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Essay A Can Of Bull

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A Can of Bull? Do Energy Drinks Really Provide a Source of Energy?
Objectives
• Describe and categorize chemically the components of various popular “energy drinks.”
• Determine the physiological role of these components in the human body.
• Explain scientifically how the marketing claims for these drinks are supported (or not).
• Determine under what conditions each of the “energy drinks” might be useful to the consumer.
The Case
After spending several years working the Sport’s Desk of the Lansing State Journal, Rhonda had landed the job of her dreams as a writer for Runners’ World magazine. The job was fantastic! Since high school, where she had excelled in cross country, Rhonda had been a consistent runner, participating in local races …show more content…

I’ve got the marketing claims, a list of ingredients and nutrition facts provided on the cans for consumers, and a short list of questions that should get you started. When you research these, be sure to document all your sources of information, keeping in mind that all resources are not equal. Here’s the information.” With that, Charley left the office. Rhonda looked over the list. “Guess I’ll have to brush up on my biochemistry. No problem. I’m interested in knowing if my running would be improved by drinking this stuff.” Rhonda recalled that a food’s calorie content was the simplest reflection of its energy content. Looking at Charley’s list she saw that the different energy drinks contained the following numbers of calories:
Energy Drink Calories:
XS Citrus Blast® 8
Red Bull® 110
Sobe Adrenaline Rush® 140
Impulse® 110
For comparison:
Coca Cola® (12 oz) 140

Marketing Claims
Next, Rhonda perused the marketing claims for each drink:
Red Bull®
• The Red Bull energy drink is a functional product developed especially for periods of increased mental and physical exertion.
• It can be drunk in virtually any situation: at sport, work, study, driving and socializing.
• Improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain.
• Improves concentration and reaction speed, Stimulates the metabolism.
XS Citrus Blast®
• There is less than 1/2 calorie of sugar in XS Citrus Blast. This qualifies for the government-approved statement “No

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