Energy drinks and alcohol sounds like a good combo for a prolonged night of debauchery and tomfoolery, but is it? Let’s break down this popular mix.
The Myth:
Mixing Red Bull (or other energy drinks) with alcohol keeps you more alert and tricks your brain into thinking you’re sober.
The Fact:
Caffeine in energy drinks can mask the feeling of intoxication, making you feel less drunk than you are. However, your coordination, judgment, and reaction time are still impaired — you just feel falsely confident. And when the energy drinks wear off……. that’s when the problem really hits. People usually drink more because they don’t feel drunk — until the energy drink wears off. Then you go from feeling “ok” to very, very intoxicated.
Scientific Takeaway:
Energy drinks don’t make you less drunk; they make you feel less drunk while still being impaired. Maybe even more impaired than you can tolerate.
Closing Time:
The only thing this mix boosts is your risk of bad decisions.