DANVILLE, Ky.—New research from Centre College, Kentucky, questions the effectiveness of energy drinks compared to other caffeine sources. Scientists presented the double-blind, unpublished study at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science in Washington, D.C.

“I came up with the research idea while standing in the grocery store checkout line," said study author KatieAnn Skogsberg, assistant professor of psychology and behavioral neuroscience. “My husband casually wondered if the energy drinks we saw for sale really worked, and I suggested they could easily be tested using electroencephalograph, or EEG, equipment to measure brainwave activity."

In the study, participants drank either water, water with caffeine or water with 5-Hour Energy containing vitamins B6, B12, niacin and folic acid. The drinks were controlled for flavor, artificial color and sweeteners. They then completed an attention task while researchers monitored P300 brainwaves. Subjects who took caffeine and 5-Hour Energy both had faster brain responses; however, the energy drink did not improve performance more than the caffeine alone.

The energy drink market is currently under fire after numerous adverse event reports, including the recent death of a teenager. Learn more about the developing story in the INSIDER feature, "Caffeine Controversy Percolates, CRN Stimulates a Label Change."