Kids and Energy Drinks Air Date:  September 4, 2006

When it comes to hydrating our children, there are a variety of beverages to choose from but there's one particular category of drinks that's causing a buzz: energy drinks.

Adults are not the only ones who are drinking energy drinks, they're becoming increasingly popular with high-school students who are looking for that extra boost. 14-year-old Kayla Jennings says "They taste really good. My mom really doesn't like to buy them for me."

Cardiologist David Bailey explains that while some energy drinks are clearly labeled that they're not appropriate for children, others seem to clearly market those kids. In fact, who wouldn't want to be a rock star? And for that matter who wouldn't want to party like a rock star? "And you can become, unfortunately, physically dependant upon those drinks to the point where you think, well, if I don't have it, what do I feel?

Dr. Bailey says that many of these carbonated energy drinks also contain additional ingredients whose safety has never been tested in children. "By themselves they are not dangerous, but if you have other medical problems some people will feel very irritable, some people, especially with heart issues, may feel the heart racing."

Dr. Bailey also says that most energy drinks deliver a stiff dose of sugar and caffeine - sometimes as much caffeine as in 1 to 3 cups of coffee. "There are issues with energy drinks, the sugar content is really what people look at, but they need to be aware of how much caffeine is also in them."

The bottom line is energy drinks offer no real health or performance benefit for kids. And if they're participating in sports and want something more than just water, sports drinks are a better option.

Sports drinks are a better choice when doing activities because many of them offer essential electrolytes that the body needs like sodium and potassium.