Combining alcohol with energy drinks reduces synaptic plasticity.
- Combining alcohol and energy drinks is a toxic mix for the brain in the long term, according to a new study in rats.
- “Our results show that the administration of energy drinks with alcohol produces adaptive changes in the hippocampus at the molecular level, associated with electrophysiological and behavioral alterations that develop during adolescence and are still detectable in adult animals,” the researchers say in their report.
- “Overall, our study indicates that adolescent exposure to this phenomenon is a habit that can permanently affect hippocampal plasticity,” they add.
Many people are used to mixing alcohol with energy drinks to party, such as the famous cocktail “Red Bull vodka”. However, a new study on rats reveals that this type of product alters neuronal functioning in the long term.
Energy drinks and alcohol: rat brains analyzed
The research was conducted on male rats raised in the animal facility of the University of Cagliari in Italy. The authors randomly divided the animals into four experimental groups and subjected them to different types of treatments.
For several weeks:
– a first group of rats ingested a quantity of alcohol corresponding to two glasses of strong alcohol for a human.
– Another group was given an amount of Red Bull equivalent to two cans for one human.
– The third group drank alcohol mixed with Red Bull.
– The fourth control group only consumed tap water.
After all these manipulations, the authors of the study carried out various behavioral tests. Finally, the rats were euthanized and their brains analyzed.
The results showed that rats given only the energy drinks tended to be more active than those in all other groups, but performed worse on a test requiring them to recognize novel objects.
Energy drinks and alcohol: reduced synaptic plasticity
Further analyses showed that rats that consumed alcohol mixed with Red Bull had increased synaptic plasticity at 40 days of age, but reduced synaptic plasticity at 60 and 90 days of age. Analysis of a protein that plays a crucial role in the growth, maintenance and survival of neurons also showed that its levels tended to increase in this group when the rats were 40 days old, but decreased when the animals were 60 days old. Both of these things indicate that mixing alcohol and Red Bull temporarily improves some aspects of neuronal function but produces long-term detrimental effects.
“Energy drink consumption has increased dramatically”
“Our results show that the administration of energy drinks with alcohol produces adaptive changes in the hippocampus at the molecular level, associated with electrophysiological and behavioral alterations that develop during adolescence and are still detectable in adult animals”the researchers say in their report.“Overall, our study indicates that adolescent exposure to this phenomenon is a habit that can permanently affect hippocampal plasticity,” they add.
“In recent decades, the consumption of energy drinks has increased dramatically, especially among young adults, adolescents and athletes, due to the constant search for improved physical and cognitive performance,” they recall in conclusion.
