It is two in the morning on Wednesday night, and there is an 8 page research paper on primate evolution due for your Anthropology class at 9 a.m. Run to the fridge and you have two options, coffee or Red Bull. So you grab the Red Bull and get down to business.

Energy drinks have become more than just a common trend among college students. Coffee no longer can get the job done, so when you need that extra kick, the energy drink is what Mallory Groves, 20, Communication major said.

Usually a regular coffee drinker, she finds herself grabbing for an energy drink three or four times a month, Groves said. Rarely does she drink an energy drink in the morning, and Coach Featherstone agrees that is a good call.

“Caffeine is a drug. Legal, but it is still a drug which is addictive, ” John Featherstone, head football coach and physical educator, said. Many students start off their day with caffeine filled liquids during their rush to get to class on time.

Caffeine is the stimulant that gives you pep to your step. But what goes up, like your energy, must also come down. Students find themselves reaching for the next fix to once again return to the same state of energy.

“The more you consume these energy drinks, the more you think you need them,” Featherstone said. “It is a drug, and all students must be careful of caffeine addiction at such a young age.”

For some students, simply a Rockstar or Red Bull is not enough. A concentrated shot of caffeine and more chemical additives packaged in something like 5Hour Energy or Red Line is also popular.

“I drink a Red Line two or three times a day,” Michael Manaois, 22, Nursing major said. For all nighter’s during nursing school is what Manaois said.

A Redbull has 80mg of caffeine while Red Line has almost double the amount, and has 140mg. Both of these energy drinks can be bought at any local 7-Eleven.

Instead of an energy drink, Coach Featherstone suggests each student to start the morning off with a tall glass of water and some natural fruit juice. Even living a life of routine and exercise can help boost energy.

“You must be able to control your caffeine addiction, and be responsible because bottom line is that caffeine is a drug,” Featherstone said. This high energy, high sugar, and higher chance of heart problems is more then just a trend, it has become an epidemic.

Next time you are in class, trying to stay awake, stand up and take a walk or stretch. Fitness can fill the void between your caffeine fix and next crash to help the health of your heart.