Alcohol and energy drinks

Energy drinks often contain stimulants such as caffeine, taurine and vitamins. They can also contain high levels of sugar. So why is it dangerous to mix them with alcohol?

The risks of mixing alcohol and energy drinks

The very high levels of caffeine in many energy drinks can mask the sedative effects of alcohol. Studies show that mixing them can make you less aware of how much you’ve had to drink.¹  

That’s because the stimulants in energy drinks work against the drowsiness effects of alcohol,² so mixing them together masks the effect of the alcohol.³ You are more likely to miss the signals your body sends if you drink too much, and could end up drinking more alcohol than you intend, without realising it.

Evidence also shows that combining alcohol and energy drinks can lead to other negative physical and psychological side effects,^4,5 like potentially dangerous abnormal heart rhythms - called heart palpitations, problems sleeping, and feeling tense or agitated.^6,7 

The stimulant effects of energy drinks combined with the lowered inhibition caused by drinking alcohol will affect your judgement – you’re more likely to have an accident or injure yourself after drinking heavily.⁸  

Tips to reduce your drinking

Calories in energy drinks

The NHS recommends, as a guide, that an average woman needs around 2,000 calories (kcal) a day to maintain a healthy body weight, with an average man needing around 2,500 calories a day.⁹ 

The high calorie content in energy drinks can lead to weight gain,¹⁰ and alcohol itself is high in calories too. It contains around seven calories a gram - almost as many as pure fat – so mixing alcohol with energy drinks can mean you’re having a lot of calories in every serving. For example, a double (50ml) measure of spirits contains 122 calories. That’s the equivalent of 0.4 cheeseburgers before you have added a mixer.¹¹ 

Energy drinks can contain a lot of sugar too. One study found they have an average 9.5 grams of sugar per 100ml,¹² so a single typical small 250ml can is almost as much as the NHS recommended daily limit for sugar.¹³  

Drinking alcohol or sugary drinks regularly increases your likelihood of becoming overweight or obese, contributing to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.¹⁴ 

Alcopops

Alcopops are pre-mixed alcoholic drinks designed to mimic the taste of some drinks like lemonade, ginger beer or fruit punch – but with added alcohol. Some alcopops also contain added caffeine, which can mask the sedative effect of alcohol in the same way that happens if you mix alcohol with energy drinks.¹⁵ 

Find out more about alcohol and sugar 

UK Low risk drinking guidelines

The UK’s Chief Medical Officers advise that, If you choose to drink, to keep health risks from alcohol low it’s safest for both men and women to drink no more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days with several drink-free days, and no bingeing. 

The risk of developing a range of health problems increases the more you drink on a regular basis. A good way to cut down the amount you drink is to have several drink free days each week. 

Cutting back on alcohol, either by reducing the amount you drink or having several drink-free days a week, or both, will lower your risk of serious diseases such as several types of cancer, heart disease, liver disease and stroke and is likely to improve your overall physical and mental health.

Check your risk with a two-minute drinking check