Energy Drinks: What Effects can they have on our Students?

As we sat down to write about this month’s topic of drugs and alcohol awareness, we decided to examine it through a different lens than the typical approach. Rather than examine drug and alcohol issues and their potential harmful effects, we decided to look at a potential harmful substance that is readily available in our society. The substance we chose to focus on was caffeine, and more specifically to examine the effects of caffeine that is found in energy drinks that are readily available to our students.

In this day and age, we are probably all familiar with the vast array of brand name energy drinks in stores and vending machines. They are advertised widely through television, the Internet and a variety of other advertising outlets. Energy drinks with names that evoke thoughts of high risk adventures and dangerous excitement, are often marketed as products that will increase one’s overall awareness, sharpen focus, and of course, provide much needed energy to succeed at what one is doing. These energy drinks are sometimes also referred to as sports drinks; obviously intended to lure athletes to purchase them.

The promise of added energy and alertness to a fatigued athlete or a tired student aspiring to get the edge is appealing. However, a closer examination of the ingredients in these products, specifically the caffeine, reveals that energy drinks also have potential negative effects on one’s body. Therefore, in this article we aim to:

1. Provide a general overview of energy drinks
2. Shed light on the amount/role of caffeine in energy drinks
3. Examine what this means for our students

Our hope is that this article will offer some much needed and thought-provoking information concerning energy drinks, and in particular the role that caffeine plays.

Energy Drinks: What are they?

Energy drinks have been around for over 20 years but gained popularity in the early 2000s. Initially, the marketing of these drinks was aimed at the young adolescent male. Typically, most drinks evoke images of excitement, adventure and success. With their enticing names, the drinks come in a variety of brands, flavors and sizes.

Because energy drinks are classified as supplements according to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994 (i.e., statute of United States Federal legislation) rather than food, energy drink labels are not subject to the stricter regulations of the Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, with energy drinks being identified in such a way, consumers may not be receiving accurate information, even when they examine the label. For example, a label may include 80 mg of caffeine, but the proprietary energy blend may include hidden caffeine in addition to the identified amount. Moreover, energy drinks may include natural ingredients such as guarana (i.e. a plant with seeds consisting of about twice the caffeine content as coffee beans) and yerba mate (i.e. plant leaves which contain caffeine). Due to the potentially unlisted caffeine content of both the unique energy blend as well as natural ingredients, the consumer faces a huge challenge when trying to fully understand the ingredients or comparing products in order to make the best decision.

Consumers also need to pay attention to the size of each energy drink. Each can or bottle is unique in size and therefore likely unique in serving size. Special attention must be exercised when one compares labels and caffeine content. Cans and bottles that appear larger than what we commonly consider a standard size may list their caffeine (and all ingredients) in terms of a single serving. However, the can or bottle itself may in fact contain more than a single serving. This tactic may lead to unknowingly consuming much more caffeine than expected. Considering that some energy drink brands actually have a warning on their label identifying the harmful effects of consuming too much caffeine, it is critically important that consumers fully understand the serving size information and recognize the amount of caffeine contained in the actual can or bottle they are drinking.

So what? Now that possible hidden caffeine has been identified, it is important to consider the potential impact of caffeine. To do so, we need to take a closer look at why the inclusion of caffeine, hidden or identified, should be considered a big deal. Here are the typical caffeine amounts in drinks:

• Standard coffee (6.5 ounces) ranges from 80 – 120 mg
• Carbonated cola-type soda (12 ounces) ranges from 10 – 60 mg

Effects of Caffeine

It has long been the practice of adults to drink coffee to provide a kick start to their day or, as the day progresses to stay awake and focused on their work. Adults have utilized coffee, through its caffeine content, as a pick me up style of drink when normal energy levels have been low. With several well-known franchises dedicated to coffee and the common event of going out for a coffee, caffeine is routinely consumed by millions of adults.

While drinking caffeine may have become a normalized part of one’s day, there are in fact many side effects that can result from elevated levels of caffeine. On average, the daily amount of caffeine deemed safe for adults is 400 mg, however each person’s body may have a different tolerance for caffeine levels. As caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, it has been found that additional levels of caffeine can result in such things as restlessness, insomnia, increased blood pressure, jitters, and an increased heart rate.

Children can be impacted in a similar manner as adults. Headaches, difficulty sleeping, jitters, increased blood pressure and heart rate are also seen in children. However, in the case of children, it takes much less caffeine for such effects to occur.

As teachers of health and physical education, we need to encourage healthy and high quality food and beverage consumption. If our students are consuming energy drinks found in vending machines or from the local store, we should consider stepping up our efforts in helping them understand the impact these choices may have on their health. Research has shown that the typical ingredients contained in each drink are understudied and not regulated (Seifert et al., 2011). Also, although individuals have different tolerance levels for caffeine, what we do know is that children are at increased risk of experiencing behavioral effects from consuming caffeine (Health Canada [1]) and this knowledge has prompted the position statement that these beverages are not recommended for children (Health Canada [2]) Similarly, at a time when a gum manufacturer was considering introducing a caffeinated gum, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited that the American Academy of Pediatrics which discourages the consumption of caffeine and other stimulants by children and adolescents (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2015).

Our Teaching Messages to Students

1. Remember that we are role models: We must continue as teachers of health and physical education, to consider ourselves as role models within our school community. In doing so, we should always strive to remember that what we choose to drink during the day should complement what we are teaching about healthy choices. If we choose to drink energy drinks during the school day, what will our students’ perceptions be about what are healthy beverages?
2. Make healthy (and easy) choices available in the cafeteria and vending machines: As students continue to bring money to purchase their food and drinks during the school day, we must continue to be attentive toward what is available to them. Hence, it must be consistently noted that the choices available to them should include healthy choices that support what is being taught during health classes (e.g., bottles of water, milk, etc.). Energy drinks should NOT be an option for students within the school walls.
3. Identify and be selective about the source of school sponsorship money: It is commonly understood that major companies like to advertise in schools (e.g., on gymnasium score boards and clocks). However, we must be vigilant when permitting companies to advertise in schools. For example, if we continue to teach about healthy choices in terms of food and drinks, these messages must coincide with what advertising is going on within school walls. Take a look at the advertising within your school walls. Does any of the advertising conflict with what students are learning?
4. Educate our students about sponsorship messages: It is also important that we look beyond our school walls and further examine how energy companies advertise. Often they are title sponsors at sporting events, often extreme sports (i.e., snowboarding, skateboarding, BMX, motocross, crashed ice) and music festivals. Our students will likely be drawn to these events and influenced by the messages delivered by energy drink companies. As teachers, we can use our students’ interests as a bridge to discuss healthy food and drink choices.
5. Submit proper messaging on school newsletters/websites. The messaging that goes to parents and other school community members should include accurate information that supports what students are learning. For example, tips about caffeine levels in energy drinks can be disseminated through different communication trails. This is sure to produce additional awareness within our students’ homes especially when parents take the time to review the information with their children.

In conclusion, we recommend making sure that your students and their families are aware of the health issues associated with energy drinks. This information should be a part of every health and physical educator’s curriculum and teaching. By doing so, we can ensure that our students are acquiring the knowledge base from which they can make responsible decisions for their own health and well-being.

References

1. Health Canada [1]. Questions and Answers: Caffeinated energy drinks.
2. Health Canada [2]. Caffeine and kids.
3. Seifert, S. M, Schaechter, J. L., Hersorin, E. R. and Lipshultz, S. E. (2011). Health Effects of Energy Drinks on Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Pediatrics. 127(3), 511-528.
4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2015) FDA to Investigate Added Caffeine.