None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The limited existing empirical evidence has generally pointed towards a discrepancy between objective and subjective outcomes following AmED consumption. This discrepancy has been argued to result in increased alcohol consumption and/or risk-taking post-consumption. However, there is a dearth of research (i) supporting this proposed increase in risk-taking, and (ii) attempting to explain the potential mechanisms underlying any changes in risk-taking post-consumption. Consequently, the aim of the current study will be to examine the subjective physiological and psychological outcomes and objective risk and impulsive behavioural outcomes of independent and combined alcohol and energy drink consumption.
Interventions
Using a crossover placebo-controlled design the two investigational products under examination will include 0.50g/kg alcohol (vodka; 37.5% alcohol by volume Smirnoff Red Label No. 21) and 3.5ml/kg Red Bull Energy Drink (Red Bull GmBH, Austria). The alcohol dose will be decreased to 85% for females due to their decreased body water to fat ratio. The alcohol dose was selected to achieve an average peak blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% and the energy drink dose is equivalent to one standard 250
Using a crossover placebo-controlled design the two investigational products under examination will include 0.50g/kg alcohol (vodka; 37.5% alcohol by volume Smirnoff Red Label No. 21) and 3.5ml/kg Red Bull Energy Drink (Red Bull GmBH, Austria). The alcohol dose will be decreased to 85% for females due to their decreased body water to fat ratio. The alcohol dose was selected to achieve an average peak blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% and the energy drink dose is equivalent to one standard 250ml energy drink serving per 70kg person. A 250ml serving of Red Bull Energy Drink contains 21g sucrose, 5g glucose, 1g taurine, 80mg caffeine, 60mg glucuronolactone, 50mg inositol, and B vitamins (niacin, pantothetic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12). Participants will receive a different treatment condition in each of the four experimental sessions: placebo/placebo, alcohol placebo/energy drink, alcohol/energy drink placebo, and alcohol/energy drink. The two constituents will be mixed together, split into two portions, and served via an opaque lidded cup and straw. Participants will have five minutes to orally consume each portion, resulting in a total beverage consumption time of 10 minutes. Administration of treatment conditions including an alcohol and/or energy drink placebo will be identical to active treatment conditions. Experimental sessions will be conducted at the same time of day and separated by 7-10 days to ensure complete washout.
Sponsors
School of Psychology, University of Tasmania
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Male or female Aged 18 to 35 English as a first language Right-handed (laterality quotient between +40 and +100 on the Edinburgh Handedness Index (Oldfield, 1971) Regular energy drink consumer (minimum consumption of one energy drink in the preceding six months and maximum consumption of one energy drink per day on average in the preceding six months) Regular caffeine consumer (minimum consumption of two caffeinated beverages in the preceding week). Regular alcohol consumer (minimum consumption of two standard alcoholic beverages in the preceding month) Normal or corrected-to-normal vision Normal sleep patterns Normal Body Mass Index (BMI; between 18.50 and 24.99) Colour vision acuity (score of 9 or higher on Ishihara's (1936) Test for Colour-Blindness
Exclusion criteria
Regular tobacco smoker (typical daily use of one or more cigarettes) Recent (i.e., preceding two weeks) illicit drug use Current medicinal or recreational prescription medication use (excluding the contraceptive pill) Participation in a drug study in the preceding three months Currently pregnant or breastfeeding History of any significant neurological condition Current diagnosis of any significant physical condition Current diagnosis of a significant psychiatric condition or score of 30 or higher on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (Kessler et al., 2002). Current diagnosis of a significant intellectual disability or an age-normed quotient lower than 71 on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (Wechsler, 2001) History of alcohol or drug abuse or dependence disorder or use of alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels, evident via a score of 10 or higher on the Alcohol Disorders Identification Test (Babor et al., 2001) Extremely sensitive skin
Outcome results
None listed