom.  And there are tons of choices.

Colorful cans and catchy advertising slogans might draw students in.

According to a 2025 article from Harvard Health, energy drinks have exploded on the markets, with now over 500 products readily available.

But are students always aware about what’s in the drinks?  That’s the big question.

Harvard Health explains the average five to eight-ounce cup of coffee has roughly 100 mg of caffeine it.  Energy drinks, it says, may contain two or three times that amount.

Harvard Health says Consumer Reports tested 27 energy drinks and found the amount of caffeine ranged from 6 to 242 milligrams per serving – and there’s more than one serving in some cans and bottles.

The FDA considers up to 400 mg of caffeine per day safe for most healthy adults.  The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports teens ages 12 to 18 should limit intake to 100 mg or less per day.

“Most energy drinks in the U.S. have the total amount of caffeine from all

sources,” the  FDA says in one of its consumer updates, “such as other ingredients

that may have caffeine, like guarana, listed on the label.”

The FDA suggests consumers read the energy drink label carefully.

 “Most popular energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster contain a combination of caffeine, sugar or artificial sweeteners, B vitamins, and other compounds like taurine and guarana,” says Melissa Grant, a Texas Tech University teaching assistant in the nutritional sciences department. “Caffeine is the main active ingredient; it stimulates the central nervous system, which can increase alertness and reduce feelings of fatigue. Other ingredients like taurine and B vitamins are often marketed as supporting energy metabolism, but for most people the noticeable effect primarily comes from the caffeine and, in some drinks, the added sugar.”

All of these possibilities packed into one multi ounce drink, and consumed in a matter of minutes. 

“The speed of consumption matters,” Grant says. “When you drink coffee, you usually sip it over time. Energy drinks are often consumed quickly, which delivers a large dose of caffeine to the body all at once.”

According to Harvard Health, consuming excessive caffeine may lead to symptoms such as increased heart rate, restlessness, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.

Carr says “sleep deprivation” is one of the side effects he sometimes has from drinking energy drinks on weekends. 

SPC student Koie Hill says she has ADHD so she has to be careful about taking her ADHD medicine when she consumes energy drinks.

SPC student Clay Patton, who usually comes to class twice a week with a Monster juice in hand, admits energy drinks can make him a little “fidgety”. 

“Sometimes they just help me focus,” he says.  “I kind of have ADHD, so they can help me focus.”

Schultze says she only drinks sugar free Red Bulls because those give her fewer side effects.

Some of the side effects of drinking too many energy drinks may be severe.  The

Cleveland Clinic lists symptoms of a “caffeine overdose” meaning what happens

when your body takes in more caffeine than it can safely handle.  It says symptoms of a serious overdose could include:

• Trouble breathing or shortness of breath
• Sudden high blood pressure
• Muscle twitching
• Confusion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Seizures

This month the family of a 17-year-old Texas cheerleader filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a distributor of a popular energy drink, saying the teenager died from an enlarged heart caused by consuming large amounts of caffeine.

Grant says energy drinks are generally not recommended for teenagers.

“One concern is that young people may unintentionally consume too much caffeine,” she says, “because they’re not always tracking other sources during the day (like coffee, soda, tea, or pre-workout supplements) so it can add up quickly.”

While the dangers may be there, Grant says these drinks can be consumed within a healthy limit without serious harm to an already healthy adult.

“One drink before a long drive or an unusually demanding day is different from daily reliance,” she said. “The problem arises when students feel they can’t function without it.”

Student Clay Patton agrees.  “If you have one a day, it’s not going to hurt you,” he says.  “It gives you good energy.  It just depends on which one you drink.  And it depends on how much caffeine you’re intaking.”

For students navigating packed schedules and high expectations, the challenge may not be finding more energy in a can — but learning how to protect the energy they already have.