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Most schoolchildren consume sports drinks unnecessarily
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Recent research in the British Dental Journal found that the majority of children unnecessarily consumed sports drinks with more than half consuming the beverages regularly.
“Sports drinks have become more popular over recent years with the younger generation,” Maria. Z. Morgan, BSc (Hons), MPH, senior lecturer in dental public health at Cardiff University, School of Dentistry, and colleagues wrote. “The aim of this study was to investigate the use of and knowledge surrounding sports drinks by … schoolchildren in South Wales, U.K.”
The researchers studied a cohort of 160 children, aged 12 to 14 years, from four schools. Study participants were given a survey with questions on where they purchased sports drinks, how often they consumed them and why they consumed the beverages.
Study results showed that 89.4% of the respondents reported drinking sports drinks, while 48.3% reported drinking them more than once a week. Fourteen percent of the cohort said they drank one or more sports drinks daily, and 68% reported consumption one to seven times weekly.
“The purpose of sports drinks is being misunderstood, and this study clearly shows evidence of high school age children being attracted to these high sugar and low pH level drinks, leading to an increased risk of dental cavities, enamel erosion and obesity,” Morgan said in a press release.
The investigators wrote that the leading reason for sports drink consumption was “nice taste,” with 90.2% of study participants reporting this as their motivation. In addition, boys reported drinking sports drinks more during physical activity, while girls reported drinking them more during social situations. Most of the respondents reported buying sports drinks at local shops (80.4%) or supermarkets (54.5%).
“The fact that sports drinks are so popular with children because of their sweet taste as opposed to reasons associated with sport (which are tenuous) should add weight to the case for an excise duty on sweetened beverages incorporating sports drinks,” Morgan and colleagues wrote. “Dental health professionals should be aware of the popularity of sports drinks with children when giving health education advice or designing health promotion initiatives.” – by David Costill
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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