‘Push our bodies to the limit’ The reality of downing energy drinks

If you're more than a little partial to an energy drink or two, you're probably well used to hearing people tell you that you'd better off cutting down on the habit.

But if you've always found that a quick can has helped with the mid-afternoon slump, the thoughts of powering through without a caffeine hit can seem as stressful as enduring an entire Honey G concert.

Acknowledging this reliance, researcher, Erwin Johnson, has produced a break-down of our body's reaction to the consumption of an energy drink – from the first ten minutes to 24 hours later.

Within 10 minutes of chugging your can, caffeine will enter your bloodstream causing your heart rate and blood pressure to rise.

Within 45 minutes, your concentration levels will improve as caffeine levels peak, and by the hour mark, your body will have absorbed all the caffeine and your liver will then absorb the sugar.

And then come the pitfalls.

Within one hour of consumption, your body will experience a sugar crash leaving you feeling tired and lethargic.

Six hours after consuming the drink, your body will have reduced the caffeine level by just half while the following six hours will be focussed on eradicating the other half.

If you choose not to consume another drink within a 24-hour period, you will begin to experience withdrawals including headaches, constipation and irritability.

Commenting on the research, nutritionist Ella Allred explained: "Energy drinks are a bad way to get caffeine. Many people drink energy drinks every day to help them survive busy week."

"However, relying on those drinks, push our bodies to the limit," she told the Daily Star. "We still need to sleep and eat properly, but if we won’t do it on time and ignore our needs, most likely we will crash later on."

Taking issue with the criticism, Gavin Partington, British Soft Drinks Association Director General reminded the public that a reliance on energy drinks is no different to a reliance on coffee,

"In fact, this year the European Food Safety Authority reaffirmed the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients." he said. "It’s worth remembering that a 250 ml can of energy drinks contains the same amount of caffeine as a typical cup of coffee."

Irritability and constipation or falling asleep and drooling on your employer's lap – oh, what a time to be alive.