Photo By Sgt. 1st Class David Bruce | Spc. Kevin Alexander of 138th Quartermaster Company grabs an energy drink at the Camp...... read more read more
CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind. — It is a morning ritual played out across North America. The greeting of sunrise is marked by the creation of a liquid infusion to help clear the cobwebs, to jump-start mental alacrity. It is the best part of waking up, or so we have been conditioned to believe.
Coffee is perhaps the most pervasive of caffeinated concoctions, however it is only one in a plethora of beverages promising a quick boost in energy.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, caffeinated beverages are consumed by 80 percent of adults in the United States. So with most of the country, to include the military, operating on a caffeinated buzz, what exactly is caffeine and what are the effects and consequences of this seemingly omnipresent drug of choice?
"Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance in plant alkaloids, such as coffee, tea and chocolate," said Dr. Daymon Evans, a physician at the Camp Atterbury Troop Medical Clinic.
Evans said caffeine is a stimulant that simulates the effect of adrenaline in the human central nervous system. As a result, mental alertness is increased and physical fatigue is reduced. Caffeine also acts as an appetite suppressant.
Like any drug, caffeine has its share of side effects. Caffeine makes insomnia worse, causes increases in gastric acid, which exacerbates ulcers and gastro-esophageal reflux disease, said Evans.
"At high doses, caffeine causes anxiety, jitteriness, and a loss of fine motor control. It raises blood pressure and pulse rate—artificially causing the heart to work harder and thus putting more pressure on blood vessels," said Evans.
Caffeine also acts like a diuretic, which causes frequent urination. Without sufficient intake of liquids, dehydration may occur.
Adults should only consume up to 300 milligrams of daily, but unfortunately, the amount of caffeine in certain beverages is not listed on the nutrition information panel. However, according to the Mayo Clinic a generic brewed 8-ounce cup of coffee has between 95 and 200 milligrams. A shot of espresso has between 58 and 75 milligrams.
An 8.3-ounce energy drink has 76 milligrams of caffeine. The larger varieties of energy drinks can have up to 160 milligrams. Soft drinks run from zero for the decaffeinated varieties to as high as 71 milligrams for 12-ounce servings.
The amount of caffeine in coffee varies widely due to the roasting of the coffee beans. Darker roasted coffee tends to have less caffeine than lighter roasts.
Of course, Americans, and indeed it seems the whole of humanity since caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea can be found in a broad sample of cultures throughout history, are either oblivious to or care little for the side effects associated with too much caffeine.
In a military training environment, policies regarding caffeinated beverages vary. In certain service schools, the use of caffeinated beverages is curtailed if not banned outright.
Warrant Officer Jason Compton, Warrant Officer Candidate School enrollment manager at the Indiana Regional Training Institute here, said that caffeine was a privilege for students.
"During phases one and two, the warrant officer candidates are not allowed anything with caffeine. At the end of phase three, they can have coffee in the morning, if their senior [Train, Assess, Counsel] officer allows," said Compton. "W-O-C-S is a high stress, physically demanding course. The proponent branch school at Fort Rucker, Ala. dictates the no caffeine policy."
Limiting caffeinated beverages leads to increased water consumption and environmental adaptation for the students, he added. While caffeine can give you a boost of energy, it is unsustainable with the physical demands of the course such as sleep deprivation, increased stress and spontaneous physical training sessions.
"We get mild complaints about the restriction, but Soldiers adapt well to no caffeine," said Compton.
While coffee is the most commonly consumed caffeinated beverage, energy drinks have exploded in popularity. Display cases at military Post Exchanges or any convenience store offer a dizzying array of choices of beverages to attain energy levels rivaling a 7-year-old with attention deficit disorder.
"Energy drinks are big sellers here," said Shawna Arnholt, a clerk at the Camp Atterbury Post Exchange. "Monster is the most popular brand, but we sell a lot of Red Bull and Amp as well as Mountain Dew," she added.
Monster in hand, Pfc. Dale Amidon of Troop B 1-172 Cavalry (Mountain) said the energy drinks were convenient.
"In the field, coffee is a luxury," he said. "It's easier to take energy drinks to the field than to try brewing coffee out there."
While coffee may be a luxury in the field, troops in garrison have an easier time getting their java fix.
Billie Chisman, the owner of The House coffee shop located in The All-Ranks Club, estimates that she serves between 20 and 30 pots of coffee per day to as many as 300 customers.
"We fuel the force. We keep them going on those long shifts," said Chisman. "We do not sell decaffeinated coffee. We also see some Soldiers ordering coffee with shots of espresso added," she added.
House patrons Capt. Richard LaBarre and Capt. Tyler Burke of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop 1-172 Cavalry Squadron (Mountain) said that they drink three to four cups of coffee throughout the day.
"I'm a social coffee drinker," said LaBarre. "It is an excuse to take a break. The smokers get cigarette breaks; we take coffee breaks. I don't get irritable if I go without ... he does," LaBarre said, indicating Burke.
While Burke said he didn't drink specialty coffee drinks like lattes because of their high-sugar content, Chisman said that's the reason most people drink lattes in the first place.
"Lattes are popular because of the sugar," she said. "Most people who drink coffee do not like the taste of black coffee. Coffee is popular because of the caffeine."
Whether by coffee, tea or energy drink, Soldiers will continue to consume caffeinated beverages to keep their energy levels up regardless of the inevitable crash. And there will be a crash. Caffeine is no substitute for diet, exercise and rest, warrior or not.
| Date Taken: | 01.21.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2010 15:44 |
| Story ID: | 44243 |
| Location: | CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 371 |
| Downloads: | 331 |
This work, The highs and lows of caffeine consumption, by SFC David Bruce, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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