Effect of Energy Drink Consumption on Executive Functions in Health Science Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/hl2025871Keywords:
Energy drinks, University students, Executive functions, Public healthAbstract
Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between energy drink consumption and executive function performance in Health Sciences students.
Methods: A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and correlational-causal design was applied, with a sample of 200 students from the Autonomous University of the State of Quintana Roo. Of these, 105 were women (52.5%) and 95 were men (47.5%), with an average age of 21 years. Data were collected using the Energy Drink Consumption Scale (EDCS) and the EFE-CO Scale, which assesses executive functions. The analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and a Structural Equation Model (SEM).
Results: Significant correlations (p < .001) were found between higher energy drink consumption and poorer performance in functions related to monitoring, inhibition, and emotional control. The SEM model confirmed a moderate direct effect of energy drink consumption on executive functions, with a factor loading of λ = 0.66.
Conclusions: It was concluded that frequent consumption of energy drinks is associated with significant cognitive impairment in university students. These findings highlight the importance of promoting preventive and educational strategies from a public health and academic perspective, in order to reduce the risks associated with their consumption.
References
1. Kennedy DO, Wightman EL. Mental performance and sport: Caffeine and co-consumed bioactive ingredients. Sports Med. 2022;52(Suppl 1):69–90. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01796-8
2. Nadeem IM, Shanmugaraj A, Sakha S, Horner NS, Ayeni OR, Khan M. Energy drinks and their adverse health effects: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Health. 2020;13(3):265–77. doi:10.1177/1941738120949181
3. Ajibo C, Van Griethuysen A, Visram S, Lake AA. Consumption of energy drinks by children and young people: A systematic review examining evidence of physical effects and consumer attitudes. Public Health. 2024;227:274-81. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2023.08.024
4. Ishak W, Ugochukwu C, Bagot K, Khalili D, Zaky C. Energy drinks: Psychological effects and impact on well-being and quality of life—A literature review. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2021;18(1–3):35–41. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401129/
5. Costantino A, Maiese A, Lazzari J, Casula C, Turillazzi E, Frati P, et al. The dark side of energy drinks: A comprehensive review of their impact on the human body. Nutrients. 2023;15(18):3922. doi:10.3390/nu15183922
6. Observatorio Español de las Drogas y las Adicciones (OEDA). (2023). Encuesta sobre uso de drogas en enseñanzas secundarias en España (ESTUDES) 2023. Ministerio de Sanidad, Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas. https://pnsd.sanidad.gob.es
7. Pintor-Holguín E, Rubio-Alonso M, Grille-Álvarez C, Álvarez-Quesada C, Gutiérrez-Cisneros MJ, Herreros Ruiz-Valdepeñas B. Conocimiento de la composición y efectos secundarios de las bebidas energéticas en alumnos de medicina: estudio transversal. Rev Fund Educ Med. 2020;23(5):281-5. doi:10.33588/fem.235.1085
8. Pintor-Holguín E, Rubio Alonso M, Grille Álvarez C, Álvarez Quesada C, Herreros Ruiz-Valdepeñas B. Prevalencia del consumo de bebidas energéticas, motivación y factores asociados en alumnos de Medicina: estudio transversal. Rev Esp Nutr Hum Diet. 2020;24(1):e796. doi:10.14306/renhyd.24.1.796
9. Galimov A, Hanewinkel R, Hansen J, Unger JB, Sussman S, Morgenstern M. Association of energy drink consumption with substance-use initiation among adolescents: A 12-month longitudinal study. J Psychopharmacol. 2020;34(2):221–8. doi:10.1177/0269881119895545
10. Córdova Calle, J. V. & Macías Matamoros, A. F. (2024). Consumption of energy drinks among university students in Latin America. Anatomía Digital, 7(1), 158-169. https://doi.org/10.33262/anatomiadigital.v7i1.3004
11. Silva P, Ramírez E, Arias J, Fernández TL. Patrones de consumo de bebidas energéticas y sus efectos adversos en la salud de adolescentes [Energy drink consumption patterns and its adverse effects on adolescent health.]. Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2022 Nov 3;96:e202211085.
12. Basrai M, Schweinlin A, Menzel J, Mielke H, Weikert C, Dusemund B, et al. Energy drinks induce acute cardiovascular and metabolic changes pointing to potential risks for young adults: a randomized controlled trial. J Nutr. 2019;149(3):441-50. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy267
13. Wicht CA, De Pretto M, Mouthon M, Spierer L. Neural correlates of expectations-induced effects of caffeine intake on executive functions. Cortex. 2022;150:61–84. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2022.02.004
14. Diamond A. Executive functions. Annu Rev Psychol. 2013;64:135-68. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
15. Li P, Haas NA, Dalla-Pozza R, Jakob A, Oberhoffer FS, Mandilaras G. Energy drinks and adverse health events in children and adolescents: A literature review. Nutrients. 2023;15(11):2537. doi:10.3390/nu15112537
16. Park S, Kim Y, Cho E, et al. Association between energy drink intake, sleep, stress, and suicidality in Korean adolescents. Nutrition Journal. 2016;15:20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-016-0204-7
17. O’Shea OK, Lawley N, Azzopardi A, Gutkowski A, Niedziela MM, Horn R, et al. Acute beneficial effects of a functional energy shot on cognitive performance and mood states during cognitively demanding task performance: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. Front Nutr. 2025;11:1496092. doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1496092
18. Shim JS, Lee JM. Energy drink consumption among Korean adolescents: prevalence and associated factors. Clin Exp Pediatr. 2024 Oct;67(10):531-539. doi: 10.3345/cep.2024.00171. Epub 2024 Sep 24. PMID: 39314198; PMCID: PMC11471923.
19. Plaza, C. El consumo de bebidas energéticas en la Universidad de Valladolid. Análisis nutricional, motivacional y económico [Trabajo de Grado]. Valladolid: Universidad de Valladolid, Facultad de Medicina; 2018. Retrieved from: http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/31285
20. Richards G, Smith AP. Breakfast and energy drink consumption in secondary-school children: Associations with stress, anxiety and depression—Evidence from a large cross-sectional and longitudinal data set. Front Psychol. 2016;7:106. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00106
21. Shah SA, Szeto AH, Farewell R, Shek A, Fan D, Quach KN, et al. Impact of high-volume energy drink consumption on electrocardiographic and blood pressure parameters: A randomized trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8(11):e011318. doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.011318
22. Wassef B, Wassef G. Effects of energy drinks on the cardiovascular system. Front Public Health. 2017;5:213. Retrieved from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5714807/
23. Fuentealba-Garrido J, Momberg-Villanueva D, Rezende-Brito de Oliveira T, Riquelme-Pedraza M, Valeria-González J, Aguayo-Verdugo N. Effect of energy drinks on the mental health of adolescents and young people: Systematic review. Sanus. 2024;9:e438. doi:10.36789/revsanus.vi1.438
24. Harnod T, Lin CL, Kao CH. A systematic review of the cardiovascular and neuropsychological risks associated with energy drink consumption. Nutrients. 2021;13(6):1992. doi:10.3390/nu13061992
25. Villavicencio E. El tamaño muestral para la tesis. ¿Cuántas personas debo encuestar? Odontol Activa Rev Cient. 2017;2(1):59–62. doi:10.31984/oactiva.v2i1.175
26. García-Gómez A. Desarrollo y validación de un cuestionario de observación para la evaluación de las funciones ejecutivas en la infancia. Rev Intercont Psicol Educ. 2015;17(1):141–62.
27. Malinauskas BM, Aeby VG, Overton RF, Carpenter-Aeby T, Barber-Heidal K. A survey of energy drink consumption patterns among college students. J Am Coll Health. 2007;55(5):259–65. doi:10.3200/JACH.55.5.259-265
28. Asociación Médica Mundial. Declaración de Helsinki de la AMM – Principios éticos para las investigaciones médicas con participantes humanos. 2025. Retrieved from: https://www.wma.net/es/policies-post/declaracion-de-helsinki-de-la-amm-principios-eticos-para-las-investigaciones-medicas-en-seres-humanos/
29. Hau KT, Marsh HW. The use of item parcels in structural equation modelling: Non-normal data and small sample sizes. Br J Math Stat Psychol. 2004;57(2):327–51.
30. Zheng BQ, Bentler PM. Enhancing model fit evaluation in SEM: Practical tips for optimizing chi-square tests. Struct Equ Modeling. 2024;32(1):136–41. doi:10.1080/10705511.2024.2354802
31. Schumacker RE, Lomax RG. A beginner's guide to structural equation modeling. 2nd ed. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group; 2010.
32. Hu L, Bentler PM. Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equ Modeling. 1999;6(1):1–55. doi:10.1080/10705519909540118
33. Trigueros N, Toledo R, Siesquén D, Capcha M, Arias-Gonzales J. Funciones ejecutivas y bienestar psicológico en estudiantes de educación secundaria. Rev Innova Educ. 2022;5(1):77–8. Retrieved from: https://revistainnovaeducacion.com/index.php/rie/article/view/678
34. Pereira F, Evans C, Rojas J, Curtis J, Andal A, Thakkar H, et al. Beyond the buzz: Do energy drinks offer more than caffeine for mental and physical tasks? Int J Exerc Sci. 2024;17(1):1208–18. doi:10.70252/UIEC6951
35. Luo R, Fu R, Dong L, Du Z, Sun W, Zhao M, et al. Knowledge and prevalence of energy drinks consumption in Shanghai, China: A cross-sectional survey of adolescents. Gen Psychiatry. 2021;34(3):e100389. doi:10.1136/gpsych-2020-100389
36. Arcos VA. Funciones ejecutivas: Una revisión de su fundamentación teórica. Poiésis. 2021;(40):39–51. doi:10.21501/16920945.4051
37. National Institute of Public Health. Que son las bebidas energéticas. 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.insp.mx/insp/cuidando-tu-salud/bebidas-energeticas.html.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nissa Yaing Torres-Soto, Edgar Fernando Peña-Torres, Beatriz Martínez-Ramírez, María de Lourdes Rojas-Armadillo, Daniela León-Rojas, Ana Luiza Corrales-Baldenebro (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The article is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Unless otherwise stated, associated published material is distributed under the same licence.
