Introduction:

Energy drinks are substances with high caffeine content; its stimulating effect makes them very popular, especially among young people and university students, because they promise to improve physical performance and cognitive development. However, the increase in their consumption may generate dependency, toxic and deadly effects.

Objective:

To describe the social representations of the consumption of energy drinks in students of the first semester of Nursing at the University Foundation of the Andean Area.

Methods:

Qualitative research, in the light of the social representations, using the questioning method. It was developed in three phases involving the population studied and it was applied the focal group´s technique. There were taken into account the ethical considerations.

Results:

The core of social representation of energy drinks consumption was associated with the stimulant effects that are generated at the level of the central nervous system: they inhibit the tiredness and sleep and recovers energy. However, the students participating admitted that the abuse in energy drinks´ consumption is dangerous and can be lethal, especially if mixed with alcohol.

Conclusions:

The social representations of energy drinks´ consumption in first semester students of nursing at the University Foundation of the Andean Area, of the course 2017, are related with general knowledge, with their effects and the motivations that students have to consume them, because they allow them to live the intense university life and to have a good performance in all contexts (social and work ones) successfully, even knowing their undesirable consequences.

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