What are energy drinks?
Energy drinks are creatively flavored beverages that contain caffeine, among other substances. They often have more caffeine than a cup of coffee, in addition to other stimulants like guarana and taurine. Some cans can have 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine – that's two to three times what’s in a cup of coffee. That amount is also well above the 100 mg recommended daily limit for otherwise healthy teens (12 years and older). Some products may not even be labeled as energy drinks, and still contain a lot of caffeine or stimulants. It’s important to read the nutrition label and check the serving size so you don’t overdo it.
Are energy drinks safe for my heart?
Many people think energy drinks are harmless. However, the large amounts of caffeine and stimulants in these drinks can cause abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmia) or heart blood vessel tightening (coronary vasospasm), both of which can cause your heart to stop. Sadly, you don’t have to look too far to find reports of young people dying from caffeine overconsumption. If you are at risk for: heart problems, such as palpitations or irregular rhythm; elevated blood pressure; or differences in the electrical activity in your heart, you should never consume caffeine, let alone an energy drink.
Other side effects are more common. Regular energy drink use is associated with high blood pressure, poor sleep and anxiety. In the long term, these consequences lead to heart problems, including heart failure, stroke or heart attack. Being tired and anxious isn’t fun in the short term, either. These side effects are also hard to spot in others, which is why people who use energy drinks may “look fine” on the outside.
I thought caffeine was good for sports?
Moderate caffeine consumption can be good for sports. The recommended daily maximum amount of caffeine for otherwise healthy teens is 100 mg, which is about the amount in a standard cup of coffee or in a bottle or can of a regular caffeinated soft drink.
That said, the downstream effects of caffeine may hurt your performance. Caffeine stays in the body for more than 12 hours. So if you’re using it shortly before a 3 p.m. sports practice, it will affect your sleep that night. Furthermore, caffeine is a supplement. The classic drivers of athletic performance – good nutrition, hydration, rest and mental health – are far more important. Overdoing it on caffeine can hurt your ability to get a good balance of those things.
What are we still learning?
We already know a lot about how caffeine affects the body. If you are otherwise healthy and are going to use caffeine, take no more than 100 mg in the morning, such as one cup of coffee or tea. Pay attention to your nutrition, hydration, rest and mental health, and cut back on caffeine if they’re affected. If you have any questions about your caffeine intake or how it is impacting your health, please talk with your pediatrician.
- Clinical-Report–Sports-Drinks-and-Energy-Drinks-for.pdf
- Pediatric Emergency Care
- Energy drinks: effects on pediatric 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. A randomized trial | Pediatric Research
- Energy Drinks and Their Adverse Health Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - Ibrahim M. Nadeem, Ajaykumar Shanmugaraj, Seaher Sakha, Nolan S. Horner, Olufemi R. Ayeni, Moin Khan, 2021
- Panera faces lawsuit over ‘Charged Lemonade’ energy drink after 21-year-old’s death | CNN Business
What are energy drinks?
Energy drinks are creatively flavored beverages that contain caffeine, among other substances. They often have more caffeine than a cup of coffee, in addition to other stimulants like guarana and taurine. Some cans can have 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine – that's two to three times what’s in a cup of coffee. That amount is also well above the 100 mg recommended daily limit for otherwise healthy teens (12 years and older). Some products may not even be labeled as energy drinks, and still contain a lot of caffeine or stimulants. It’s important to read the nutrition label and check the serving size so you don’t overdo it.
Are energy drinks safe for my heart?
Many people think energy drinks are harmless. However, the large amounts of caffeine and stimulants in these drinks can cause abnormal heartbeats (arrhythmia) or heart blood vessel tightening (coronary vasospasm), both of which can cause your heart to stop. Sadly, you don’t have to look too far to find reports of young people dying from caffeine overconsumption. If you are at risk for: heart problems, such as palpitations or irregular rhythm; elevated blood pressure; or differences in the electrical activity in your heart, you should never consume caffeine, let alone an energy drink.
Other side effects are more common. Regular energy drink use is associated with high blood pressure, poor sleep and anxiety. In the long term, these consequences lead to heart problems, including heart failure, stroke or heart attack. Being tired and anxious isn’t fun in the short term, either. These side effects are also hard to spot in others, which is why people who use energy drinks may “look fine” on the outside.
I thought caffeine was good for sports?
Moderate caffeine consumption can be good for sports. The recommended daily maximum amount of caffeine for otherwise healthy teens is 100 mg, which is about the amount in a standard cup of coffee or in a bottle or can of a regular caffeinated soft drink.
That said, the downstream effects of caffeine may hurt your performance. Caffeine stays in the body for more than 12 hours. So if you’re using it shortly before a 3 p.m. sports practice, it will affect your sleep that night. Furthermore, caffeine is a supplement. The classic drivers of athletic performance – good nutrition, hydration, rest and mental health – are far more important. Overdoing it on caffeine can hurt your ability to get a good balance of those things.
What are we still learning?
We already know a lot about how caffeine affects the body. If you are otherwise healthy and are going to use caffeine, take no more than 100 mg in the morning, such as one cup of coffee or tea. Pay attention to your nutrition, hydration, rest and mental health, and cut back on caffeine if they’re affected. If you have any questions about your caffeine intake or how it is impacting your health, please talk with your pediatrician.
- Clinical-Report–Sports-Drinks-and-Energy-Drinks-for.pdf
- Pediatric Emergency Care
- Energy drinks: effects on pediatric 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. A randomized trial | Pediatric Research
- Energy Drinks and Their Adverse Health Effects: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - Ibrahim M. Nadeem, Ajaykumar Shanmugaraj, Seaher Sakha, Nolan S. Horner, Olufemi R. Ayeni, Moin Khan, 2021
- Panera faces lawsuit over ‘Charged Lemonade’ energy drink after 21-year-old’s death | CNN Business
Fact chat for your child's health and wellness
Interested in more factual information on medical myths and rumors? See the trending topics that are coming from our Pediatric Health Chat project.