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Energy drinks reside in the market of soft drinks, whereby their intended purpose is to provide additional benefits to the well-being of an individual, with respect to their energy level. Furthermore, the added benefit of the energy beverage should improve the physical activity of the consumer versus a drink without energizing compounds, flavorings or components. Particularly, many consumers choose an energy drink to increase their mental focus and aptitude or physical awareness. The addition of caffeine and a selection of vitamins and/or herbal ingredients in the drink will provide the stimulant effects desired by the individual versus the effect from caffeine alone.
Ingredients in the energy drinks are varying and offering a selection of stimulant effects. In general terms, the drinks include methlyxanthines (such as caffeine) and specific herbs or vitamins (most importantly, the class of vitamins B). There are other herbal remedies offered in the drinks as well, such as guarana, acai and taurine. In addition to this, the drinks could contain ginseng (stimulant often looked at in Asian cultures). More classes include the additions of carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Many drinks have high levels of sugar, with the inclusions of diet versions with artificial sweeteners. The most poignant ingredient in these drinks is caffeine, such as the stimulants in coffee or tea.
There are many different effects, which are causations of the energy beverages and their related ingredients. These effects are combinations of physical and metal reactions. The overly moderate consumption of energy drinks could lead to feelings of euphoria (extreme happiness and/or alertness), such as the effects from caffeine. In addition to this, the drinks may cause agitation (reflex normality’s or twitching etc.), varying levels of anxiety (fear would be the mental response and sweating would be the physical), irritability (not being able to control anger) and insomnia (body needs to sleep, but not being able to fall asleep). In cycle tests of young adults, the energy beverage was found to increase the endurance of the upper body muscles. In contrast to this, the withdrawal effects remain in these symptoms when the varying levels of stimulants are naturally removed from the system of the individual over time. The combination of the sugars in the energy drink and the caffeine suggested certain restorative and cognition-improving abilities of the drink. Particular ingredients such as (caffeine, taurin and glucuronolactone) showed that individuals had increased mental focus after consuming an energy beverage with similar ingredients.
One of the first energy drinks on the markets, the drink Irn-Bru (a Scottish drink) is considered a drink, which championed the market onwards. This happened to have a nickname of “Iron Brew” and originally was introduced in 1901. Japan since the 1960s has enjoyed the popularity of the energy beverage market. Particularly, the introduction of the drink Lipovitan. In contrast, these drinks offered in Japan are not that similar to what we see as energy drinks in the United States. They are sold in small brown glass bottles, which resemble medicine bottles. The Japanese call these bottles “genki drinks,” which are also available in South Korea.
In the United Kingdom during the 1920s, the drink Lucozade Energy was originally introduced. This beverage was introduced in hospitals for aiding and helping patients in the recovery process. Later on, in the 1980s it was marketed as a beverage for revitalizing lost energy. In addition to this, the first drinks that focused on sports and athletes arrived in the 1960s. This drink was created for the University of Florida and their football team, the Gators. You probably know of this drink, which is called Gatorade. This drink was created to improve the hydration process and allow athletes to perform better under different conditions. It is also known as a sports drink for this reason.
As well in 1985, Jolt Cola was put forth in the United States. The strategy behind this drink was the caffeine amounts offered and it was marketed as a way to increase alertness. The marketing slogan was, “All the sugar and twice the caffeine.” In addition, in 1995 Pepsi launched Josta, the first drink of its kind marketed by a major US soft drink company. You will probably remember the introduction of Red Bull as a widely known energy beverage and worldwide bestseller. Dietrich Mateschitz (Austrian entrepreneur) created the drink based on the ingredients in a Thai concoction known as Krating Daeng. Red Bull is still a popular brand after its US introduction in 1997, with a market share of over 40%.
In 2001, the energy beverage market was growing exponentially. During the next 4 years, it had grown 50% per year, with totals of or around $3 billion dollars in 2005. In addition to this, diet offerings are also growing (at rates near 100% each year), with particular attention to the 16-ounce variety. The market itself hit $5.4 billion dollars in 2007 and predictions remain for the market increasing to $10 billion dollars by 2010.
The average consumer of an energy drink is typical a younger person. From the age group of 13 and 35, this represents around 65% of the market. Many younger people use the drinks to stay up longer or to focus on writing papers or studying. In addition to this, many use them to be more attentive at work or on the job.
In 2001, Powerade was introduced into the market. The attractive bullet shape and the screw-top aluminum bottle is known as a popular sports drink. Similar companies have introduced attractive bottling procedures and tried out various kinds of recyclable materials. Some companies have changed their packaging, going from a simple bottle to an aluminum bottle for example. In the United Kingdom, there are unique brands to specific grocery chains there. For example, Tesco sells brand ‘Kx’ and Sainsbury’s sells the brand ‘Blue Bolt.’
Moreover, since 2002, there has been an increase in the trend for offering bigger cans. In many countries, there is a maximum amount of caffeine per serving in the drinks. Since the stipulation is ‘per serving’, companies can provide larger amounts of caffeine based on the amount of servings they provide. Many companies have increased the amount of ounces (and servings) per cans. In addition to this, popular ‘energy shots’ are popularizing the concept of offering an energy-based punch in a small package (in this case a shot). Finally, the introductions of powders and tablets have been introduced. These forms allow a consumer to add the energy ingredients to whatever drink they choose. This is for increased portability.
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