Sometime between my senior year of college and now, I developed an inconveniently high caffeine tolerance, meaning I’m always on the lookout for a drink that will make me feel…something. So when I learned about the new Starbucks Iced Energy drinks, I was intrigued by the prospect of a beverage that just might deliver heat relief and an energy boost in a single serving.
Combining “sparkling fruit flavors with iced tea,” as the Starbucks website reads, the company’s new Iced Energy drink looks alluringly refreshing, but unlike your average smoothie or slushie, it’s pretty much packed with caffeine. According to the nutrition information available online, the 24-ounce drink contains 140 to 205 milligrams (mg) of caffeine—on par with the store’s grande, or 16-ounce, cold brew. You have three different options to choose from: Melon Burst Iced Energy, Tropical Citrus Iced Energy, and Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Energy with Strawberry Purée (that last one can be purchased only through the Starbucks app for a limited amount of time). The Tropical Citrus flavor tips the caffeine scales the most, with 205 mg.
On an extremely hot New York day, I decided to try one to ward off the afternoon slump. I ordered a Tropical Citrus Iced Energy at a Starbucks a few minutes away from my office, and started sipping after lunch. By the time I was back at work, I had polished off about a quarter of it (which wasn’t hard to do, considering that it tasted like a fizzy iced tea). While I was sitting at my desk about half an hour later, I noticed that my concentration had improved, my heart was beating harder, and my fingers shook when I tried to hold them still—and I still had half my Tropical Citrus Iced Energy to go. Next came trouble focusing and a feeling of pressure in my head; my eyes seemed to skate over the Google doc on my computer screen. My body’s response seemed to stabilize there, but my heart rate still felt elevated when I left the office around 6:30 p.m.
So what was going on there? For one, that drink flooded my body with caffeine. The FDA recommends taking in no more than 400 milligrams per day, so one Tropical Citrus Iced Energy packs just over half of the daily max. (Plus I was already about 100 mg deep since I also had coffee that morning.) That amount puts it well above an 8.4-ounce Red Bull (80 mg) and an eight-ounce cup of coffee (typically between 80 to 100 mg), but below a 20-ounce Charged Lemonade from Panera (259 to 260 mg). According to the Associated Press, Panera recently announced it would be pulling those drinks after multiple lawsuits were filed against the company.
As someone who normally drinks maybe two cups of coffee per day (three if I’m feeling especially low-energy), I felt my reaction to the Iced Energy was especially pronounced—more so than I expected, at least. I guess it shouldn’t have been too surprising: Caffeine can cause a wide range of effects, especially if you’re sensitive to the stimulant: Think heightened alertness, increased urination, and an upset stomach or heartburn. And if you take in too much of it, you might experience anxiety, dehydration, dizziness, headaches, and insomnia.
Plus, since the drink is so cooling and tasty, you’re probably more likely to gulp it down (like I did). That’s “going to have more of an effect” than if you were to sip it slowly, like you’d do with a hot drink, Estee Glikman, RDN, CDN, a cofounder of Love & Grits Nutrition Therapy, tells SELF.
Another thing: If you’re looking for the ultimate hydration choice for these scorching summer days, this might not be it. A solid amount of electrolytes is key, Glikman says. Something that contains enough sodium, chloride, and potassium—e.g., coconut water or a sports drink—would be a better choice, as SELF reported previously. (While the Iced Energy drinks do contain sodium—35 mg each for the Melon Burst Iced Energy and the Tropical Citrus Iced Energy, and 270 mg for the Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Energy with Strawberry Purée—the first two can’t really compare to something like a Gatorade Thirst Quencher, which contains 110 mg of potassium and 380 mg of sodium per bottle.) What’s more, “the caffeine is a diuretic and it’s actually going to work against hydration,” Glikman says.
Like I mentioned before, I’ve built up a high caffeine tolerance over the years, so I imagine my reaction to an Iced Energy drink wasn’t as strong as it could be for some folks. Children, adolescents, and people who have certain health conditions might feel the effects more, Glikman says.
Even if you don’t fall into any of those categories, Glikman recommends drinking the Iced Energy beverages in moderation—especially if you’re dipping into other sources of caffeine too. (After all, if you have a venti, or 24-ounce, iced coffee in the morning and then an Iced Energy in the afternoon, she points out, you could be “well exceeding the [FDA-recommended] amount of milligrams” per day.) When you do indulge, try to sip slowly so the caffeine doesn’t hit you all at once, eat something with it to reduce the impact, and drink (actual) water so you don’t get dehydrated. And if your goal is to rehydrate as quickly and efficiently as possible? You might want to stick to these tried-and-true ways instead.
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