We’ve all seen them, some of us probably drink them. Colorful bottles that promise a boost in energy, performance, focus, and hydration. These energy drinks are marketed towards anyone: kids, college students, adults, anyone who is looking for a midday pick me up or for hydration during practices. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most people, especially kids, don't need them. In fact, they can be harmful.
Let's begin with the difference between sports and energy drinks:
Sports drinks are meant to replace fluids and electrolytes that one loses through sweat during exercise. They contain water, electrolytes, and sugars.
Energy drinks are packed with caffeine, other stimulants like guarana, and sugar.
So when are sports drinks actually useful? According to the AAP, they are only needed with intense exercise like marathons, multiple hour practices or when playing in heat (Schneider, 2011). Part of the problem is the intense pressure kids face with performing. As someone who was an athlete as a kid, there was always something that could be done better, you could be faster, stronger, etc. So by being told that with these products you will have better performance, people feel drawn to buying such products. In reality, kids are actually just ingesting unnecessary sugars and calories associated with obesity and tooth decay. As for energy drinks, it is recommended for anyone under the age of 18 to avoid them (Schneider, 2011). This is actually a lot more difficult than it seems given some sports drinks like “Prime” have caffeine in them but it is not clearly displayed.
In the end, the AAP’s message is simple: kids should stick to plain water, hydrate naturally, not chemically.
Questions:
Have you ever noticed a difference after drinking any sports or energy drinks?
Social media influencers have now been making their own products, how have their platforms influenced young people when it comes to buying these products?
Reference:
Marcie Beth Schneider, Holly J. Benjamin, Committee on Nutrition and the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness; Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?. Pediatrics June 2011; 127 (6): 1182–1189. 10.1542/peds.2011-0965
I think this was a very good topic because as someone who also played sports growing especially multiple back to back those energy drinks where my "hero's" but really all they did was set me up with future health issues.
ReplyDeleteHello ! This is a very important topic Im sure lots of parents and teens don’t realize what is in energy drinks which is caffeine and other stimulants that can affect many things such as heart rate and sleep. Your point on marketing is so true, the products are advertised to where the risks are overlooked especially when influencers are promoting. The reminder that kids should stick to water is really the best option, there’s no need for additives. I wonder if schools or sports programs could help by educating students and parents about the ingredients and potential side effects.
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