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Beverage companies are more aggressive than ever when it comes to targeting the youth market. For example, Cocaine, a heavily caffeinated energy drink, is touted to young adults as a legal alternative to the street drug of the same name. The drink’s marketer, Redux Beverages, is trying to create an outlaw aura and drive up sales, promoting on a YouTube video the drink it calls, ironically, “the anti-drug.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in early April ruled that the energy drink is in fact a drug subject to FDA approval. On May 5, Redux Beverages stopped distribution of the drink and said that it plans to sell it under another name. Even though Cocaine Energy Drink contains no actual cocaine, it seems like an unsavory name choice for a teen athlete looking for an energy boost. Like other popular energy drinks, this company is working the room, loading up on the caffeine, and trying to be cool. What benefits and what dangers does the energy industry promote in relation to youth athletes? That’s the question beyond the product names. Party time to playing field What started out as a category of party-night energy boosters found a foothold in the sports world. But do drinks like Wired, Jolt, Rockstar and Redline add an advantage to an athlete’s performance? The answer is maybe, but at a price. Tests of Olympic bicycle racers have shown that small to moderate amounts of caffeine (200 milligrams, or 1 to 2 small cups of coffee) can increase endurance in longer races. Caffeine does not increase peak speed in short races. Abstaining from caffeine for several days before using caffeine seems to increase the benefit. The International Olympic Committee forbids urine caffeine concentration in excess of 12 milligrams per liter. A bike racer would probably need to drink 4 strong cups of coffee in one sitting to achieve this concentration, which would be foolish because large caffeine amounts offer no additional benefit, and increase side effects. The endurance boost is attributable to the caffeine itself, rather than the drink that delivers the caffeine. Most energy drinks contain copious amounts of sugar, and other more dubious ingredients, in addition to caffeine. The harm lies in too much caffeine, as well as excess sodium and sugar. Energy drinks that rely on these ingredients (sometimes in addition to being carbonated) don’t quench an athlete’s thirst – instead they actually increase the rate of dehydration. Excessive levels of caffeine can lead to other physical ailments too, including nausea, irregular heartbeat, increased pain sensitivity, and seizures. The psychological effects include anxiety, overexcitement, nervousness, and agitation. Extreme amounts of caffeine can even cause death. Caffeine overdose: possible, not probable With tongue in cheek, energyfiend.com lets you calculate how many servings of any popular energy drink you would need to consume before the caffeine alone would kill you. The website says that 77 cans of Jolt Cola would give a 160-lb. person a deadly caffeine overdose. And 102 cups of brewed coffee would be lethal; 218 bottles of Lipton Iced Tea, or 321 cans of Classic Coke, would do you in as well. (In each case, the overhydration would kill you long before the caffeine.) You might be surprised to learn that Cocaine Energy Drink contains the same amount of caffeine as a Starbucks coffee: 280 milligrams. Health Canada recommends that an average adult limit caffeine intake to 400 milligrams per day. Women who are pregnant, or planning on conceiving, should limit their daily intake to 300 milligrams. The same caution applies to growing children. For the 10- to 12-year-old child, 300 milligrams daily; 7- to 9-year-olds, 63 milligrams; and 4- to 6-year-olds, 45 milligrams. Why buy? I talked to the manager of a large Orange County grocery store that carries about a dozen brands of energy drink. He said, “I see some 16-year-olds stopping by before school for drinks like Red Bull as an eye-opener. But I don’t see a lot of what I consider youth athletes buying these drinks. The ones I know are too health-conscious for that.” He’s also the father of two high school athletes. In his opinion, teen buyers are the minority: “I see more guys in their 20s, on their way to a construction job site in the morning. Maybe they’re trying to compensate for a late night of partying. And every now and then a housewife doing the family shopping will come through with 8 or 9 cans – stocking up at home, I guess.” The good news is that a growing number of teens are “over” energy drinks, I’m told by my own teen. Last year, drinks like Monster and Red Bull had a brief popularity, but now seem to be on the wane among athletes. These kids have gotten the word that not only are these highly caffeinated, they’re also carbonated, high in sugar and calories, and some just plain taste bad. It seems the new trend is to go straight to Starbucks with Mom and Dad (especially before morning games) and get caffeine in more common forms such as coffee or tea. Energy-boosting caffeine is still the goal, but instead of loading up on dubious ingredients from energy drinks associated with a party mindset, these youth athletes are drinking caffeinated beverages under adult supervision, with full parental approval. As long as the amount consumed is moderate (a single cup or less), the harm is minimal. Bear in mind, caffeinated beverages before a game should be followed by plenty of water to avoid dehydration. But my observation is that most teens and kids aren’t attracted to caffeine the way adults are. Maybe when you have that naturally high energy level that we associate with youth, you don’t really need it. Imagine this: a bottle of water before a game. David Kries is a longtime contributor. Effects of overconsumption Long-term: According to the National Institutes of Health, there is little evidence that long-term coffee or tea consumption increases the risk of hypertension. However, there is a link between long-term cola consumption and hypertension, especially in women. Short-term: Large doses of caffeine can have the following side effects: dehydration, insomnia, nausea, increased pain sensitivity, anxiety, nervousness, agitation, seizures, and irregular heartbeat. Withdrawals: Regular caffeine drinkers can experience symptoms such as headache, anxiety, fatigue and drowsiness after going without a caffeinated beverage for 24 hours. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms usually go away after 48 hours. |
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