How Bad Are Energy Drinks for Teens, Really?

You go to school and look at desks that have pencils, textbooks, computers, and energy drinks? Students in schools now have cans of Monster, Celsius, Bang, among others, which are even sold in vending machines in many schools. Teens usually buy these drinks for energy after a lack of sleep or just for the temporary satisfaction, even with their overall bad reputation with older adults, but what does the science actually say about this?

As many people may already know, caffeine is the primary stimulant used in energy drinks, with some energy drinks containing as much caffeine as 2 or more cups of coffee. Research shows heavy use of caffeine in teenagers is linked to difficulty falling asleep, daytime fatigue, and overall worse attention and academic performance. Let's first focus on the sleep disruption aspect, as lack of sleep is a contributor to all the listed effects. A study in the journal Sleep Medicine found that adolescents who consume energy drinks regularly reported having significantly shorter sleep duration and more daytime sleepiness compared to teens who didn’t. Another study from the journal Sleep showed that caffeine consumed in later parts of the day delays melatonin release, the hormone that tells you it's time for bed. For teens who have early school start times, drinking lots of energy drinks creates a cycle of tiredness, caffeine, worse sleep, and more caffeine.

Energy drinks also affect the heart, with a controlled study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that energy drinks caused higher increases in blood pressure and changes in heart rhythm when compared to caffeine alone. Most teens won't really feel anything after one drink, but feeling your heart race or getting dizzy isn't uncommon after drinking these drinks. The risk could be especially higher if that teen takes stimulant medication, drinks multiple cans, or has a heart problem.

Energy drinks have effects of feeling a bit shaky or anxious, which is also real and isn't talked about. A review in Frontiers in Psychology found that higher caffeine intakes among teens have been linked with more nervousness, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms. With some teenagers already stressed from school, sports, and other activities, energy drinks could amplify those feelings instead of helping. The focus boost could turn into irritability.

Most popular energy drink brands contain 40-60 grams of sugar per can. For comparison, the American Heart Association recommends that adolescents limit their sugar intake to no more than 25 grams a day. Summaries from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) highlight that high sugar intake in teens is associated with effects such as increased cardiometabolic risk and weight gain. This does not mean to say that sugar is toxic or that having sis ugar ever bad; it's more the concern about the great concentration of sugar and how quickly and easily it can be consumed, especially when it's greatly consumed over a long time. Issues arise when these energy drinks become a routine energy source, with the large sugar spikes being followed by a “crash,” leaving teens feeling tired.

The research shows that energy drinks are not inherently dangerous when consumed in small amounts. However, due to factors that most scientists agree upon, such as high doses of caffeine interfering with sleep, some teens experience increased jitteriness, and the added sugar, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that energy drinks are not recommended for children or adolescents, especially regularly. For teens, having energy drinks occasionally, like during a long event, is different from relying on them daily. Instead of relying on energy drinks as sources of energy, teens should be more focused on regular sleep, hydration, and consistent, nutritious meals. Energy drinks can work well when used as a rare tool, but using them frequently usually means it's trying to be a solution for bigger issues like lack of sleep and academic stress.