Energy drinks and caffeine levels
Adolescents under 14 are not advised to consume caffeine. For teenagers aged 14-17, intake should be 100mg of caffeine or below.
Energy drinks have become a popular beverage of choice among children and young adults. While they are often consumed to increase alertness and a perceived ‘boost of energy’, energy drinks can have a range of different ingredients and high levels of caffeine.
The main ingredients in energy drinks
- Caffeine: a naturally occurring central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that helps reduce drowsiness.
- Taurine: naturally occurring in the body and foods containing protein. It is used for energy production in the body
- Ginseng: a traditional root plant that may help cognition and anti-inflammation
- Sugar: the most basic form of simple carbohydrates. Some energy drinks have very high levels of sugar content.
The biggest concern for children and young adults’ energy drink consumption surrounds the level of sugar and caffeine within products. Some products contain up to 20 teaspoons of sugar and up to 300mg of caffeine. As teenagers have relatively smaller body weight than adults, the effects of caffeine become heightened, including feeling jittery, nervous, irritable or anxious.
Caffeine is designed to keep people awake by inhibiting the chemical process to make us tired. As teenagers need a higher level of good quality sleep, the impact of caffeine (especially in the afternoon) can create more negative health effects with being overtired or drowsy in the coming days. Caffeine in adolescents is then seen as a solution to a problem it may have helped create.
Approximately 15% of Australian adolescents are regular coffee drinkers and 8% consume energy drinks weekly