Slick packaging, edgy themes, exotic ingredients, and special formulas are all part of the hype about energy drinks. A growing number of beverages promise quick energy as well as performance and nutritional benefits to athletes, students, partygoers-anyone who wants a pick-me-up. Yet, claims about these products often are inflated while health risks such as dehydration, overstimulation, and the double danger of combining energy drinks with alcohol receive little attention.

Do you know what your child drinks between meals and when he works out or plays sports? Make sure both of you understand which ingredients energy drinks contain and the effects they produce.

Looking for a Liquid Lift

The energy drink market is hot. With names that suggest extreme power, a growing number of beverages are aimed at anyone who wants to improve athletic performance, study late, dance all night, or just counter a mid-afternoon slump.

These products are sold with claims that include boosting energy, raising alertness, lowering reaction time, improving concentration, speeding up metabolism, increasing stamina, and enhancing nutrition.¹ Perhaps the most powerful energy drink is named after an illegal drug. Although this product does not contain the drug, it promises a high followed by a long-lasting energy buzz.²

What's behind these claims? Although the makers of energy drinks tout mixtures of vitamins, minerals, and tropical extracts, the main ingredient is caffeine. The difference between the caffeine in energy drinks and other beverages is the amount-they have at least as much caffeine as coffee and much more than soft drinks.³

Caffeine Concerns

Caffeine perks up the central nervous system and provides the lift that energy drinks are all about. The central nervous system, which includes the brain and the spinal cord, is the main "processing center" that controls all of the body's organs and systems.⁴

However, the high levels of caffeine in energy drinks can cause problems. Because caffeine can send you to the bathroom more often, it can dehydrate your body-meaning that you do not have as much water and fluids as you should-when you are also sweating during exercise.

Caffeine also can speed up a person's heart and raise blood pressure. The amount of caffeine in energy drinks is not good for children. Caffeine may cause a child to become agitated, irritable, or nervous. In addition, caffeine is a concern for pregnant women as well as the children they carry.⁶ The Food and Drug Administration advises pregnant women to use caffeine in moderation.⁷

How much caffeine is too much? It depends-the effects of caffeine vary from one person to another according to traits such as age, size, and health. For most people, three 8-ounce cups of coffee per day is considered a moderate amount of caffeine.⁸

School starts early, activities and jobs create tight schedules, and nighttime often finds today's youth up late doing homework, listening to music, playing computer games, and instant messaging their friends. As a result, kids often do not get the sleep they need, leaving them more likely to reach for a caffeine jolt. In fact, the more caffeine kids consume, the less sleep they get. So, work with your child to adjust his schedule so he has enough time for sleep and offer him noncaffeinated drinks such as juice, milk, and water after dinner.

What's in the Mix?

Other energy drink ingredients add to the possible problems. Guarana, or guarine, is a caffeine-like substance. Taurine is an amino acid that the body produces naturally, but exactly how it works or how much is too much is not known. Vitamins, minerals, and herbs added to energy drinks are not risky by themselves, but they could upset one's nutritional balance and could cause a bad reaction to medication.¹⁰

Finally, energy drinks contain carbohydrates-"carbs" for short-that we need to fuel long exercise sessions. However, energy drinks provide more carbs than most people need for exercise. The result-excess calories-is just what we are trying to avoid or burn off. And because carbs make it harder for the body to absorb fluids, they can cause dehydration, especially in hot weather.¹¹

Choosing Wisely

While an energy drink every so often will not be a problem for most people, make sure that your child knows the real deal about these products. Talk with him about situations in which sports drinks could have unexpected effects. Remind him that many other products or just plain water can give him the lift he is looking for, often at a much lower cost than an energy drink. Making careful choices when he wants to kick it up a notch will pay off in safety and results. As a bonus, he'll end up with more money in his pocket.

Sources

Additional Resources

Brown University Health Education. 2005. Caffeine, last referenced 4/23/2007.

National Public Radio. January 4, 2007. The buzz over energy drinks, last referenced 4/23/2007.