Kidsburgh: Children Shouldn’t Use “Energy” Drinks for Boost During Exercise
Last year, Kidsburgh wrote about a pediatric nutritionist who investigated a mystery regarding why high school football players practicing for the coming season were battling dehydration and muscle cramps worse than ever.
While the weather was hot and the teens were sweating, the culprit turned out to be “energy” drinks that are high in caffeine.
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The pediatric nutritionist, Laura Cordero, learned from coaches and players that the players had been drinking popular energy drinks - such as Red Bull, Rock Star, Monster, Bang, and Reign - for energy boosts.
The drinks, Kidsburgh wrote, are canned in brightly-colored packaging and feature co-branded flavors that are popular among youth, such as Swedish Fish or Sour Patch Kids.
Many of the canned drinks contain 200 mg of caffeine - which is the equivalent of two cups of coffee or six cans of caffeinated soda, while Bang contains 300 mg, the same as three cups of coffee. The Cleveland Clinic recommends that children under age 12 avoid caffeine entirely.
The Kidsburgh article noted that teens might stop at drive-thrus to get large iced coffees before or after school and, as a result, might consume 400 mg of caffeine per day without realizing it.
One of the problems, the article notes, is that social media influences post about using these highly-caffeinated drinks while working out, giving young people the idea that energy drinks are merely an intense type of sports drink.
Instead, they are the opposite. Caffeine is a diuretic, so caffeine- heavy energy drinks dehydrate those who drink them and can cause other health issues, such as increased heart rate, cramps or tremors, irritability, and anxiety.
What Caregivers Can Do
Cordero made several recommendations regarding what caregivers can do to combat the popularity of “energy” drinks.
She encouraged high consumption of water, and suggested flavoring it with fruit to replace the intense flavors of canned rinks.
Other recommendations include:
Milk - even chocolate milk - is a better post-exercise hydrator and daily fuel because it provides protein and carbohydrates.
If a child or teen is taking ADHD medication, caregivers should talk to pediatricians or pharmacists to discuss potential interactions with caffeine.
Caregivers can teach their children to tally their daily caffeine consumption and learn the difference between “energy” and sports drinks.
To read the entire article on “energy” drinks, check out Kidsburgh’s article.