Energy drinks are everywhere, like gyms and high school cafeterias. They’re marketed hard, usually with athletes and influencers, like they’re basically required if you want to perform. I’ve been reading about it recently and the picture isn’t great.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics says energy drinks aren’t appropriate for kids and teens at all. The guideline is that people ages 12 to 18 should stay under 100 mg of caffeine a day. A single energy drink often packs 100 to 200 mg or more in one serving. And about 1/3 of teens drink them regularly.
The risks aren’t just “you’ll be a little jittery.” We’re talking raised heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, bad sleep, and irregular heart rhythms. The CDC found energy drinks were tied to more than 1,400 emergency room visits among teens in one year.
People slam these drinks to lock in at the gym, but you’re basically revving an engine that is in neutral. You get a spike, your heart works overtime, and then you crash, and the caffeine messes with the sleep that you actually need to recover and get stronger. As somebody who cares about getting stronger, this trend makes no sense.
