The American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Nutrition and Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness published their “Clinical Report –
Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?”
In today’s blog I am going to merely quote summary statements from that report. The full text is available free on line and I encourage you to use the reference at the end to access, print and read the full text. The details and references are stunning.
“Sports drinks and energy drinks are significantly different products, and the terms should not be used interchangeably.”
“Rigorous review and analysis of the literature reveal that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents. Furthermore, frequent or excessive intake of caloric sports drinks can substantially increase the risk for overweight or obesity in children and adolescents.”
“With children and adolescents, careful consideration is necessary when selecting a beverage to hydrate before, during, or after exercise and outside of physical activity to prevent excessive sugar and caloric intake that may encourage dental erosion, overweight, and obesity.”
“Children and adolescents should be taught to drink water routinely as an initial beverage of choice as long as daily dietary caloric and other nutrient (e.g., calcium, vitamins) needs are being met. Water is also generally the appropriate first choice for hydration before, during, and after most exercise regimens. Children should have free access to water, particularly during school hours.”
“Sports and energy drinks are not indicated for use during meals or snacks as a replacement for low-fat milk or water.”
“The actual caffeine content for many energy drinks is not easily identified on product packaging or via the Internet. The total amount of caffeine contained in some cans or bottles of energy drinks can exceed 500 mg (equivalent to 14 cans of common caffeinated soft drinks) and is clearly high enough to result in caffeine toxicity. …
Additional concerns regarding the use of caffeine in children include its effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems and the risk of physical dependence and addiction. Because of the potentially harmful adverse effects and developmental effects of caffeine, dietary intake should be discouraged for all children.”
“For most children and adolescents, daily electrolyte requirements are met sufficiently by a healthy balanced diet; therefore, sports drinks offer little to no advantage over plain water. During or after participation in short training or competition sessions, athletes generally do not need supplemental electrolyte replacement.”
“Low-fat milk is a good option for use as a post-exercise protein-recovery drink.”
“In general, the use of amino acids in energy drinks in place of traditional dietary sources is not supported by the scientific literature and, therefore, is discouraged for children and adolescents.”
“Given the current epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity, we recommend the elimination of calorie containing beverages from a well-balanced diet, with the exception of low-fat or fat-free milk, because it contains calcium and vitamin D, which are particularly important for young people.”
Want to learn more, check out this link to read the full report:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2011/05/25/peds.2011-0965
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