What a can of Red Bull does to your body

In the first half hour of drinking a can of energy drink the liver will begin to react by absorbing more sugar. Photo / Getty

They may give you a quick boost when you're tired but have you ever wondered about the real impact of energy drinks such as Red Bull on your body?

A content researcher has conducted his own experiment to uncover the disturbing effects of the popular drink, charting the changes that occur in the body for up to 12 days after consumption of a single can.

Erwin Johnson's report was reproduced by The Sun and details how and when the drink's caffeine enters your bloodstream, the resulting rise in heart rate and the potential withdrawl symptoms that can follow.

Here's what he found:

The impact of a can of Red Bull over time. Image / NZHerald

First 10 minutes:

Caffeine begins to enter the bloodstream causing a rise in heart rate and blood pressure.

15-45 minutes:

Caffeine levels will peak, creating a sense of heightened concentration.

30-50 minutes:

The liver will begin to react by absorbing more sugar.

1 hour:

Caffeine levels begin to drop and you may start to feel tired.

5-6 hours

At this point the body will have worked to reduce the caffeine content in your blood by half.

12 hours

For most people, the caffeine from the energy drink will be out of your bloodstream, but this will depend on age and activity levels.

12-24 hours

For regular Red Bull drinkers, this is the point where withdrawl symptoms will kick in. You may begin to feel irritable, constipated, and suffer from headaches.

7-12 days

This is the average amount of time it takes for the body to build tolerance to a daily dose of caffeine. So to continue feeling any impact at this point you would need to up your intake.

- NZ Herald