Rows of skinny Red Bull cans sit innocently on a shelf in the Bryan Center's Lobby Shop.
Red Bull's label advertises it as an "energy drink" that claims to, among other things, improve performance during stress, increase concentration and improve reaction speed.
According to Sue Hemingway, an employee in the store, the carbonated drink is purchased primarily by students who want to stay up late. "We sold 15 packs in two days, and that's a pretty typical rate. I'm restocking it now because it is selling so fast," she said.
Most stimulants available over the counter primarily contain caffeine or closely-related compounds. Caffeine works by blocking receptors for a neurotransmitter called adenosine. This chemical is highly involved in regulating sleep activity, so when blocked, the natural mechanism for falling asleep is diverted. This also causes a non-specific increase in brain activity.
Taken in high doses, caffeine can cause mild toxicity, which is manifested by tremors and an upset stomach. Although it is possible to become psychologically dependent on caffeine, the substance is not addictive.
"Caffeine has been used for the purpose of staying up for decades," said Dr. Cynthia Kuhn, professor of pharmacology. "There's nothing dangerous about it unless you really take a lot. With college students, there's really nothing to worry about."
Researchers are more concerned, however, with the rising use of more addictive stimulants to stay awake. Kuhn believes amphetamines such as Ritalin may most commonly be abused because they are easy to obtain.
Amphetamines work specifically on norepinephrine and dopamine neurotransmitter systems, which, among other things, maintain alertness. The drug serves to increase transmitter release and block re-uptake. The overall effect on the brain is to increase the level of arousal, attention and focus.
Stimulants like amphetamines are highly addictive and have damaging side effects. "Amphetamine use can cause damage to the cardiovascular system and increase aggressive behavior, irritability and paranoia. This is not a good psychological state to be in," said Dr. Victor Nadler, professor of pharmacology.
There is little research on the long-term effects of caffeine because it is known to be harmless. Research on amphetamine use is harder to conduct because of its addictiveness.
Despite what students may believe, some researchers say that taking stimulants may not be the most effective way to study.
Dr. Bill Wohlgemuth, assistant professor in the department of psychiatric and behavioral sciences, said, "The interpretation is that sleep is important for memory formation to occur.... Pulling all-nighters and staying up late is not the best way to study and create memories. After a period of studying, it's important to get sleep to allow a memory consolidation period to occur."
Other scientists believe stimulants can increase arousal to stay awake, but they will not enhance learning. "I don't think [stimulants] have any specific effect on memory retrieval--the whole idea is just to increase alertness so studying can be more efficient," said Nadler.
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