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.