Consumption of Sports and Energy Drinks by High School Athletes in the United States: A Pilot Study

Beverages

Sarah K. Fields¹  James MacDonald⁵  Allan M. Joseph⁴  Loren E. Wold²  Christy L. Collins⁶  R. Dawn Comstock³ 

[1] Department of Communication, University of Colorado Denver, Campus Box 176, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA;Colleges of Nursing and Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1585 Neil Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA; E-Mail:;Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E. 17th Place, Campus Box B119, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; E-Mail:;Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Box G-9999, Providence, RI 02915, USA; E-Mail:;Division of Sports Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, One Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; E-Mail:;OhioHealth Research & Innovations Institute, Riverside Methodist Hospital, 3545 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43234, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: BMI;    caffeine;    obesity;    energy drink;    sports drink;    high school;    athletes;   

DOI  :  10.3390/beverages1030218

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Sports and energy (S/E) drinks are commonly used by high school (HS) athletes, yet little is known about this population’s consumption patterns or the drinks’ side-effects. The objectives of this pilot study were to survey HS athletes about their use of S/E drinks and assess potential side-effects. One hundred American HS athletes (72 were female; 27 were male; one did not identify gender) were part of a cross-sectional internet-based survey. The mean age of the athletes was 16.0 ± 1.1 years. The athletes self-reported S/E consumption patterns, motivations for consumption, and drink side-effects. Nearly two-thirds (59.5%) of athletes surveyed were at least occasional users of sports drinks, and more than one-third (37.3%) were at least occasional users of energy drinks. Of the athletes who had ever drunk an S/E drink, 49.5% drank their first sport drink at ≤ 8 years and 41.3% consumed their first energy drink ≤ 11–12 years of age. The most common motivation for consumption of sports drinks was to rehydrate (84.1%) and of energy drinks was to gain energy (61.8%). Side effects of S/E drinks were frequently reported; 25.3% of energy drink users reporting being nervous/jittery after consumption. Thus HS athletes should be cautioned about consumption of S/E drinks until more is understood about their short- and long-term side-effects.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.