Introduction
Food shopping for one’s children can be a stressful experience. This can be especially true when it comes to purchasing drinks. With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which products are healthy and safe. Multi-million-dollar advertising campaigns promote these products to teens and adolescents as healthy. However, do these drinks truly provide the benefits that they claim to offer? Or could they be causing more harm than good? Let’s find out!
Sports Drinks
Below are some of the general characteristics of standard sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade:
- Contain added sugars for rapid energy (~34g per 20oz bottle) (1).
- Contain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium to replenish those lost in sweat.
On the surface, these drinks may seem like an ideal choice for student athletes. Yet, there remain some concerns surrounding the overuse of these drinks. Higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been associated with negative health outcomes, including:
- Heart disease (2).
- High blood pressure (3).
- Dental caries (i.e. cavities) (4).
The American Heart Association recommends children and adolescents 2 to 18-years old do not consume more than 25g of added sugars each day (5).
The electrolytes contained within these drinks may not be necessary for young athletes. Children have been shown to sweat less than adults, as their bodies dissipate heat in other ways (6,7). As such, they do not need to replenish as many electrolytes during activity. Sipping water throughout exercise is generally enough to maintain proper hydration. For prolonged exercise during high heat or humidity, a sports drink can be a suitable option (8).
Sports Drink Alternatives
Sports drink alternatives such as PRIME Hydration are becoming more prevalent as well. These drinks tote high doses of vitamins while not containing added sugars. However, more vitamins are not always better. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for several vitamins and minerals. Consuming a nutrient in excess of these limits can be harmful to one’s health.
| Upper Limits for Supplemental Vitamin A Consumption by Age (9) | |
| Age Range | Upper Limit (mcg) |
| Birth – 3 years | 600 |
| Children 4 – 8 years | 900 |
| Children 9 – 13 years | 1,700 |
| Teens 14 – 18 years | 2,800 |
One bottle of PRIME Hydration contains 900 mcg of vitamin A. As such, this product is not well suited for young children. This is especially true for children consuming other forms of vitamin supplements. For more information on vitamin A, click here.
PRIME Hydration may also have dangerous levels of PFAS in some of their products. These are chemicals which may contaminate food during the manufacturing process (10). According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), high exposure to PFAS may contribute to (10):
- Developmental delays and hormonal disruptions
- Increased cancer risk
- Impaired immune function
An ongoing class-action lawsuit against PRIME alleges that some products may contain “approximately three times the recommended lifetime health advisory [of PFAS] for drinking water” (11). If the allegations are true, this product may pose health risks to children and adults alike.
How to Fuel for Activity
There are superior options to sports drinks for fueling before exercise. Snacks providing a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats contribute to sustained energy. Examples of pre-activity snacks can include:
- Whole wheat crackers or bread with peanut butter
- A piece of fruit with a glass of low-fat milk
- Low-fat yogurt with granola and berries
Teen Drink Usage & Marketing
In 2021, >50% of high school students reported consuming a sports drink in the previous week (12). This indicates that the consumption of these drinks is widespread. Many brands heavily employ social media marketing to target teens and adolescents. Brands like PRIME are promoted by famous influencers such as Logan Paul and KSI. With a combined following of over 40 million on Instagram alone, they reach a very wide audience.
While influencers can be entertaining, they are often not experts in nutrition. Dietitians are credentialed in the field and have mandatory continuing education. As such, they are a more reliable resource for evidence-based nutrition information. To find a dietitian in your area, click here.
Additional Resources
1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Find a Nutrition Expert
3. 8 Gameday Nutrition Tips for Young Athletes
References
1. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: USDA Global Branded Food Products Database. Version Current: April 2023. Internet: fdc.nal.usda.gov.
2. Yang B, Glenn AJ, Liu Q, et al. Added Sugar, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings from the Women’s Health Initiative and a Network Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies. Nutrients. 2022;14(20):4226. doi:10.3390/nu14204226
3. Farhangi MA, Nikniaz L, Khodarahmi M. Sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of hypertension among children and adolescence: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. J Transl Med. 2020;18(1):344. doi:10.1186/s12967-020-02511-9
4. Bleich SN, Vercammen KA. The negative impact of sugar-sweetened beverages on children’s health: an update of the literature. BMC Obes. 2018;5:6. doi:10.1186/s40608-017-0178-9
5. Vos MB, Kaar JL, Welsh JA, et al. Added Sugars and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017;135(19):e1017-e1034. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000439
6. Falk B, Dotan R. Children’s thermoregulation during exercise in the heat: a revisit. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008;33(2):420-427. doi:10.1139/H07-185
7. Meyer F, Bar-Or O. Fluid and Electrolyte Loss During Exercise. Sports Med. 1994;18(1):4-9. doi:10.2165/00007256-199418010-00002
8. Burke L, Deakin V, Minehan M. Clinical Sports Nutrition. 6th ed. McGraw Hill; 2021.
9. Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin A and Carotenoids. Accessed April 14, 2024. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-Consumer/
10. US EPA O. Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS. Published October 14, 2021. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas
11. Complaint – #1 in Castillo v. Prime Hydration LLC (N.D. Cal., 3:23-cv-03885) – CourtListener.com. CourtListener. Accessed April 23, 2024. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67660656/1/castillo-v-prime-hydration-llc/
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1991-2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at http://yrbs-explorer.services.cdc.gov/. Accessed on 15 February 2024.
About the author: Jake Pottle recently completed his M.S. in Nutritional Sciences at the University of New Hampshire. He also completed his dietetic internship through UNH, working in acute care, community, and food service settings. He has been a research assistant in a nutrition epidemiology lab since 2021. His projects have ranged from the estimation of polyphenol consumption in the US to surveying and reporting seafood availability throughout New Hampshire.
