Energy drinks are loved by many people. There are many different brands like Celcius, Monster, Red Bull, and Alani that sell these flavorful and fun drinks that everyone loves. Although the drinks are a good boost of energy, the down side they can have on people might not be worth the risk. Energy drinks provide a temporary boost in focus, physical endurance, and alertness. While they can improve performance and sometimes mood, excessive and over consumption can lead to negative effects like anxiety, sugar crashes, sleep disruption, and sometimes heart palpitations.
The effects energy drinks can have on students during the school day are mostly negative. For students during the school day due to all the high caffeine, sugars, and stimulants in the drinks often leads to negative effects like increased heart rate and the jitters. Energy drinks can provide a bit of a boost along with a bit of increased focus, risking the health issues and having to deal with the jitteriness, stress, anxiety, and possible agitation doesn't seem worth it. The ideal age that is recommended to drink energy drinks at is 18. This comes with the fact that many teenagers' nervous and cardiovascular systems are still developing, which makes them more vulnerable to the high sugar and caffeine levels. This shows how the sugar and caffeine lead to the risks like anxiety, heart issues, sleep issues, which could also end up coming with over consumption.
While yes, some energy drinks do help you stay awake, alert, and focused for the most part and they’re tasty, according to cdc.gov it states that in 2011, there were 1,499 adolescents aged 12 – 17 years who had gone to the emergency room from energy drink related emergencies. Many of the emergency trips were due to dehydration and heart complications. Researchers said that safer and healthier options like diluted 100% fruit juice, unsweetened coconut water, low-fat milk, and even just simply water are better for teens than energy drinks.
An estimated 30%-50% of adolescents in the U.S consume energy drinks, which many of them contain between 160-300 mg of caffeine per can. With some high schools making energy drinks available in cafeterias and vending machines. This makes the drinks seem less risky than they really are. Research has linked energy drinks to cardiovascular issues like arrhythmias and in rare cases sudden cardiac arrest, along with a wide range of health problems like seizures, stomach problems, poor sleep, and higher levels of anxiety. The most recent data from America’s Poison Centers shows an uptick in calls about exposure to energy drinks in children and teens up to age 19, with 2,609 calls in 2024.
