The Central Role of Caffeine in Energy Drink Effects

The Central Role of Caffeine in Energy Drink Effects

Alvin Sherman Library

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of caffeine in an energy drink against a caffeine-matched control on attention span. Two double-blind groups of a total of 107 subjects were formed. Each group was either assigned to the energy drink (C4 - Nutrabolt®) or a caffeine-matched control of 200 mg of caffeine. The subjects consumed the caffeine sources and waited 45 minutes. They then completed a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), Memtrax (memory), handgrip strength, and a wall-sit endurance test. There were no differences in the improvement (pre vs. post) of the PVT test between the caffeine-matched control and the energy drink. However, the Memtrax post score significantly decreased, but the reaction time test increased with no change in the control. There were no differences in the delta score for the % correct score (Memtrax) or reaction time between the groups. There were no significant changes for either group in the handgrip or wall-sit assessments. Conclusively, there was no change in memory, handgrip strength, or wall-sit endurance when consuming 200 mg of caffeine in an energy drink or a stand-alone ingredient. However, significant improvements in attention and alertness (assessed by the PVT) were found when consuming either method of caffeine.