In recent years, the consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) has become popular with young adults. The aim of this study was to provide a review of the empirical literature on the consumption of AmED, summarizing the research conducted with different methodologies.
Method:
A literature search was conducted with the terms “alcohol mixed energy drink” and “caffeinated alcoholic beverage” in databases such as MedLine/PubMed for the time period 2000–2013. The search revealed only 15 research articles. Therefore, a broader search was conducted with “energy drink,” and it was later filtered manually. This literature search yielded 31 research articles that were included in this review.
Results:
While energy drinks improve performance and increase feeling of alertness, this review suggests that energy drink consumption combined with alcohol might reduce perception of alcohol intoxication (labeled “wide-awake drunkenness”), or might lead to increased risk behavior or alcohol and drug use.
Discussion:
This review discusses the available scientific evidence obtained with different methodologies on the effects of mixing energy drinks with alcohol.
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