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Energy, sports drinks not good for children

Energy drinks pose potential health risks primarily because of stimulant content; therefore, they are not appropriate for children and adolescents and should never be consumed.

Energy, sports drinks not good for children

Although sports drinks and energy drinks are being marketed to children and teenagers, paediatricians are now sounding an alarm about their inappropriate uses in these age groups.

Sports drinks are different products than energy drinks. The former are flavoured beverages that often contain carbohydrates, minerals, electrolytes (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium), and sometimes vitamins or other nutrients while the latter typically contain non-nutritive stimulants, such as caffeine, guarana, taurine, ginseng, L-carnitine, creatine, and/or glucuronolactone, with varying amounts of carbohydrate, protein, amino acids, vitamins, sodium, and other minerals. Sports drinks are intended for optimization of athletic performance and replacement of water and electrolytes lost through sweating during exercise. In contrast, energy drinks purport a boost in energy, decreased fatigue, enhanced concentration, and mental alertness.

With children and adolescents, careful consideration is necessary when selecting a beverage to hydrate before, during, or after exercise and outside of physical activity to prevent excessive sugar and caloric intake that may encourage dental erosion, overweight, and obesity.

Young athletes can benefit from using sports drinks that contain carbohydrates, protein, or electrolytes; however, for the average child engaged in routine physical activity, the use of sports drinks in place of water is generally unnecessary. Stimulant containing energy drinks have no place in the diets of children or adolescents.

Sports and energy drink consumption by children and adolescents are widespread and continue to grow. Adolescents do not differentiate between the two beverages and cite the same benefits for both. Given the current epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity, the report recommends the elimination of calorie containing beverages from a well balanced diet, with the exception of low-fat or fat-free milk, because it contains calcium and vitamin D, which are particularly important for young people.

The report recommends that there is need to improve the education of youngsters and their parents regarding the difference between the two beverages and their associated potential health risks. Energy drinks pose potential health risks primarily because of stimulant content; therefore, they are not appropriate for children and adolescents and should never be consumed. There is need to counsel that routine ingestion of carbohydrate-containing sports drinks by children and adolescents should be avoided or restricted as it can lead to excessive caloric consumption and an increased risk of overweight and obesity as well as dental erosion. Sports drinks should be ingested when there is a need for more rapid replenishment of carbohydrates and/or electrolytes in combination with water during periods of prolonged, vigorous sports participation or other intense physical activity. Finally, water consumption should be promoted as the principal source of hydration for young athletes instead of sports or energy drinks.
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