What kind of drink is your preteen or teenager packing for practice or an after-school pick-me-up? Is it Gatorade, Celsius or Prime Energy?
They might be drinking these for the flavor, the boost of energy, or the promise of health benefits. But is it truly good for them? Brands and their influencers may say so, but don’t take their word for it.
Energy and sports drink consumption is rising among children and teens, despite growing concerns from pediatric experts.
Read on to understand the key differences between sports drinks and energy drinks, their health impacts, and consumption recommendations. You can help your child make the right choice for hydration and overall health.
Understanding the Difference
What is a Sports Drink?
Sports drinks typically contain a combination of carbohydrates (sugar) and electrolytes (sodium, potassium). Gatorade and Powerade are major brands in the sports drink market. These drinks are intended to help replenish the body with necessary nutrients during and after long-duration, high-intensity exercise or heat-related activities.
While these are usually caffeine-free products, some brands have developed caffeinated product lines, marketing them as pre-workout drinks. For example, you might recognize the universal “G” and lightning bolt logo on Gatorade’s Fast Twitch drink, but unlike other drinks, it has 200 mg of caffeine along with various vitamins.
What is an Energy Drink?
Energy drink nutrition labels pack a punch with stimulants like guarana, taurine, and L-carnitine. Many have a significant amount of sugar as well; however, there has been a rise in sugar-free energy drink products, which replace natural sugar with artificial sweeteners.
Red Bull, Monster, and Celsius are a few popular energy drinks you might recognize.
These products often promote heightened mental alertness and performance, but some are differentiating themselves for workout benefits (claiming to accelerate metabolism and burn body fat) and claim to support active lifestyles. Celsius, for example, partners with several professional athlete influencers for brand endorsement and leans heavily on images of people mid-workout on their website and social media content.
The marketing language alone for these products can make them tricky to evaluate for healthiness, especially when they use labels like “sugar-free”, “essential vitamins”, and “no high fructose corn syrup”.
Caffeine
Not all energy drinks are created equal—especially when it comes to caffeine content. Major brands contain anywhere from 80 to 300 mg of caffeine per can.
The FDA does not set a regulated limit for caffeine in beverages (except cola drinks) and does not require manufacturers to list caffeine content, although many brands do so voluntarily.
While the recommended limit for adults is 400 mg per day, teens ages 12–17 should consume less than 100 mg per day.
Too much caffeine can lead to anxiety, jitteriness, heart palpitations, disrupted sleep, and reduced appetite. Depending on the person, it can take 1.5 to 9.5 hours for caffeine levels in the blood to decrease by half.
Maddie Gayfield, MS, RDN, LD –a Central Ohio Primary Care Pediatric Registered Dietitian– breaks down how caffeine can affect an adolescent’s growth. “Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, making it more difficult to sleep. Poor sleep can affect an adolescent’s mood, learning, and behavior. Caffeine intake can increase irritability, restlessness, and even decrease self-control, leading to more behavioral problems. Caffeine may lead to headaches, upset stomachs, shakiness, and increased heart rate or blood pressure. In high doses, it can even lead to heart problems. Some evidence suggests that caffeine may even interfere with growth and development in younger adolescents. Overall, there is no clear benefit to caffeine in the developing brain or growing body of children and adolescents.”
| Caffeine Levels In Popular Energy Drinks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Energy Drink | Container size | Caffeine (mg) |
| Bang | 16 oz | 300 |
| Celsius- Arctic Vibe | 12 oz | 200 |
| Prime Energy | 12 oz | 200 |
| Monster Energy-Zero Ultra | 16 oz | 150 |
| Red Bull | 8.4 oz | 80 |
Note: a standard 8 oz cup of coffee contains 80-100 mg of caffeine
What the National Experts Say
- The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises against energy drinks for anyone under 18.
- The National Federation of State High School Associations also specifically warns young athletes not to use energy drinks for hydration.
- The FDA dietary guidelines do not establish a safe caffeine level for young children, but they do recommend teens should consume less than 100 mg per day.
Serious Health Risks
These recommendations exist for good reason. The high caffeine potency in energy drinks is especially dangerous because adolescents are unaware of their own limits or the ingredients in these products —a recipe for caffeine overdose. Between 2017-2023 emergency room visits related to caffeine doubled for teens. America’s Poison Centers reported a 24.2% spike in calls, from 2022 to 2023, about caffeine exposure in children and teens under 20 years old.
A 2023 article in the Nutrients found that both long-term use and short-term binge drinking of energy drinks can cause a variety of severe health problems —even in healthy young adults—including cardiac arrest, seizures, liver or kidney injury, and metabolic stress. The authors concluded that current daily caffeine limits should be lowered for adults and children and called for stricter regulations to prevent caffeine intoxication and its adverse effects.
What Should They Be Drinking?
Water is the best option for staying hydrated, especially before, during, and after sports. Don’t feel pressured to buy sports drinks for everyday use. Remember, they are intended for intense activity lasting 60-90 minutes. If used too often, the sugar they contain can lead to decreased appetite, dental cavities, and excess weight gain, especially if not paired with an active lifestyle. A better plan is to reserve sports drinks for tournaments, game days, or intense workouts.
And energy drinks?...
It’s safe to say that children and teens should avoid them altogether. Cutting them out eliminates the risk of caffeine overdose and the other side effects —helping kids stay healthy, well-rested, and ready to eat real meals.
Gayfield offers this hydration hack for parents of picky drinkers: “Sometimes kids won’t drink water unless there is some flavor added. Hint Water is one option you can try, or you can make your own flavored water at home by infusing it with fruits such as lemon, lime, orange, watermelon, or pineapple. You can also mix some splashes of 100% fruit juice with water to give some flavor.”
Supporting Healthy Habits
Are you bracing yourself for your teen’s reaction to cutting out energy drinks? Depending on their reasons for drinking them, it may be an emotional conversation—especially if they’ve developed a caffeine dependency.
Preparing can help. Try to understand their motivations, stick to the facts, and discuss alternatives together.
Ask why they feel they need energy drinks. Are they trying to stay awake after practice? Do they feel sluggish in the mornings? Are they convinced it improves their performance?
Together, explore healthy alternatives that can help them feel their best without relying on caffeine.
Routine Check
Walk through their daily routine and review what changes could be made to their eating habits, sleep patterns, and cutting out other sources of caffeine like soda or supplements. Poor sleep or screen time before bed could be making things worse. Try setting a screen-free bedtime, planning earlier meals, or exploring energizing breakfast ideas together.
Gayfield says basic healthy habits are still a winning strategy for supporting the body and feeling your best. “Adequate hydration, fueling regularly throughout the day with all food groups (3 meals per day and 2-3 snacks), getting daily movement, and getting 8 hours or more of sleep each night are caffeine-free ways for adolescents and adults to stay energized throughout the day.”
Eating for Energy
Without proper nutrition, the body does not have the energy it needs to think clearly at school or perform well in practice. If the body is fueled with the right sources, your child will feel focused during class and energized at practice. They will also decrease their chance of getting sick or injured, which means they won't have to sit out of practice or big games. Gayfield recommends the following tips to help young athletes keep their energy up before and after practice or game night.
Before Sport: Focus on quickly digested carbohydrates such as fruit, pretzels, or dry cereal. Be sure to pack a water bottle for adequate hydration throughout the day.
After Sport: It’s best to pair up a complete meal with all food groups (protein, grain, fruit, veggie, and dairy) after sports. If a full meal isn’t possible right away (i.e., after an away game), focus on packing a snack with both a carb and a protein, such as a bagel and some mixed nuts. For high intensity exercise or 60-90 minutes or more of exercise, choose a sports drink with some carbs and electrolytes such as Gatorade or Powerade.
Final Takeaways for Parents
- Energy drinks are unsafe for children and teens due to both caffeine and unregulated additives.
- Sports drinks are sometimes useful, but not for daily use.
- Water remains the safest, healthiest choice.
- If your child feels fatigued or is struggling in school or sports, talk to your pediatrician before reaching for a stimulant.
Talking to your child or teen about the dangers of energy drinks and healthier ways to stay energized can support better habits. Reviewing their diet, sleep, and activity routines can empower them to build caffeine-free habits that support their health and performance.
Sources
Benevente, A. (2022, May 24). Caffeine products: Guide to FDA caffeine labeling regulations. Registrar Corp. https://www.registrarcorp.com/blog/food-beverage/food-beverage-regulations/caffeine-products-guide-to-fda-regulations/
Buchholz, MD, D. (2022, August 3). Caffeine and kids. Columbia University Irving Medical Center. https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/caffeine-and-kids
Delgado, C. (2022, March 10). When you should stop drinking caffeine to ensure a good night’s sleep. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/how-long-does-caffeine-last#:~:text=And%20as%20long%20as%20there’s,Nutrition%20Sciences%20at%20Rutgers%20University.&text=So%2C%20if%20you%20drank%20one,the%20Yale%20New%20Haven%20Hospital.
Schering, A. (2023, December 1). Children should avoid drinks with sugar, caffeine. AAP News. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/27276/Children-should-avoid-drinks-with-sugar-caffeine?autologincheck=redirected
U.S. Department of Agriculture, & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 (9th ed.). https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov
Rivers, A. (2025, July 1). Caffeine overdose: Symptoms, side effects, and treatment. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/caffeine-overdose
Bartelt, K., Higgs, E., Kazaglis L., Deckert, J. (2024) Caffeine-Related ED Visits, Although Uncommon, Doubled for Middle School and High School Aged Children Since 2017. Epic Research. https://epicresearch.org/articles/caffeine-related-ed-visits-although-uncommon-doubled-for-middle-school-and-high-school-aged-children-since-2017.
Devitt, S. (2024, October 1). Growing Popularity of Energy Drinks Associated with an Increase in Pediatric Cases Reported to Poison Centers. America’s Poison Centers- News & Alerts. https://poisoncenters.org/news-alerts/13414265
Costantino, A., Maiese, A., Lazzari, J., Casula, C., Turillazzi, E., Frati, P., & Fineschi, V. (2023). The Dark Side of Energy Drinks: A Comprehensive Review of Their Impact on the Human Body. Nutrients, 15(18), 3922. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15183922