Crash Effect Explained
All participants in the clinical trial, including those who consumed 5-Hour Energy, experienced a spike in energy levels followed by an eventual reduction in those levels some time after drink ingestion. 5-Hour Energy contains no sugar but the competing drinks studied did. Only those consuming the competing drinks containing sugar experienced a reduction in energy levels below baseline (i.e., below the level present immediately before the drink was consumed). Sugar in the range of 20mg or more per serving can induce elevation in blood glucose levels. Elevated blood glucose levels can, in turn, increase insulin production. Insulin suppresses blood glucose levels and may produce a “crash” effect, which is a reduction in energy levels below baseline.