/oss/taxonomy/term/2783/all en /oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/time-dampen-enthusiasm-energy-drinks <p>Yes, Max Verstappen, world champion Formula 1 driver, does drink Red Bull. How could he not? After all, he drives for the Red Bull racing team! Max has said that he may drink as many as six cans of the energy drink during a race weekend, although he has not revealed whether he indulges just before a race for extra alertness. However, there are many athletes in various sports who do rely on energy drinks for a boost. They, though, are not the marketers’ prime target.</p> Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:47:29 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9975 at /oss /oss/article/health-and-nutrition/can-energy-drinks-or-taurine-supplements-give-you-wings <hr /> <p><em>This article was first published in <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/the-right-chemistry-can-energy-drinks-or-taurine-supplements-give-you-wings">The Montreal Gazette.</a></em></p> <hr /> <p>I came across Bryan Johnson, self-described “professional rejuvenation athlete,” thanks to Red Bull, the world’s most popular “energy drink.”</p> <p>I was looking into which ingredients, if any, may justify the slogan that “Red Bull gives you wings.”</p> Fri, 31 May 2024 18:13:58 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 9966 at /oss /oss/article/health-you-asked/it-true-taurine-energy-drinks-extracted-bull-semen <p>While it is true that taurine was originally isolated from bull semen, it is now produced synthetically. This compound is an “aminosulfonic acid” that is widely distributed in the human body and plays a role in cardiovascular function, development of the nervous system and formation of bile acids. Since it is found in meat and fish, and can also be synthesized in the body from the amino acid cysteine, there is no evidence of anyone ever having a shortage.</p> Tue, 17 Jul 2018 18:59:55 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 7174 at /oss /oss/article/infographics-general-science/science-behind-worlds-most-popular-drug <p>Last year I worked at a coffee shop on ƽ���岻�� campus. If you ever want to feel appreciated at work, try putting on the first pot of coffee for a bunch of sleep deprived college students and professors. Grateful does not even begin to describe it. Everywhere you go people love their coffee – 90% of North American adults consume some form of caffeine daily, making it the most widely used psychoactive drug of all time. So what's the science behind this funny little molecule?</p> Mon, 18 Sep 2017 18:24:06 +0000 Cassandra Lee, OSS Intern 2629 at /oss