How Do the Health Benefits of Sports Drinks Compare to Energy Drinks for Adolescent Athletes?

How Do the Health Benefits of Sports Drinks Compare to Energy Drinks for Adolescent Athletes?


Do you or someone you know, who is an athlete that consumes sports drinks, energy drinks, or both? 

What is considered to be a sports drink or an energy drink? 

If you are interested and want to find out more continue to read!




Introduction:

A sports drink is full of electrolytes and sugars that is used for rapid hydration replenishment and some examples include Powerade or Gatorade. Energy drinks are full of sugars and caffeine that is used for a quick boost of energy and some examples include Monster, Red Bull, or Bang. The consumption of these drinks can cause effects on the health of the adolescents present and future. Since the adolescents do not know what is in the drinks that they consume they do not understand why it can be so harmful towards them including at their age.


Research Findings:

  1. The people who sell sports and energy drinks advertise them to the younger population of athletes knowing that they will most likely not look at the nutrition facts of what is contained in that bottle or serving size.
  2. Collected from a survey, a graph was shown that in just 1 week, adolescents consume sports and/or energy drinks 2-3 times per week.
  3. When consuming sports and energy drinks it can cause health problems like a risk for diabetes, cardiovascular problems, dental problems, anxiety, depression, irregular sleep patterns, high blood pressure, or a high heart rate. When an energy drink is mixed with alcohol it can cause more serious problems like addiction, seizures, or death.



Practical Applications: 

  1. There should be an age restriction on buying energy drinks.
  2. A team pediatrician should have weekly or monthly meetings with the athletes, coaches, and parents about the consumption of drinks that are consumed from the athletes, so they are made aware of the nutrition facts.
  3. More water during games! Water should be consumed for at least the first 60 minutes during a game and then a sports drink can be consumed if in need of quick rehydration.

Additional Resources:

  1. Energy drinks and health hazards 
  2. Important factors of sports and energy drinks
  3. Unhealthy drinks for adolescents 

About the Author:


Courtney Costa is a senior at Westfield State University in the Sports Medicine and Human Performance department. She plans on graduating with a Bachelors Degree with a concentration in Sports Medicine and is a board member for the First Responders Club and Health Professions Club. Her future is to work with children in the medical field. Courtney can be reached at courtcostaaa26@gmail.com. 


References:

Babu, K., Deuster, P., Higgins, J., Shearer, J. (2018). Energy  drinks: a contemporary issues paper.                                                      Current Sports Medicine Reports, 17(2), 65-72. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Fulltext/2018/02000/Energy_Drinks__A_Contemporary_Issues_Paper.9.aspx

Broughton, D., Fairchild, R., Morgan, M. (2016). A survey of  sports  drinks consumption                                             amongadolescents. British  Dental Journal, 220(12), 639-643. https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2016.449 

DeWolfe, J., Larson, N., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Story, M.  (2014). Adolescent consumption of sports and energy  drinks: linkages to higher physical activity, unhealthy  beverage patterns, cigarette smoking, and screen media  use. National Library of Medicine, 46(3), 181-187. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4023868/

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