• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Kieran Kayalackakom never drinks coffee because he hates the taste. But for his first midterms, the first-year neuroscience student stayed up for 72 hours on seven vanilla lattes with a double shot of espresso from Bruin Café.

“It messes up my schedule terribly, but it keeps me awake during the hours when others generally sleep, so it’s a lot easier to get work done,” he said.

As finals approach, many students like Kayalackakom are finding that just a thirst for knowledge is not enough to get them through their studying. Instead, many turn to a myriad of new energy-boosting products, which promise everything from giving you “wings” with Red Bull to “Unleashing the beast” with Monster energy drinks.

According to a June 2005 article in economic news magazine BusinessWeek, the energy-drink market is a “fast-growing, $2-billion a year” industry.

And the newest product hoping to cut itself a piece of this industry is Jolt Gum, a company affiliated with the popular Jolt Cola energy drink.

The company just began marketing their caffeinated gum, two pieces of which are said to contain the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee or an energy drink, to college campuses around the nation.

Kevin Gass, a spokesperson for GumRunners LLC, the company that created Jolt Gum, said the company “definitely sees more college students buy more during midterms and finals.” More puzzling is the company’s increased sales after finals, he said.

“Our guess is that it’s not just for studying. People also want to stay up to party or celebrate,” Gass said.

Caffeine, the most widely used drug in the world, is common not just in coffee and energy drinks, but also chocolate, tea and some anti-headache medicines, said Evi Desser, nurse practitioner at the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.

But besides the well-known effects of temporarily increasing alertness and insomnia, experts warn, any form of caffeine in excess may produce heavy consequences.

Desser said side effects of the drug include upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat and irritability. Continued intake of caffeine, and addictive stimulant, also may lead to dependency, and not having it may result in headaches.

Second-year biology Matt Bressette enjoys the taste of Monster energy drinks, and considers them an alternative to soda. He said he once drank three Monster Energy drinks and felt sick, so now he only drinks them occasionally to pick himself up in the morning.

“My idea is not to have too much. You’ll just crash,” he said.

Both Desser and Gass as well as Christina Miller, clinical psychologist at the Ashe Center Health Education Unit, said it is fine for people to drink one or two cups of coffee or energy drinks per day to wake themselves up in the morning, but all three emphasized moderation.

“It’s all about balance,” Desser said.

As long as it is a reasonable amount, the source of caffeine makes no difference and is a matter of personal preference, Desser said.

Kayalackakom said he did not drink energy drinks because they were more expensive and less accessible.

“I can’t swipe for them. I’m just trying to be economical,” he said.

He added that he is considering caffeinated gum or caffeine pills.

However, no matter what product, the issue is the amount, Desser said.

“Responsible use is important. You should know your own body and its limits before you’re uncomfortable, or put yourself at risk for side effects,” Desser said.

Though he said he did not develop a dependency on caffeine, Kayalackakom became familiar with the side effects, particularly stomach problems and twitching.

But Kayalackakom says it was worth it.

“The negative effects are acceptable when weighing them with performing poorly in school,” he said. “I only drink coffee when I’m far behind.”

While many students will drink the extra cup or pop open the extra can for the purpose of studying more this week, Miller said consuming caffeine beyond moderation may come at a serious price.

“One time, a student came in after drinking 23 cups of coffee. He was in trouble, not just medically, but he had to cancel his final because his heartbeat was too fast, he was sweating horribly and couldn’t focus,” she said.

Miller, who also runs the sleep clinic and Mind Body workshops at the Ashe Center, said the most harmful effects of caffeine are caused by a loss of sleep.

“It takes a long time to make up sleep loss caused by caffeine and to be physically okay again,” Miller said.

She said the best way for students to get a boost of energy was to run around or take a walk.

Miller discouraged students from staying up for long periods of time, because besides weakening the immune system, losing sleep affects students ability to focus and may cause them to perform worse on tests and papers.

“Anything you gain by cramming, you lose in productivity,” Miller said.

Ideally, students can avoid the need to stay up by studying earlier, but procrastination often drives them to desperation. Miller warned students not to get carried away, and to ultimately listen to their bodies to recognize their own limits.

“If somebody is so exhausted that the only way they can stay awake is with caffeine, then they should go to sleep,” she said.