WASHINGTON — U.S. service members in Afghanistan battle zones who consumed three or more caffeine-charged energy drinks a day were prone to sleepiness and dozing off while on guard duty, according to a report.
Forty five percent of the service members in Afghanistan combat areas in 2010 consumed energy drinks daily, some of which contain the caffeine equivalent of one to three cups of coffee, the study said. The finding was published Thursday in the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report.
About 6 percent of adolescent and young males in the U.S. civilian and military populations drink energy drinks each day, the report said . The products, such as those made by Monster Beverage Corp. and Red Bull, can have negative side effects, including caffeine intoxication, and have been the focus of investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.
"Service members should be educated regarding the potential adverse effects of excessive energy drink consumption on sleep and mission performance and should be encouraged to moderate their energy drink consumption in combat environments," Robin Toblin, an epidemic intelligence service officer at the CDC and lead author, said in the study.
Fourteen percent of service members surveyed consumed at least three energy drinks a day, according to the report. They reported sleeping less, having more sleep disruptions from stress and illness, and falling asleep on guard duty and in briefings more frequently than those who had two or fewer of the drinks a day. They were also more likely to report sleeping less than four hours a night on average than those consuming fewer energy drinks.
For the study, the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research analyzed data collected in 2010 on service members. A total of 988 male service members in the U.S. Army and Marine combat platoons deployed to Afghanistan agreed to answer questions about how many energy drinks they consumed.
Drinks consumed included those from Monster Beverage, based in Corona, Calif., and Red Bull, the most-popular energy drink in the U.S. by retail dollar share. Red Bull Energy Drink is a product of closely held Red Bull based in Fuschl am See, Austria.
Service members were also asked questions about their use of sleep medication, average number of hours spent sleeping, and work impairment.
Previous research has found that 200 milligrams of caffeine, the equivalent of one to two energy drinks, improved cognitive performance in the military population.
"Those who drank three or more drinks a day also were more likely to report sleep disruption related to stress and illness and were more likely to fall asleep during briefings or on guard duty," Toblin said in the report.
Service members in the National Guard and Reserves were significantly more likely to use energy drinks than their active duty counterparts.
No differences in energy drink consumptions were found related to having had an accident or making a mistake that affected the mission because of sleepiness, the study says.
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping
Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8
Men's Warehouse fires Zimmer, founder and face of company
Rihanna Hits Fan With Microphone
Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions
Exclusive: Locklear & Seymour Lock Lips
Miami Heat Wins in Overtime
Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles
Fists, chairs fly in restaurant brawl
Journalist Michael Hastings Dies in Fiery Hollywood Crash
Hairy Leg Stockings Aim to Deflect Male Attention
Inside Kim Kardashian's Premature Labor
Three Charged for Enslaving Mother and Daughter
Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park
Spurs' Popovich has no problem with Spurs' intensity
RAW: NSA Director Says 50 Plots Foiled
Paige Butcher Scorches on Hawaii Beach
Video: worst way to load cargo onto a plane
Never-before-seen footage of '08 Times Square bomber
Obama: NSA Secret Data Gathering 'Transparent'
WATCH IT: Lil Wayne tramples American flag
Mariah Carey Looks Beautiful in a Tiny Cut-Out Swimsuit
