The safe daily caffeine intake for an adult is 400 milligrams, most energy drinks give you half of that in 16 ounces.

According to a student-organized study at Olivet High School in 2023, “63% of teenagers drink energy drinks regularly.”

“My resting heart rate went from 70 to 130 and it regularly gets above 200. When I drink a whole bunch, I cannot focus on anything and I’m literally sitting in class, shaking and trying not to puke,” Perry said.

Too much caffeine can cause brain fog, headaches, anxiety, restlessness, high blood pressure and heart palpitations, yet 64% of adults drink caffeine-filled beverages daily according to Addiction Help.

Personally, I drink an Alani Nu or a Celcius, containing 200 mg, every now and then either for a workout or to cram in studying, but I always end up regretting it because of how bad it makes me feel. My hands get uncontrollably shaky and I feel like my heart is going to explode. The caffeine crash I feel after drinking an energy drink makes me feel like I’m stuck in time, leaving my heart racing and body shaking. 

Jena Schmidt ‘27, whose favorite energy drink is Monster with 150 mg of caffeine, spoke about her experience drinking energy drinks with attention deficit disorder (ADHD).

“I have ADHD and caffeine makes me tired. I drink probably seven or eight [drinks] in a week,” Schmidt said.

Some people don’t feel the negative effects of caffeine, like restlessness and high blood pressure, because of ADHD. Research from Healthline shows that caffeine can have little to no effect on some people with ADHD because of their genetics and tolerance to caffeine. For people without ADHD, caffeine can make them feel ADHD-like symptoms.

“I feel normal when I don’t have them, but slightly tired when I have them,” Schmidt said, “I found that when I stopped drinking energy drinks daily, I could think clearly.”

Drinking energy drinks might make you more productive and feel unstoppable for a short time, but they negatively affect your heart and mind in the long run.