Energy Drinks Basically Just Caffeinated Water

Pounding a Red Bull might not be the best idea for any time of day, but we admit that during certain late nights, we have fallen back on that method. But it turns out, the extra additives in energy drinks aren't actually that helpful, LiveScience reports.

A study presented at the Association for Psychological Science annual meeting found that 8 ounces of water plus caffeine was about the same as having water plus 5-hour Energy, if the caffeinated drinks were adjusted to the same amount of caffeine per pound.

Specifically, researchers found that participants' brains were just as fast or slow, despite the extra additives that energy drinks boast.

"A lot of people take the energy drinks because they think they have that extra boost over caffeine," study researcher Chelsea Benham said. But the study found that there's little difference in participants' physical reaction times (like clicking a mouse when a letter appeared on the screen), regardless of the drink.

Of course, the study only ran about 20 minutes, so researchers hope to replicate the study over a longer period of time.