Study ties energy drink intake to unhealthy lifestyle in young individuals

A study presented at ESPGHAN 2025 reports that schoolchildren who consume energy drinks have unhealthier lifestyles and a different cardiovascular risk profile than their counterparts who do not or rarely consume energy drinks.

The investigators used data from the ‘Hand-aufs-Herz’ (Hand-on-Heart) study, an ongoing prospective study among schoolchildren in the greater Munich area in Bavaria, Germany. Comprehensive data on anthropometry, clinical parameters, physical activity, and nutrition are collected to evaluate early risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

In the preliminary analysis, data from 834 schoolchildren (mean age 13.5 years) were examined to evaluate the cardiovascular risk profiles and lifestyles of young energy drinkers.

Nearly 60 percent of energy drink consumers were boys. Children who consumed energy drinks were older (14.3 vs 12.3 years; p<0.001) and had a higher mean BMI (20.4 vs 18.5 kg/m²; p<0.001) than those who did not. [ESPGHAN 2025, abstract RF093]

More children who consumed energy drinks had poor nutrition (39.2 percent vs 27.2 percent; p=0.002), unhealthy lifestyle (25.8 percent vs 11.5 percent; p<0.001), and sleep durations that fell below the recommended duration (55.1 percent vs 34.6 percent; p<0.001).

Over half (53.1 percent) of those who consumed energy drinks several times a week were part of a sports club. Among non-energy drinkers, only a quarter (26.5 percent) had sports club memberships.

More energy drink consumers were engaged in other addictive practices, such as smoking (20.3 percent vs 0.7 percent; p<0.001), vaping (35.8 percent vs 2.3 percent; p<0.001), shisha use (15.9 percent vs 1 percent; p<0.001), and alcohol consumption (57.8 percent vs 12.5 percent; p<0.001) as opposed to those who did not.

The cons outweigh the pros

Thanks to aggressive marketing, as well as their enticing taste and stimulating effects, energy drinks have become immensely popular among children and adolescents. According to data from the NOMISMA-ARETÉ Consortium for the European Food Safety Authority, energy drink intake is highest among adolescents (68 percent); in children, the corresponding rate was 18 percent. [EFSA Support Publ 2013;10:394E]

The high uptake in this demographic may have been driven by advertisements touting these drinks as energy boosters that stimulate alertness and mental activity and boost athletic performance. [Nutrients 2023;15:2537]

Despite their increasing popularity, a growing body of evidence points to the range of detrimental health effects tied to energy drink consumption, including cardiovascular complications and sleep disturbances, as well as increased risk of substance use and other behavioural issues, noted the group of researchers from the Division of Paediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital, LMU Munich in Germany, in their poster presented at ESPGHAN 2025.

Excessive consumption could lead to serious cardiovascular and nervous system disorders, potential for addiction, and even death. [Nutrients 2023;15:3922; JAMA 2013; 309:243-244]

The mainstay in energy drinks is caffeine, usually in high and unregulated amounts. In 2007, 5,448 caffeine overdoses were reported in the US, and of these, 46 percent occurred among those aged <19 years. [Pediatrics 2011;127:511-528]

“[The study demonstrates that] frequent consumption of energy drinks is associated with an unhealthier lifestyle and an overall increased cardiovascular risk,” said the researchers.

Along with existing evidence, the findings demonstrate that the adverse effects of energy drinks outweigh the reported benefits on physical and mental performance. [Int J Health Sci (Qassim) 2015;9:468-474; Amino Acids 2001;21:139-150]

“Consumption recommendations should be issued to minimize the negative effects of these popular beverages,” the researchers added. They also called for further studies to support the results.