I Have Never Seen a Value in Energy Drinks

I drink coffee, tea, and Coke if I am feeling low energy but I figure if those are not enough, I should probably accept my physical limitations. This 11/6/26 Medical News Today article suggests young people jacking up on energy drinks is probably a bad idea:

Energy drinks are beverages that often contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants. Previous research has linked energy drink consumption, particularly excessive intake, with various potential health risks.

While moderate caffeine intake may offer health benefits, excessive energy drink consumption has been linked to potential cardiovascular risks, including arrhythmias, tachycardia, and hypertension, particularly among young adults. Although there is currently no federal age limit for purchasing energy drinks in the U.S., there are proposals to restrict sales to minors.

Now, preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2026 suggests that energy drinks and stimulant supplements may be associated with an increased likelihood of reports of serious heart-related events, particularly among young adults.

The findings are notable because cardiovascular events are generally less common among younger adults than older people, and almost half of the reports linking stimulant-containing products to cardiovascular events involved adults between the ages of 18 and 34.

Sad to say, many years ago, several colleagues and I at JPL decided to work through the night writing code for Voyager, so I made a pot of coffee with twice the number grounds and several NoDoz tablets.