Effects Of Mixing Energy Drinks With Alcohol On Driving-Related Skills.

Abstract

BACKGROUND\nEnergy drinks (EDs) reduce sleepiness, fatigue and improve driving performance while alcohol does just the opposite. Although it is a trendy combination among young people, the effects of alcohol mixed with EDs on driving performance have been poorly studied. The aim was to assess if there is an interaction between the effects of both drinks on driving-related skills, as well as perceptions about driving ability.\n\n\nMETHODS\nRandomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled four-way crossover clinical trial. Participants: Sixteen healthy volunteers. Interventions: 60\xa0g of ethanol and 750mL of Red Bull® (RB) were administered in two separated doses. Conditions were alcohol + RB placebo, alcohol + RB, alcohol placebo + RB and both placebos. Objective performance was assessed using a tracking test and simple reaction time, N-Back and movement estimation tasks. Additionally, willingness to drive, other subjective effects and ethanol and caffeine blood concentrations were also measured.\n\n\nRESULTS\nAlcohol increased the time outside the road in the tracking test and increased simple reaction time but the addition of RB had no main or interaction effects on performance. Nonetheless, driving-related skills after alcohol + RB were better than after alcohol alone. Willingness to drive increased with the combination of drinks. RB also reduced alcohol-induced sedation while drunkenness did not change. These effects were seen even though alcohol + RB increased alcohol (14.8%) and caffeine plasma concentrations (17.6%).\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nMixing EDs with alcohol predisposes consumers to drive under alcohol influence, perhaps in part because EDs counteract its detrimental effects on driving-related skills. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02771587.