"Energy drinks, which contain sugar and caffeine, have become popular in recent years - especially among young adults. They have also gained popularity as mixers to go with spirits such as vodka in nightclubs."

"Young partygoers often consume energy drinks to avoid feeling the soporific effects of alcohol, according to Maria Lucia Souza-Formigoni of the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who led the research."

"The study found that volunteers who were given alcohol mixed with Red Bull performed as badly on coordination and visual tests as those drinking alcohol alone. However, those drinking Red Bull and alcohol thought their skills were unimpaired."

"Energy drinks such as Red Bull also contain taurine, an acidic chemical found in the muscle and other tissues of many animals. Some researchers have speculated that naturally produced taurine in our bodies could perhaps modulate the effects of alcohol on the nervous system."

"Souza-Formigoni and her colleagues decided to study the effects of alcoholic drinks mixed with energy drinks. They recruited 26 male volunteers in their 20s and divided them into two groups. Twelve received the equivalent of 2.5 alcoholic beverages each, while the others consumed the equivalent of four alcoholic drinks each."

"In one session the volunteers consumed this amount of alcohol alone, and in another they drank it mixed with Red Bull. In a third session the subjects consumed the energy drink without any alcohol."

"Souza-Formigoni
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