Does the use of alcohol combined with energy drinks increase the sensitization to alcohol stimulant effect in human beings?

• Grant number: 18/06352-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2018
• End date: December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Maria Lucia Oliveira de Souza Formigoni
• Grantee: Isabella Rios Lucas
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Rationale: The consumption of alcoholic beverages combined with energy drinks has increased in recent years among young people, especially with the increase of open bar services. This mixture presents higher risks when compared to the ingestion of only alcoholic beverages, since it is associated with episodes of binge drinking, with increased risk of alcohol intoxication and related accidents. Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the frequency of use of energy drinks associated with alcoholic beverages in adults and to compare frequent users of this mixture with sporadic users, as well as to evaluate the pattern of use of energy drinks alone or in combination with alcoholic beverages and also the pattern of alcohol use and associated problems.Methodology: The study was divided into two parts. The first part will consist of data collection through an online questionnaire to assess the population usage pattern of energy drinks, alcoholic beverages, as well as the mixture of both beverages. The second part of the study will consist of a double-blind protocol in which 2 groups of 20 volunteers each, balanced regarding social an demographic data will be compared. The first group will be composed by 20 volunteers who ingest alcohol without or only eventually combined with energy drinks and the second group will be composed by 20 volunteers who frequently ingest alcohol combined with energy drink. Each volunteer will participate in 3 sessions, in a random order, and will receive in one session alcohol with energy drink, in another alcohol with soda mixed with artificial fruit juice and in a third session will receive energy drink and soda mixed with artificial fruit juice. Each session will be held with groups of 3 to 5 people and spacing of at least one and a maximum of two weeks. The groups will be compared in relation to their physiological and behavioral reactions after the ingestion of the beverages, as well as in relation to their pattern of consumption of these beverages in the last 5 years, in order to detect the presence of signs of sensitization to the stimulant effect of ethanol.