Sports Drinks and Your Kids’ Health

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing the young teenagers drinking those Huge 32oz energy drinks, the Red Bulls, Monsters, Rockstars, etc from the gas stations. I wonder to myself if their parents know how they are spending their money. Do these kids even know how these drinks are damaging their kidneys and livers?  I know you've seen them walking around with them too.


In May the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made a strong recommendation that children and teens avoid sports and energy drinks.

Energy drinks and sports drinks are very popular with children, yet very few children actually require hydration beyond water for their activities. Sports drinks are OK for hard physical activity lasting more than one hour -- weekend soccer for younger kids or after school little league hardly qualify.
In fact, sports drinks are high in sugar and give children extra calories, which can put them at risk for becoming overweight. A well-balanced diet will provide the vitamins and minerals that sports drinks claim to provide. By comparison, flavored milk is a great sports recovery drink that provides balanced nutrition with less added sugar. The shelf-stable boxed kind is very convenient for sports events. 


Energy drinks are different than sports drinks because they often contain caffeine and/or other stimulants. According to the AAP report, “energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents” and “should never be consumed” because stimulants can cause heart rhythm irregularities.
It is summertime and it can get hot! Before you reach for your next thirst quenching beverage read the Dairy Council of California tip sheet Reach for a Healthy Beverage, which lists the drinks kids should drink more of (and less of) for great health.

Written by
Andrea Garen, Registered Dietitian