The ups and downs of energy drinks

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The ups and downs of energy drinks
By Mark Abramson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Servicemembers’ thirst for something with a little more oomph than a soda or cup of joe has added some kick to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s energy drink sales numbers. But, are those drinks good for you?

According to AAFES, its energy drinks sales worldwide rocketed from 954,008 containers in 2006 to 2,475,475 in 2008. The sales of sport drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade have declined from 2,372,620 containers to 2,287,917 in the same time span. Energy drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, now account for five of the top 10 cold beverage sellers at AAFES facilities. Monster energy drinks, 16-ounce sizes, are the No. 1 seller.

"New energy drink flavors seem to evolve and innovate themselves to meet changing demands," AAFES spokesman Army Lt. Col. David Konop said via e-mail.

Although energy drinks may be healthy for AAFES’ sales figures, guzzling those drinks may not be so good for the consumer, military officials warned.

"I think there are more (health) minuses than pluses," said Todd Hoover, director of the Army Wellness Center in Heidelberg, Germany, and replication manager for Army wellness centers in Europe. "These are just empty calories because there is no nutrient value in the drinks."


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59961