Despite claims urging mixing caffeinated energy drinks with alcohol, it is not true that the caffeine will cancel out the effects of alcohol and increase stamina and alertness. A new study from the Boston University School of Public Health and the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University learned that caffeine and alcohol - like mixing an energy drink like Red Bull with vodka - has no effect on enhancing performance or improving sustained attention or reaction times.
"There appears to be little or no protective benefit from the
addition of caffeine to alcohol, with respect to the safe execution of activities that require sustained attention with rapid, accurate decisions," wrote the researchers. "The results of this study suggest that public education, via media and warning labels, should be considered regarding the safety of CABs (caffeinated alcoholic beverages), and that regulators should scrutinize energy drink CAB advertising as it relates to promoting safety-related expectancies."
The study was published in the February online edition of the journal Addiction.
The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in 2009 about the safety of
caffeinated alcoholic beverages. The Food and Drug Administration's warning came after the results of a survey that indicated that drinking caffeinated alcoholic beverages were connected with risky behavior exhibited by college students. A few months ago, Four Loko, a popular caffeinated alcoholic beverage, was pulled from the shelves.
The study learned that while the energy drink companies do not definitely advertise that their beverages should be mixed with alcohol, "non-traditional youth-oriented marketing strategies" include claims the drinks will "enhance attention, endurance, performance, weight loss, and fun, while reducing performance decrements from
fatigue from alcohol."
