According to a news release from the Radiological Society of North America, energy drinks alter heart function. The researchers found that healthy adults who drank energy drinks high in caffeine and taurine had notably raised heart contraction rates one hour later.

“Until now, we haven’t known exactly what effect these energy drinks have on the function of the heart,” said radiology resident Jonas Dörner, of the cardiovascular imaging section at the University of Bonn, in a statement. “There are concerns about the products’ potential adverse side effects on heart function, especially in adolescents and young adults, but there is little or no regulation of energy drink sales.”

Energy drinks are part of a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to expand.

Interestingly, a 2013 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration noted that in the U.S. from 2007 to 2011, ER visit linked to energy drink consumption almost doubled.

“Usually energy drinks contain taurine and caffeine as their main pharmacological ingredients,” Dörner posited. “The amount of caffeine is up to three times higher than in other caffeinated beverages like coffee or cola. There are many side effects known to be associated with a high intake of caffeine, including rapid heart rate, palpitations, rise in blood pressure and, in the most severe cases, seizures or sudden death.”

The researchers utilized MRI to determine the impact of energy drink consumption on heart function in 18 healthy adults. Each of the adults had a heart MRI before and one hour after drinking an energy drink.

When examined in contrast to the baseline images, findings of heart MRI conducted one hour after the adults drank the energy drink showed notably raised peak strain and peak systolic strain rates in the left ventricle of the heart.

“We don’t know exactly how or if this greater contractility of the heart impacts daily activities or athletic performance,” Dörner noted. “We need additional studies to understand this mechanism and to determine how long the effect of the energy drink lasts.”

The researchers discovered no notable variations in heart rate, blood pressure or the quantity of blood ejected from the left ventricle of the heart between participants’ baseline and second MRI exams.

“We’ve shown that energy drink consumption has a short-term impact on cardiac contractility,” Dörner added. “Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of long-term energy drink consumption and the effect of such drinks on individuals with heart disease.”

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