A growing concern among health professionals is the increased popularity of energy drinks among adolescents.
Energy drinks are beverages that usually contain high levels of caffeine, added sugars and legal stimulants used to increase alertness and energy. Many popular energy drinks are heavily marketed toward teens with bright packaging, sweet candy-like flavors and social media influencer partnerships.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, studies have found that almost a third of teens ages 12-17 drink energy drinks regularly, and there are growing concerns that an increase in consumption by adolescents will lead to increased health issues.
Energy drinks often contain 200 to 300 mg of caffeine, which is two to three times the suggested daily limit of 100 grams for adolescents aged 12-18 recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). For comparison, one 8-ounce cup of coffee has about 96 mg of caffeine and one 12-ounce soda, such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Mountain Dew, ranges between about 35 to 55 mg of caffeine.
Children who ingest high amounts of caffeine have risks of sleep disruptions, insomnia, rapid heart rate, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, agitation, stress, depression and anxiety. The AAP states that energy drinks are not appropriate for children and adolescents, and should be avoided.
Popular energy drinks heavily marketed to teens include Prime Energy, co-founded by influencer Logan Paul; Alani Nu, which had a celebrity partnership with Kim Kardashian; Ghost, which has had collaborations with candy brands Warheads, Sour Patch Kids and Bubblicious; Monster, which often uses extreme sports branding; and Celsius, which is marketed with fitness and energy branding.
Educating children on the risks
Jason Wang, pharmacist and owner at The Medicine Shoppe in Pevely, recently spoke with students at the Senn-Thomas Middle School Career Expo about the dangers of caffeine usage.
Wang said overconsuming caffeine is bad for children and adults alike, but adolescents have recently seen a spike in caffeine usage.
“Energy drink consumption among children has grown in popularity,” Wang said.
Wang said the increase in interest in energy drink consumption among adolescents is connected to influencers on social media who promote consuming energy drinks.
“Children are especially impressionable at that age,” he said. “I would say among all age groups, middle schoolers and high schoolers are the most impressionable. They think, ‘Oh, these influencers look really cool, and I want to be cool like them.’”
Wang said the presence of caffeine itself isn’t always a major concern, but it’s the amount present in certain drinks that raises it to an unhealthy level.
“I don’t think there’s been any conclusion or evidence to show that a moderate amount, like a daily soda or cup of coffee, for teenagers would be detrimental,” he said. “Caffeine itself is probably less the concern. It’s more so the amount of caffeine from the energy drinks being so much higher, along with the other additive things that are in there.”
But ultimately, Wang said, the safest amount of caffeine for an adolescent is none at all. Wang said rest during adolescence is very important and the sleep disruptions and insomnia caused by ingesting caffeine is a real concern.
“At that age, their bodies are tired for a reason. They’re growing so much in such a low amount of time,” Wang said.
He encourages parents to steer their children toward healthier alternatives, such as water, which can be flavored or infused with fruit to change the flavor.
And if children are looking for a drink to hydrate after sports activity, Wang recommends skipping energy drinks, and instead opting for a sports drink.
“Gatorade would be a good alternative if they’re looking for something that they think is popular among athletes.”
Sports drinks, such as Gatorade, Powerade and BodyArmor, are designed to help athletes replace water, electrolytes and energy lost during intense or prolonged exercise. Wang still recommends moderation while drinking sports drinks, as they often contain added sugar.
The AAP recommends capping added sugar at 25 grams per day for children 2 years of age and older. A typical 12-ounce sports drink has about 20 grams of sugar. The AAP recommends serving children and adolescents water and milk instead of soda, sports drinks, sweet tea, sweetened coffee or fruit drinks. The AAP notes that while milk contains natural sugar in the form of lactose, it also provides calcium, protein, vitamin D and other necessary nutrients.