Experimental study of possible development of abstinence syndrome after long use of energetic drinks

Aim. To study in experiment the possible syndrome of withdrawal after a 30-day peroral use of energetic drinks.

Materials and methods.In the groups of laboratory animals, who had caffeine solution (CS) and energetic drink (ED), as the only source of drinking in free access so as to form a stable use, and in the control group of rats, who received purified water (duration of experiment – 4 weeks), one day after the withdrawal there were studied body mass indices, behavioral functions (cognitive processes, anxiety, behaviour) and rectal temperature.

Results. The 1.5-2-fold reduction of motor activity in white rats was established; it was reflected in decreased number of postures and crossed squares in the device “open field”.The increase in anxiety level against the background of energetic drink withdrawal was detected in “dark-light camera” with perforations. At the same time, no changes in motor activity and anxiety level were registered in the group of caffeine users. The following characteristic features of withdrawal syndrome as tooth chatter and gnashing, shaking arms and pads, ptosis, were registered in 87.5 %, 75 % and 37.5 %, respectively, in the group of energetic drink users, and 14.3 %, 42.9 %, 28.6 % in the group of caffeine solution users. During a 30-day period of using energetic drink by white rats, there was observed a negative dynamics of their weight.

Conclusions. The decrease in motor activity, increase in anxiety level and presence of a number of signs, does not allow excluding the presence of withdrawal syndrome after a long use of energetic drinks, and in most cases, expression of the signs of withdrawal syndrome exceeds that of caffeine. This fact, in our opinion, needs more detailed studying.