Recharging with caffeine
Caffeine is one substance that comes in many forms.
Vending machines, like the one featured in this image, can be found around school and offer some caffeinated beverages.
For some high school students, caffeine can be a daily essential to stay awake. Between coffee and energy drinks, caffeine is here to save the day.
Struggling to stay awake in class after a late night is a common thing among students. Luckily vending machines around campus offer Mountain Dew Kickstarts which contain around 72 milligrams (mg) of caffeine. This drink usually does the trick with boosting energy.
However there are many other ways to get caffeine. It can be found in a variety of beverages. There are other energy drinks like Monster which contain 86 mg of caffeine and Red Bull which has 111 mg.
“Red Bull is my favorite just because I rely too much on caffeine,” Nevaeh Gasparovich (‘20) said.
One popular energy drink among athletes is Bang, it contains 300 mg of caffeine.
“Bang is my favorite because it is amazing, I like it because it gives me energy and improves my sports performance. My favorite flavor is Purple Guava Pear,” Ben Mason (‘20) said.
But caffeine is not just found in energy drinks it is in coffee, which is a popular staple among students, it is in tea and even hot chocolate.
Don’t be fooled, caffeine also comes in a couple types of food. These include chocolate and ice cream.
Most of these drink and food options usually come paired with a lot of sugar but that does not mean that caffeine is only found in sugary drinks.
It is quite easy to find sugar free choices like the Zero Ultra Monster or a Watermelon Lime Venom. Or it can be as simple as using sugar free substitutes in coffee.
The safest recommended amount of caffeine intake is around 400 mg a day, so it would be wise to not consume too much of the energizing substance throughout the day.
However caffeine is not absolutely necessary to keep someone from falling asleep. Incorporating more vegetables into one’s diet can up energy levels along with getting at least six hours of sleep.
“I believe if you have a good diet and a good sleep schedule then you don’t need caffeine,” Lindsay Prindle (‘20)
And while it is helpful, caffeine can be addictive so this means to go easy on caffeine intake.
