If you find yourself drinking more than two bottles of energy drink per day, you may just have fallen into the energy-drink craze that's been sweeping across North America, Europe, and even Jamaica this year.

Believe it or not, more than 500 new energy drinks were launched worldwide this year, competing in size and potency for a cut of the US$3.4 billion-a-year industry that grew by 80 per cent last year.

Now these aren't your grandmother's energy drinks. Today's energy drinks have taken on their own personalities and even have their own websites, blogs and their own profiles on the popular website, myspace.com.

Competing for a share of the market with promises of increased endurance, the new products join already established top sellers Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar.

Despite the warning of nutritionists that too much of these drinks, many of which are laden with caffeine and sugar, can be dangerous to health, these buzz-seeking energy drink lovers can't seem to get enough.

Increased competition

Now with the increased competition come more outrageous names.

Cocaine Energy Drink, which was launched in September and is now sold in several states in the United States, is one example. Others with similarly taboo names are Pimpjuice and the classy Bawls.

There's even a new 'energy beer'. Yes, that's a beer containing caffeine.

But even with the new brands appearing at the rate of almost one per day, the popular Red Bull still holds the lion's share of the market. Red Bull was first launched in 1987 in Austria, and today 2.5 billion cans are sold a year in more than 130 nations.