Best Energy Drinks For Teenagers (Revealed)
Most teenagers are into energy drinks, with over 80% of them drinking energy drinks and caffeinated beverages regularly.
There’re several reasons why teenagers are interested in energy drinks.
Teenagers consume caffeine to boost their energy and improve their concentration. Teenagers are more into video games and sports, so drinking energy drinks is a great way to enhance their performance and increase their alertness.
Along with this are many teenagers who are unaware of the risks of consuming an energy drink.
They mainly consume an energy drink to increase their energy without knowing the possible damage that can be done by excessive consumption of an energy drink.
In this article, I’ll tell you the options of energy drinks that teenagers can drink.
Let’s begin.
Ingredients In Energy Drinks
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Caffeine
Caffeine is the most important ingredient of an energy drink.
Caffeine is the main ingredient that gives you a boost of energy and enhances your performance.
Every energy drink brand has different caffeine content. Some energy drinks contain a high amount of caffeine, and some energy drinks contain a moderate amount of caffeine.
You should choose an energy drink according to your caffeine tolerance level.
Apart from increasing your energy, caffeine has the following benefits:
- Boost energy
- Enhance physical and mental performance
- Increase alertness
- Improve memory
- Improve reaction time
- Lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
According to the FDA, an adult can have up to 400mg of caffeine daily. It’s essential to consume caffeine according to FDA’s recommendation since consuming caffeine more than that can lead to the following adverse effects:
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- High blood pressure
- Rapid heart rate
- Addiction
- Dehydration
- Insomnia
Here’s a video you can watch to learn more about the side effects of caffeine:
Sugar
Sugar is another main ingredient of an energy drink. Though the sugar content of an energy drink varies depending on the brand, you go for, most energy drink brands do contain some sugar.
According to AHA recommendation, a woman shouldn’t consume more than 24g of sugar in a day. And a man shouldn’t consume more than 36g of sugar in a day. Consuming an excessive amount of sugar can lead to the following health issues:
- Diabetes
- High risk of cancer
- High risk of heart disease
- Tooth decay
- Acne
- Low energy
- Depression
Taurine
Taurine is the most common ingredient used in energy drinks. Taurine is an amino acid that’s naturally produced by your body.
Taurine offers the following health benefits:
- Improves metabolism
- Improved athletic performance
- Benefit ears and eyes
- Protects your heart
- Improved brain function
Can Teenagers Drink Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks aren’t healthy for teens since it contains caffeine. However, more teenagers still are consuming them because of their energy-boosting effects and because they can enhance your performance and increase alertness.
Energy drinks are consumed by large numbers of teenagers, especially teenagers who are into sports and video games.
Moreover, teenagers also consume energy drinks before their exams when pulling off an all-nighter. Since energy drinks have caffeine, they can increase their focus and attention, which can help them concentrate better on their task.
Are Teenagers Sensitive To Energy Drinks?
Teenagers are more sensitive to caffeine compared to adults.
A teenager’s body mass is smaller than adults’, which is why a teenager’s body is more sensitive to energy drinks, and generally, most teenagers are caffeine naive compared to adults.
A new study shows energy drinks immediately affect heart rate and blood pressure.
It instantly increases your heart rate and blood pressure, which can be an issue for teenagers. Although an adult can handle this, it can be fatal for a teenager.
Do Energy Drinks Have An Age Limit?
Energy drinks don’t have any age limit or restriction.
Moreover, energy drinks can be sold to teenagers who are above 16. And even if you’re below 16, you can still buy an energy drink without showing any ID.
It’s not illegal to sell energy drinks, and there’s no restriction on how much caffeine one can purchase in one transaction. Everyone can purchase an energy drink without any problem.
However, it’s safe to say that even if energy drinks have no age limit, there should still be a healthy boundary for when you should consume them.
Effects Of Energy Drinks On Teens
Energy drinks can have several effects on teens.
Since teens are more sensitive to caffeine, energy drinks might be more harmful.
This research shows teens between 13 to 19 years experience the following negative effects after drinking energy drinks:
- Insomnia
- Nervousness
- Jitters
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain
- Headache
- Nausea
Consuming a high amount of energy drinks can disturb your sleeping patterns and cause insomnia. It’s best to drink energy drinks in moderate amounts to avoid any adverse effects.
Best Energy Drinks For Teenagers
Teenagers should always go for energy drinks with low caffeine content. Here’re some energy drinks with less amount of caffeine.
Here’s a quick table for reference:
| Brands | Caffeine | Sugar | Calories |
| Game Fuel Zero Sugar | 90mg | 23g | 90 |
| Red Bull Total Zero | 80mg | 0g | 0 |
| Red Bull Sugar-Free | 80mg | 0g | 5 |
| Aspire | 80mg | 0g | 0 |
| Bang Caffeine Free | 0mg | 0g | 0 |
| XS Energy | 80mg | 0g | 10 |
| Emerge Sugar-Free | 75mg | 0g | 2 |
Game Fuel Zero Sugar
Game Fuel contains 90mg of caffeine and 23g of sugar. It has 90 calories in a single 16 fl. oz can.
Game Fuel provides you with a boost of energy and enhances your performance. It has some beneficial ingredients, such as L-Theanine, which improves your concentration.
It also has Yerba Mate, Panax Ginseng, Gum Arabic, and Vitamin A. All of these ingredients are combined to improve your performance.
Game Fuel is famous for its amazing taste and comes at a reasonable price.
Consuming Game Fuel every day is okay since it has a very moderate amount of caffeine. However, you do have to keep an eye on your sugar intake when drinking Game Fuel since it has high sugar content.
Red Bull Total Zero
Red Bull Total Zero is the classic Red Bull. The only difference is that Red Bull Total Zero has no added sugar and zero calories.
A single 8.4 fl. oz can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine. Red Bull Total Zero is a low caffeine energy drink that is fine for teenagers.
The caffeine content of Red Bull Total Zero is way too low than the recommended intake of caffeine so drinking a single can of it isn’t harmful.
Apart from that, it has vitamins and amino acids, which improve your overall health. Vitamins can improve the functions of your body, while amino acids can boost your focus and increase your stamina.
Red Bull Sugar Free
Red Bull sugar-free comes in the classic flavor of Red Bull. But it’s a sugar-free energy drink which means it doesn’t contain any added sugar.
Red Bull sugar-free has only 5 calories in an 8.4 fl. oz can. Apart from that, Red Bull sugar-free has taurine, B vitamins, and Alpine Water which is great for your health.
Red Bull sugar-free has 80mg of caffeine in a single serving. It has just the right amount of caffeine for a teenager, and it’s also less than the recommended intake of caffeine and will provide a good boost of energy as well.
Aspire Energy
Aspire energy is a sugar-free energy drink with 80mg of caffeine.
Aspire energy is a zero-calorie energy drink. If you’re trying to lose weight and take a restricted number of calories in a day, then Aspire energy is suitable for you since it won’t increase your daily calorie intake.
Moreover, it has a reasonable amount of caffeine, which is enough to improve your performance and enhance your brain functions.
These energy drinks are great if you want to boost your energy without affecting your sugar and calorie intake.
Bang Caffeine Free
Bang Caffeine Free is a zero-calorie energy drink. It’s a sugar-free energy drink with zero amount of caffeine.
Caffeine-free Bang energy has all the important ingredients present in an energy drink, and the only difference is that it doesn’t contain any caffeine.
It’s an ideal drink for teenagers since it doesn’t contain any caffeine. Drinking a can of Bang caffeine-free boosts your energy since it contains amino acids. But you won’t have to worry about any side effects caused by caffeine.
XS Energy
An 8.4 fl. oz can of Xs Energy has zero sugar, 80mg of caffeine, and 10 calories per serve.
XS energy is designed for people who want a healthy and active lifestyle. It contains premium ingredients, herbs, and B vitamins.
XS energy comes in natural flavors, which are great for your health. It doesn’t contain any artificial flavors. Also, some of the flavors don’t contain caffeine which makes them suitable for teenagers.
Emerge Sugar Free
Emerge is a famous energy drink brand in the United Kingdom. It’s a carbonated drink that comes in fruity flavors. It has amino acids and vitamins, which are beneficial for your health.
Emergy is a low-calorie energy drink with only 2 calories per serving. Also, it has only 75mg of caffeine which is a decent amount of caffeine.
Since Emerge has low caffeine content and low-calorie content, it’s pretty suitable for teenagers.
Other Energy Drinks You Can Try
Here’s a list of energy drinks you can try when you think these are still not suitable for you:
Final Thoughts
Teenagers are more at risk of health damage to caffeine compared to adults. There’s a high chance that caffeine consumption can affect a teen more negatively and there are high chances of developing caffeine addiction.
If you’re a teen, you should be aware of the potential damage that can be caused by energy drinks. Also, some energy drinks contain a high amount of sugar and caffeine which can be really dangerous for you and can lead to some serious health issues.
It’s best for teenagers to stay away from caffeine and energy drinks as much as possible. But still, if they want to drink an energy drink, then they should go for energy drinks with low caffeine content since it will be less harmful to them.
Moreover, they should know their caffeine tolerance and should be aware of the pros and cons of an energy drink before consuming it.
