caffeine is higher than found in soft drinks. In moderate amounts, caffeine is not harmful and can provide various benefits regarding endurance however, in large amounts this can have adverse effects. Although these drinks contain various different dietary supplements, health studies have claimed that there is a lack of thorough labelling which means that consumers may not always be aware of what they are consuming. History In the 19th and early 20th centuries, athletes occasionally drank beer of low alcohol content to replenish water, minerals and energy in the body. As the water is boiled during the brewing process and thus sterilized, the beer was a safer option than water from an unknown source. However, studies suggest that even a low dose of ethanol decreases endurance performance: it inhibits liver glucose output during exercise, and also impairs psychomotor skills such as reaction time, hand-eye coordination and balance. Since the first modern Olympics, fluid intake during sports have varied a lot due to a lack of consensus in the scientific community pertaining to the use of sports drinks. In the early 1900s there was a widespread belief that consumption of fluids such as water during exercise was unnecessary. However, with the advancement of exercise physiology in 1923, the cardiovascular model of thermoregulation was researched by A.V. Hill. Based on this model, the consequences of water loss and the significance of fluid consumption was emphasized. Energy and sports drinks first appeared in Europe and Asia in the 1960s as a response to demands for dietary supplements that would increase energy. Taisho Pharmaceuticals, a Japanese company, introduced Lipovitan D, one of the first sports/energy drinks on the market in 1961. Since then, sports drinks have developed into a multibillion dollar market. Commercial market The sports and energy drinks market is rapidly growing around the world. Sports drinks are included within the functional drinks market. Within the functional drinks category, sports and energy drinks account for the largest volume growth. These drinks have experienced exponential growth of more than 240% in the United States of America and around the world from the years 2004 to 2009. There have been a variety of different types of drinks introduced to the market over the years and a lot of these drinks are targeted towards young athletes. Examples of sports drinks Commercially available sports drinks include: 100plus 10-K Thirst Quencher Accelerade All Sport Aquarius Bodyarmor Herbalife Isostar