Her name was Larissa Rodriguez. She was seventeen years old. She lived in Texas. She was a cheerleader. On September 1, 2024, she drank an Alani Nu energy drink. She went into cardiac arrest. She died five days later.
I read the news article while eating breakfast. My spoon was halfway to my mouth. I put it down. The coffee in my mug was still hot. I didn’t touch it for ten minutes.
The Energy Drink Comparator lists Alani Nu at 200 mg of caffeine per can.
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The lawsuit alleged that the energy drink triggered her cardiac arrest. The family’s attorneys claimed that Alani Nu was “dangerously high in caffeine” and that the company targeted young women with its marketing. Pink cans. Playful fonts. Social media influencers with large teenage followings.
I don’t know if the energy drink caused her death. I wasn’t there. I didn’t review her medical records. But I know that 200 mg of caffeine is a lot for a seventeen‑year‑old. I know that the half‑life of caffeine in adolescents can be longer than in adults. I know that some people carry a genetic variant that makes them slow metabolizers. I know that Larissa’s CYP1A2 status was never tested.
It should have been.
The Half‑Life Tracker can’t diagnose slow metabolism. But it can show you the range.
Larissa’s case wasn’t the first. In 2023, a 16‑year‑old in South Carolina collapsed after drinking an energy drink. He survived, but his family sued. In 2022, a 19‑year‑old in California died after consuming a large amount of caffeine in a short period. The common thread in all these stories is the same: young people, healthy on paper, no known heart conditions, sudden cardiac events after caffeine.
The common thread in the public response is also the same: “How much caffeine did they have? Was there a pre‑existing condition? Should energy drinks be banned?” No one asks about CYP1A2.
I remember a case from my own files. A 22‑year‑old man named Derek. He was a competitive cyclist. He drank about 400 mg of caffeine a day – two cups of coffee in the morning, an energy drink before his afternoon ride. He had no symptoms. No palpitations. No insomnia. He came to me for general advice.
I asked him if he’d ever had genetic testing. He said no. I offered to order a CYP1A2 test through a third‑party lab. He agreed. The results came back three weeks later. C/C. Slow metabolizer.
The Caffeine Calculator can help you estimate your risk.
Caffeine Calculator
Track your daily caffeine intake against the FDA 400mg limit.
All data stays in your browser — we never see it.
I told Derek to cut his intake to 200 mg per day. He didn’t. He said he felt fine. I told him again. He nodded and did nothing. Six months later, he collapsed on a group ride. His heart stopped for forty‑five seconds. A teammate did CPR. The ambulance came. He survived.
His cardiologist told him he had a prolonged QT interval. Probably congenital. Probably never would have caused a problem without the caffeine. The combination of slow caffeine metabolism and a subtle electrical abnormality in his heart had pushed him over the edge.
Derek quit caffeine entirely after that. He’s alive. He’s cycling again, though he doesn’t race anymore. He told me “I didn’t think the numbers applied to me.”
The numbers apply to everyone. They just apply differently.
I think about Larissa Rodriguez often. I think about her parents, who buried their daughter because of an energy drink. I think about the marketing team at Alani Nu, who chose pink cans and playful fonts. I don’t think they’re evil. I think they didn’t know about CYP1A2 either.
Most people don’t.
The Half‑Life Tracker can’t bring Larissa back. But it can help the next teenager understand what 200 mg means. It can show them that a 3 PM energy drink will still be in their system at 11 PM. It can show them that if they’re a slow metabolizer, that number might be higher.
The Caffeine Calculator can help parents set limits for their kids.
Caffeine Calculator
Track your daily caffeine intake against the FDA 400mg limit.
All data stays in your browser — we never see it.
A group of pediatric cardiologists published a consensus statement in 2025. They recommended that adolescents with known or suspected heart conditions avoid caffeine entirely. They also recommended that any adolescent who experiences palpitations, fainting, or chest pain after caffeine should undergo genetic testing for CYP1A2 and other cardiac risk genes.
The statement didn’t make headlines. It was buried in a medical journal. Most parents never saw it.
Derek’s story ended with a second chance. Larissa’s didn’t. I don’t know why. Maybe a different genetic variant. Maybe a different brand of energy drink. Maybe a different dose. Maybe just luck.
The Half‑Life Tracker is not a diagnostic tool. It’s an education tool. It’s a way to see the invisible.
I showed it to a high school health class once. I projected it on a screen. I asked the students to guess how long 200 mg of caffeine would stay in their bodies. Most said a few hours. Then I showed them the curve. 100 mg at 4 PM. 50 mg at 8 PM. 25 mg at midnight. They were quiet.
One boy raised his hand. “So if I drink an energy drink at 6 PM before football practice, I still have caffeine in me at midnight?”
“Yes.”
“No wonder I can’t sleep.”
He looked at his friends. They looked at him. No one said anything else.
The Caffeine Calculator can help with personalized limits, but it can’t replace a genetic test.
I don’t know if Larissa Rodriguez was a slow metabolizer. I don’t know if she had an undiagnosed heart condition. I don’t know if the energy drink alone would have killed her. But I know that her CYP1A2 status was never tested. And I know that if it had been, her parents might have had more answers.
