Why Energy Drinks May Be Bad for Your Heart

Energy drinks account for nearly 1 in 3 drinks sold at convenience stores in the U.S. Men under age 35, teens, and university students are most likely to use these products.

People reach for energy drinks for different reasons — to get through a long day, get an extra boost before a workout, or simply to help find a second wind. Many people without health problems won’t notice any consequences. But these products can have harmful effects on your health. In particular, energy drinks can raise blood pressure and heart rate. This can be particularly dangerous for people with underlying heart conditions.

Let’s look at how energy drinks can raise your blood pressure, plus which ingredients to look out for.

Do energy drinks raise blood pressure?

Yes, energy drinks can raise your blood pressure. This is mainly from the high amount of caffeine and other stimulants that can affect blood pressure.

Let’s start with the caffeine content:

• The best-selling brands of energy drink contain at least 100 mg of caffeine, which is similar to a cup of coffee. This amount can raise blood pressure up to 15 points in some people.

• Some brands have even more caffeine — as much as 7 cups of coffee. At this dose, your blood pressure may climb much higher.

• In many cases, energy drinks have more caffeine than what the label reports.

• Due to marketing, there’s no requirement to even report caffeine.

But the story doesn’t end there. Many energy drinks also contain substances like guarana and ginseng. These additives are intended to have a stimulant effect, and they may also affect blood pressure.

Mayo Clinic researchers studied the effects of a popular energy drink in young, healthy people. The drink contained 240 mg of caffeine, guarana, and other additives. After just 30 minutes, the average blood pressure had increased by over 6%, with a range of up to nearly 10%. For some people, this might not be alarming. But, for others, this change could make the difference between normal and high blood pressure.

Researchers also found that the drink significantly increased the level of stress hormones in the body — adrenaline levels increased by nearly 75%. Adrenaline can cause heart palpitations and high blood pressure. High levels may even raise the risk for heart attacks. When combined with caffeine, the effects can be even greater.

Good to know: Most studies of energy drinks have tested them on young, healthy people. If you have health conditions like hypertension or heart disease, you may be more sensitive to the effects of these products.

What exactly is an energy drink?

Energy drinks are nonalcoholic drinks that are purported to increase energy and alertness. They typically contain large amounts of:

• Caffeine 

• Added sugars 

• Stimulants, such as green tea, guarana, bitter orange, and ginseng

• Amino acids like taurine and L-carnitine 

• Other ingredients, such as vitamins, often in large amounts

Energy drinks aren’t the same as hydrating sports drinks. Sports drinks are usually made from water, sweeteners, and electrolytes like sodium and potassium.

Energy drinks are also different from traditional caffeinated drinks, like coffee and tea. These are plant-based products that naturally contain caffeine.

Many different companies make energy drinks, and the government doesn’t regulate them. This means it’s hard to know exactly what’s in them. This is enough of a concern that the U.S Anti-Doping Agency recommends athletes avoid these drinks because they could contain banned substances.

Which energy drinks increase your blood pressure the most?

The more caffeine and other additives in an energy drink, the more likely it is to raise your blood pressure. And the more you drink, the more intense the side effects will be. The FDA lists 400 mg of caffeine a day as a safe maximum. But some people will have problems with much smaller amounts.

One problem with energy drinks is that the labels aren’t always clear. The average energy drink has 18 different ingredients. The label usually doesn’t state the amount of each ingredient. And many of the listed ingredients may have confusing names, or they can be hard to recognize. This means you may be getting more caffeine and other stimulants than you realize.

Are energy drinks bad for your heart?

Yes, energy drinks can potentially cause serious harm to your heart. In the U.S., caffeine-related visits to the emergency room (ER) have doubled among young people in recent years.

While rare, there are reports of energy drinks leading to life-threatening and deadly heart conditions in young people with no previous health problems. They include: 

• Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)

• Heart attack

• Cardiac arrest

• Coronary artery dissection (tearing)

One study of young, healthy people looked at two different brands of energy drinks. Researchers found higher blood pressure after just 2 cans of the products. They also noticed changes in the electrical patterns of the heart on an electrocardiogram (ECG). These are the types of changes that can lead to serious heart rhythm problems. In the worst cases, that can cause cardiac arrest.

Are energy drinks bad for your blood pressure and heart over the long term?

An occasional energy drink won’t likely cause permanent damage to your heart. The effects on heart rate and blood pressure will usually wear off after a few hours. But regular use may cause higher blood pressure and heart palpitations.

You should get immediate medical attention if you experience:

• Chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes

• Difficulty breathing

• Palpitations or a fast heart rate that doesn’t stop after a few minutes

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Severe headache or confusion

These may be signs that something else is going on, so it’s best to get checked out.

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Written by:

Sarah A. Samaan, MD

Sarah Samaan, MD, FACC, FACP, FASE is a board-certified cardiologist who practiced clinical cardiology for nearly 30 years. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Physicians, among others.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

Reviewed by:

Mandy Armitage, MD

Mandy Armitage, MD, has combined clinical medicine with her passion for education and content development for many years. She is co-executive director at Nonclinical Physicians Network and has served as medical director for the health technology companies HealthLoop (now Get Well) and Doximity.

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