By Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-in-Chief, and Caitlynn Clark, Guest Writer
Energy drinks are popular with college students who feel like they need a caffeine crutch to deal with their buy schedules.
But student athletes who consume energy drinks could find themselves benched.
Earlier this year, Newman Athletic Director Kenyon Spears spoke during an all-athlete meeting about the threat that energy drinks could pose. Brands such as Alani and Red Bull are now being sold in Sacred Grounds, the coffee shop in Dugan Library. Several vending machines around campus also stock energy drinks with brand names like Celsius and Rock Star.
That’s what prompted Spears to issue the warning.
Athletes found to have a urinary concentration equal to or greater than 15 micrograms per milliliter will fail an NCAA drug test, which can be administered at any time. That could lead to an athlete being declared ineligible for a season for a first offense or removed from the team for a second offense.
“It's a risk, and if you take it and get tested, you're probably going to test positive,” Spears said.
Among the energy drinks sold on campus, Spears said, the Celsius brand is among the more dangerous. How many drinks it would take for an athlete to test positive depends on the size of the person.
Spears said that it might not be worth finding out.
“Be careful what you drink, whether it is energy drinks or other things,” he said. “We know that students get tested every year. You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you can get positive.”
Val Lioukina, a senior on the Newman’s women’s basketball team, said she would find it hard to give up energy drinks. She and her teammates all consume them before every practice.
“I drink energy drinks every day,” she said. “If I can’t drink them anymore, I would be very disappointed.”
Newman, like the NCAA, hasn’t banned energy drinks. But Spears wanted the players to be aware of what may happen if athletes don’t watch how many of them they drink.
“I believe it’s your choice what you put into your body,” he said. “But you have to be aware of the consequences that may come with drinking them.”
PHOTO: Vantage Staff
