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Experts: Energy drinks could be harmful RriBloomehatz KRT CAMPUS SEATTLE — By virtue of their name, energy drinks would seemingly provide at least one thing — energy. Rockstar promises a better party. SoBe’s Adrenaline Rush promises, well, a rush. Other drinks boast superhuman vigor with names such as Killer Buzz, Full Throttle or Rip It. Red Bull says “it gives you wings.” "• No way, say medical experts. Not only do such drinks fail to offer a special boost, they say, their high caffeine and sugar content causes dehydration and could be dangerous for the young and active. “These drinks are marketing ploys. I’m not aware of any scientific data that they do what they say they’re going to do,” said Mark Kantor, professor of family and consumer sciences and nutrition at the University of Maryland, who specializes in consumer education. “They don’t give you more energy.” “A nutritionist defines energy as calories,” Kantor said. “If you refer to energy as something that gives you pep and zip and stamina, that’s just a myth. There’s nothing that provides that in food.” Nonetheless, energy drinks, which have high amounts of caffeine and ingredients such as taurine and glucuronolactone, have exploded in the beverage market since 1997. There are now more than 1,000 different brands in the roughly $1 billion industry, said John Craven, editor of the Cambridge, Mass., based beverage-review site BevNET.com, “the beverage industry’s source for product reviews, news & more.” Most of the explosion has been among young people. Some guzzle down the drinks at clubs and bars, mixing them with liquor; others tank up before playing in a sports event or grab a can to prepare for the work day or to stay awake and study. Such uses trouble doctors. “(Energy drinks) get to be problematic when used in combination with alcohol or when used before sports or with kids,” said Maher Karam-Hage, medical director of the Chelsea Arbor Addiction Treatment Center at the University of Michigan. Karam-Hage is an addiction specialist who has been a vocal critic of energy drink-alcohol cocktails. The main cause of concern, doctors say, is that the drinks cause extreme dehydration. And some governments, such as Sweden’s, publish public-health recommendations that the liquids be used carefully. Recommendations such as: — Energy drinks containing caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone should not be used as thirst quenchers. — The drinks should not be used for replenishing liquid when exercising. — The drinks should not be mixed with alcohol. Before high-energy sporting events, some athletes use energy drinks seeking an extra kick. But some doctors’and medical experts say energy drinks not only don’t help, they could actually hinder an athlete’s performance. Hard play alone will dehydrate a person, and Karam-Hage says the drinks can exacerbate the dehydration, forcing the muscles to work harder. But the companies still recommend a pre-game drink. “Try it before a workout or a sporting event and see how energized you feel!” SoBe’s Web site suggests. Suzanne Nelson, former nutritionist for the University of Washington athletic programs and now with the San Francisco 49ers, said she would never tell athletes to use the drinks. While the high amounts of caffeine can provide the feeling of exuberance, Nelson said, athletes can also experience the negative sides of caffeine such as dehydration, a need to use the toilet and sometimes being twitchy and nervous, among others. “That energized feeling is temporary, and it’s not a substitute for usable energy in the form of carbohydrates,” Nelson said. ■ She also worries because there’s been little research about the safety of all the ingredients or on their effects during doping tests. Craven, of BevNET.com, said he’s not sure anyone in the industry has done enough research on the drinks’ contents. * CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Elsinore, e.g. 7 Sort or kind 10 Supports for glasses 14 Choice 15 Born in Paris 16 Trademark ear cleaner 17 Revise a revision 18 Heater 19 Arm bone 20 Lab class assignment 22 Bridge hand 23 Land of leprechauns 24 Casino setbacks 26 Seth’s brother 30 Flightless bird 31 Break bread ♦ 32 South of France 33 Shoe points 35 Musical chord 39 Elderly gents, familiarly 41 i nrow into confusion 43 Attuned 44 1958 Pulitzer Prize winner 46 Tiny bit of physics 47 Outer edge 49 Mag leaders 50 NASA delay 51 Bathhouse 54 Jersey cagers 56 Fling 57 Fashionable travelers 63 Sewing case 64 Be overdrawn 65 Net defender 66 48th state 67 Actor Stephen 68 Risk 69 Newcastle’s river 70 NBC classic 71 Swipes DOWN 1 Heart 2 Summit 3 Big first for baby 4 Ocean motion 5 French river 6 Whole bit 7 Innocent heroine 8 Sinewy 9 Stovetop pot 10 Of horseback riding 11 Mythical strongman 12 Washer setting 13 Petty quarrels 21 Champagne cocktail 25 Sacred promise 26 In a frenzy 27 Digestive juice 28 Whirl of water 29 Make more tolerant 34 Soft leathers 36 Division word 37 In a tizzy 38 Promo offering 40 Honcho at Valhalla 42 Retirement accounts 45 Well-bred 48 Academic specialties 51 Stack the deck, e.g. 52 Singing cowboy 53 Bear 55 Brown ermine 58 McGregor of “Moulin Rouge” 59 Domesticate 60 Napoleon’s isle of exile 61 Small brook 62 Goes steady with © 2005 Tribune Media Services, Inc. 08/26/05 All rights reserved. Solutions S11M3I‘ISB~1IN1SM3INIAI1 3 1 8 IA1 V pBa V jj|z I d V 3 i ivooBBaMoBi nig 3 d 3 1 _1 _3__S _i_ 3 rll d n H 3 i 3 nMV n v g \ o s o nTms- q gB^ i Tl WO 1 VB 3 3 oJvBd a 3 A 3 X 3 p n i h|n nls Tjo agio a v i d TBsjg o iB i~ a i v* IT v Tmn w 3Bi 3 g \ _s g__s _s_ ° n Bn _i_ d_ _i _s_ v_T|BT n__3_ iai j__d j__£2L JL V N 1 fill V9|l I a 3 3 d d I 1 oB 3 3 ~N~B N O I 1 d O sldlvIgB^NTB^htTtsTvTo Quigmans ♦ By Buddy Hickerson i _ ."-ri"" -r?-—— “I don’t know, Doc... I have this overwhelming fear of being pinned down.” Paramore Today NORTH LINCOLN, YOUR LAST DREAM, ANOTHER CASTLE, 88MPH: 7 p.m. New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St. $3 over 21, $8 under. “THE ANIMATION SHOW": 7, 9 p.m. Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main St. $5.50 with student ID. Tuesday METAL KARAOKE HOSTED AND PERFORMED BY THE NOISE: 10 p.m New Brookland Tavern. $5 over 21, $7 under. “HEAD-ON”: 7, 9:15 p.m. Nickelodeon Theatre. $5.50 with student ID. PARAMORE, BEDLIGHT FOR BLUE EYES, MY AMERICAN HEART, FALLING OFF A BUILDING: 5 p.m. New Brookland Tavern. $6 in advance. All Ages. The Family Monster ♦ Byjoshshaiek■ Det, mu voy help wittt tte crwwi Atllllfl *7 C«y\ 'jov help jne pwl me, V»vir\j roofti7 You $V\ouWf W, So j to Iftfelf- J ^ yfc i* tftvlie IwU* Y8l/ tow* \«Y vtifyie for iWAjs/y ■ HOROSCOPES ARIES The more you study, the more you realize how lucky you’ve been. Proceed with caution. TAURUS The next two days are good for making money through creative endeavors. Gather up whatever’s owed. GEMINI Don’t assume you’re right, even if the other person’s not making sense. Pay closer attention, and learn. CANCER You’re in a good spot to find the perfect thing you’ve been looking for. Fix up something you’ve already got, and save. LEO You’ll hear a lot of different opinions now. Withhold judgment. Now is the time for listening. VIRGO Give up some of your private time to increase your income. It’s a small price to pay. LIBRA Don’t launch a new voyage now — there are too many complications. Work out the possible consequences on paper first. SCORPIO Don’t make any financial offers until you’re absolutely sure where the money’s coming from — and where it’s going. SAGITTARIUS You’re in for an interesting argument, so proceed with caution. Don’t make assumptions, and don’t take anything for granted. CAPRICORN A difficult task requires creative thinking. Make sure to get the agreement for reimbursement down in writing. AQUARIUS Romance is favored but might interfere with other activities. Make excuses to friends — family comes first. PISCES A controversy arises. Don’t offer to solve the problem unless you’re asked. They’re not listening. 0