More on energy and sports drinks

There's a new message today for teens and their parents regarding what they imbibe: Just say no to energy drinks, and yes to sports drinks only when necessary after intense workouts.

The source of the assertion is a widely covered study published this morning by the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition and its Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness in the journal Pediatrics.

"Sports drinks contain extra calories that children don't need," says the study's co-author, Holly J. Benjamin.

In a story whose headline puts a positive spin on the findings for another thirst quencher of note -- "Kids Urged To Give Water A Sporting Chance" -- Australia's ABC Science points out that the study makes a distinction between sports and energy drinks. (Low-fat or fat-free milk, which contains calcium and vitamin D, is also acceptable.)

Dr. Marci Schneider, a member of the AAP nutrition committee and lead author of the report, says that energy drinks should never be consumed by this age group because of the potential health risks, Branwen Morgan writes, while sports drinks have a role when athletes need more than just water to replenish their fluids.

"[Sports drinks] are flavored waters that, in most cases, contain carbohydrates and, certainly, for our country where obesity is such an issue, why promote something that has calories that the majority of kids don't need?" says Schneider. "The other big problem is that these drinks are acidic and cause dental erosion."

"Sports drinks have a long history of scientific research showing their benefits for hydration," Maureen Storey, svp of science policy for the ABA, emails Bloomberg's Wittenstein. "As with all food and beverages, they should be consumed in moderation." Energy drinks "are not intended for young consumers," Storey adds. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola declined comment. (CoachA comment: "Hmmm, interesting.")

Full story HERE