Energy Drinks
These drinks promise a burst of energy with “nutritional value,” but athletes are consuming large quantities of these caffeine-loaded drinks to boost athletic performance or lose weight. Athletes who consume too many energy drinks could suffer from caffeine intoxication, dehydration, tremors, heatstroke or heart attacks and even death. Paying attention to an athlete’s diet is extremely important as these drinks are being used as substitutes for meals such as breakfast. Athletes often don’t know the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks (such as Gatorade), so they consume the drinks interchangeably. This is a huge health concern. Energy drinks are often advertised as having the ability to increase endurance, reaction-time and concentration, but may contain over 240 mg of caffeine. Consumption of this high an amount of caffeine can result in nervousness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting and rapid heart rate resulting in visits to the hospital due to lack of tolerance in adolescents. Provided to you by USSA Sport Science and Medical.
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