Red Bull does not keep alcohol's buzz

SãO PAULO, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Researchers in Brazil Tuesday said the energy drink Red Bull does not maintain alcohol's buzz, a common belief among young people.

Maria Lucia Souza Formigoni, at Federal University in Sao Paulo, said young people tend to combine energy drinks with alcohol when partying in a belief the combination will improve stamina.

Energy drinks usually contain a mix of caffeine, taurine, carbohydrates, B-complex vitamins and gluconolactone but there is little research on their purported ability to delay the depressant effects of alcohol on the central nervous system, the researchers said.

Their study of 14 healthy male volunteers, in the September issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, finds the energy drink Red Bull, when consumed jointly with alcohol, does not improve a person's physical performance at all.

The researchers also cautioned that regardless of the energy drink, alcohol consumption can result in impaired judgment and cognitive function.