- With Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
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Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Dr. Edward Laskowski is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
He has been on the staff of Mayo Clinic since 1990 and specializes in sports medicine, fitness, strength training and stability training. He works with a multidisciplinary team of physical medicine, rehabilitation and orthopedic specialists, physical therapists and sports psychologists.
Dr. Laskowski is an elite-level skier and approaches sports medicine from the perspective of a physician and an athlete. In addition to skiing, he is an avid hiker, cyclist and climber.
In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Laskowski to a two-year term on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Dr. Laskowski was a member of the medical staff of the Olympic Polyclinic at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and was involved in medical coverage for the Chicago Marathon. He serves as a consulting physician to the National Hockey League Players' Association and is a featured lecturer at the American College of Sports Medicine's Team Physician Course.
Dr. Laskowski, a Cary, Ill., native, has contributed to Mayo Clinic's CD-ROM on sports, health and fitness, a Web site guide to self-care, and hundreds of Mayo Clinic articles and booklets in print and online. He is a contributing editor to Mayo Clinic's "Fitness for EveryBody" book.
"There are many myths and misconceptions about exercise and fitness in general, and also many traditions that don't stand up to scientific scrutiny," he says. "My goal is to provide the most up-to-date and accurate information on sports medicine and fitness topics in a way that you can practically incorporate into your life."
Fitness basics (4)
- Exercise and illness: Should you exercise when you're sick?
- Heart rate: What's normal?
- Body fat analyzers: How accurate are they?
- see all in Fitness basics
Aerobic exercise (10)
- Weighted hula hoops: Exercise gimmick or good idea?
- Elliptical machines: Better than treadmills?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- see all in Aerobic exercise
Strength training (8)
- Weightlifting: Before or after an aerobic workout?
- Fitness ball exercises: Good for my abs?
- Weight training: Free weights vs. machine weights
- see all in Strength training
Sports nutrition (4)
- Energy drinks: OK for athletes?
- Insulin: Can it boost athletic performance?
- 'Natural' steroids: Are they safe?
- see all in Sports nutrition
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Question
Energy drinks: OK for athletes?
I like to kick-start my workouts with energy drinks, such as Red Bull. Is this OK?
Answer
from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.
Occasional energy drinks are safe for most people. Caution is important, however, especially if you have underlying heart problems.
Energy drinks — which are often loaded with caffeine, sugar and herbal stimulants — may pose various health risks, including:
- Restlessness and irritability. The caffeine in energy drinks can make you irritable, restless and nervous. Excessive caffeine is also associated with headaches, tremors, nausea and insomnia.
- Increased blood pressure. The caffeine in energy drinks can increase your blood pressure and make your heart beat faster. In some cases, this can trigger potentially dangerous changes in heart rhythm. Mixing energy drinks and alcohol compounds the effect, since alcohol also makes your heart beat faster.
- Possible dehydration. Some studies suggest that the caffeine in energy drinks may increase the risk of dehydration during exercise, but results are mixed. Other studies don't associate caffeine with dehydration.
- Weight gain. The sugar in most energy drinks can contribute to weight gain, especially for people who don't exercise regularly and those who struggle with their weight.
In addition, excessive amounts of energy drinks have been associated with manic episodes, seizures, chest pain, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death.
Before and during exercise, plain water is usually best. During workouts that last 60 minutes or longer, you might sip sports drinks — typically made of water and carbohydrates — to boost your endurance. If you choose to drink energy drinks, do so only in moderation.
Next questionInsulin: Can it boost athletic performance?
- Selecting and effectively using sports drinks, carbohydrate gels and energy bars. American College of Sports Medicine. http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=brochures2&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=12036. Accessed May 12, 2009.
- Clauson KA, et al. Safety issues associated with commercially available energy drinks. Pharmacy Today. 2008;14:52.
- Wiklund U, et al. Influence of energy drinks and alcohol on post-exercise heart rate recovery and heart rate variability. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging. 2009;29:74.
- Steinke L, et al. Effect of "energy drink" consumption on hemodynamic and electrocardiographic parameters in healthy young adults. The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. 2009;43:596.
- Del Coso J, et al. Caffeine effects on short-term performance during prolonged exercise in the heat. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2008;40:744.
- Armstrong LE, et al. Caffeine, fluid-electrolyte balance, temperature regulation, and exercise-heat tolerance. Exercise & Sport Sciences Reviews. 2007;35:135.
