Discuss the components of the energy drinks mentioned in the article (pg. 5-8) and evaluate which component contributes most to calories? What is a calorie?-A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. Our bodies’ store and "burn" calories as fuel.

Some ingredients (such as caffeine) do not have a metabolic energy source, but provide the perception of increased energy after consumption. How?

With a partner, use reasoning skill to reach conclusion about caffeine, an important component of energy drinks.

caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system

Explanation:

Caffeine is a substance that acts on the central nervous system to increase the resting metabolic rate, thereby energy drinks with caffeine can increase the number of calories burned at rest. Energy drinks are generally composed of stimulants such as, for example, caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone, in addition to substances associated with mental alertness (e.g., B vitamins, panax ginseng root extract, L-carnitine, etc). It has been shown that the overdose of caffeine may be associated with palpitations, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes (caffeine reduces insulin sensitivity), etc. Moreover, it is also important to highlight that energy drinks generally contain high sugar levels (around 40 grams of sugar for each beverage). In consequence, well-reputed health organizations discourage the use of energy drinks in order to avoid stimulant ingredients and reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.