In recent years, the popularity of sports energy drinks has risen immensely. The appeal of these drinks is the guaranteed energy that so many high schoolers need and crave for their day-to-day activity. Some use these drinks for energy before an athletic event or practice, or even in the middle of the day just for some quick energy. A plethora of energy drinks are on the market and easily accessed by teens. One of these fitness drinks, however, stands out among the others, but not necessarily in a positive way.
Celsius is a sports drink that gained popularity a few years ago but was released in 2009. Celsius Energy Drink is marketed as a fitness energy drink that claims to burn calories and accelerate metabolism. The packaging of the drink is colorful and vibrant, making it enticing to a younger demographic.
Although nothing about that seems harmful, as the drink has become increasingly popular, concerns have arisen regarding the ingredients and safety of the drink itself. It was found that Celcius contains illegal performance stimulants, such as ginseng, guarana, L-carnitine, and taurine, causing the drink to be banned in the NCAA and the Olympics.
The primary ingredients in Celsius are synthetic caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and various stimulants. The artificial sweetener sucralose has been connected to many health concerns including the disruption of gut bacteria and having negative effects on your blood sugar according to health experts and dieticians.
Even though safety measures have been taken for the drink in the NCAA and Olympics, the consumption of Celsius has hardly slowed among the high school crowd. Although high school students have become consumers of the drink, the Celsius website actually claims that Celsius is not recommended to children under the age of 18.
“I drink Celsius probably three to four times a week. I drink them because I am always exhausted and I need the caffeine for sports,” Lilly Adloff ‘25 said.
Due to the fact that teenagers are more sensitive to the drug than adults are, it is better to limit the amount of caffeine consumed in one day. The concern with the drink is that the excessive consumption of caffeine can elevate your heart rate and blood pressure, and lead to anxiety and insomnia. In response to these concerts, educators and health experts are calling for increased awareness and education regarding the potential dangers of energy drinks like Celsius
“When I’ve had too much caffeine, I start feeling really weird and it affects the way I focus and concentrate on things. I’ve been trying to reduce my reliance on the drink because I know that it is not the best for you,” Adloff said.
The potential health risks in the stages of physical and mental development call for the need to exercise caution when it comes to the consumption of high-energy drinks such as Celsius.
