Energy Drinks- Red Bull

Energy drinks, once the lesser segment within the sports nutritional beverage industry, reached $5.4 billion in sales during 2006. Globally, energy drink markets saw double-digit growth in 2006.

The biggest name in energy drinks is Red Bull. Red Bull is produced in Austria and exported world-wide. Acoording to Red Bull.com, the "ingredients used for Red Bull® Energy Drink are synthetically produced. Most ingredients are produced by pharmaceutical companies. This guarantees highest quality."

Here is a listing of the major ingredients in Red Bull and their purpose, according to Red Bull .

Taurine- an essential amino acid that is naturally occurring in the human body. Taurine acts as an antioxidant and has been shown to promote detoxification by binding together with harmful substances and thereby accelerating their excretion from the body.

Glucuronolactone- is a carbohydrate. It is naturally occurring in the human body. It is involved in detoxification processes, supporting the body in eliminating waste substances.
Caffeine is known for its beneficial effects on mental and physical functions.

B-GROUP VITAMINS- play an important role in energy metabolism, such as the build-up and break-down of carbohydrates, fat and protein. B vitamins are also shown to support mental and physical performance.



Although energy drinks are a segment within the soft drink category, it is one of the most dynamic soft drink segments and has sustained impressive growth rates . Red Bull is the undisputed global market leader. The energy drink marketis estimated to grow 12% annually and exceed $39 billion US dollars by 2010 according to market research publicist Global Industry Analysts.