Teen Health Issues|Just another WordPress weblog

What are energy drinks?

Energy drinks are drinks designed to increase stamina and improve physical performance. Some energy drinks are designed especially for athletes, but most are produced and marketed for the general public.
Why are they hugely popular with kids?

• The proponents of energy drinks claim that these drinks increase physical stamina, boost mental alertness and concentration, increase overall well-being, stimulate metabolism and help eliminate waste from the body.
• The drinks are marketed as healthy, fun and youthful, and many children, young people are taken in by the excitement and hype created around them. However, evidence shows that it may be wise to be cautious in the consumption of energy drinks.

What do these drinks contain?

Energy drinks usually contain ingredients such as:

• Caffeine: A typical energy drink provides about 80mg of caffeine per can which is about the same as the amount of caffeine provided by a cup of instant coffee.
• Guarana: Guarana is a caffeine-containing extract from a South American plant.
• Sugar: The amount of sugar in energy drinks is usually much higher (10-12%) compared to sports drinks (6-8%). Too much sugar can lead to dental problems and obesity, slow the body’s absorption of water, which makes these drinks unsuitable for kids.
• Tuarine: This is a source of protein.

What are the health effects of energy drinks?

• Caffeine, taurine (a source of protein) occur naturally in the body, but the fact that they are present in much higher doses in energy drinks may be a cause for concern.
• Doctors say that caffeine can have an effect on the growing brain of a kid and may cause a decline in the body’s immune system.
• Parents, guardians must be aware that young children could have disturbed sleeping patterns, increased heart rate, suffer from bed-wetting, dehydration and show symptoms of anxiety after consuming the caffeine in just one can of energy drink.
• Some kids are sensitive to caffeine, showing symptoms of caffeine sensitivity (epilepsy seizures, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal upsets).

Do children need energy drinks at all?

Certainly not, if they mostly follow a sedentary lifestyle.

• Energy drinks contain high calories which add up significantly if children are drinking a lot of this stuff. Those kids who need extra calories, 100 percent fresh fruit juice is a much better option.
• In addition, children don’t really need the extra sodium these beverages provide.
• Some energy drinks are said to include natural vitamins and minerals, but these can be easily obtained from natural foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables.

Can energy drinks be used as a satisfactory meal replacement for kids?

No, not at any point of time. Remember, they are ‘drinks’, not meals.

Although high-caffeine energy drinks do provide some energy (in the form of sugar) and vitamins (some brands), this does not mean that they can substitute a balanced meal. They contain very little protein or minerals, and no dietary fibre.

A performance-enhancing substance is any substance taken in non-pharmacological doses specially for the purpose of improving sports performance.

They are consumed to promote athletic performance, ward off physical fatigue, increase mental alertness and also enhance physical appearance. They’re also taken to increase muscle mass and energy. These substances include dietary supplements, prescription medications, and illicit drugs.

Some common performance enhancing substances are anabolic steroids, creatine, ephedra.
Some shocking facts about performance enhancing substances:

• Young kids/teens are taking to these substances at an increasingly younger age, say at the age of 15.
• Most kids are not aware of a single potential side effect of these drugs.
• Most parents do not educate their children about the negative effects and potential complications which may arise due to their consumption, infact they themselves are not quite aware of them.

Why do kids take to these substances?

• Adolescence is a time when kids/teens are coping with the changes due to puberty, defining their sexual identity, releasing themselves from their families, and finding a peer group with which they identify themselves. This is the stage when it’s difficult to make them understand the dangers to their health from these substances.
• Adolescents are also intensely preoccupied with body image, enhancing size, strength, stamina, or body build can be strong motivators.
• The child athlete wants to win at all costs, legitimate or otherwise, and does not follow the values of fairness.
• Kids may just become curious and take performance-enhancing drugs to see what will happen, even though they are good performers.
• They also take them because of peer pressure, who lure them under the pretext of feelings of invincibility, pleasure and euphoria.

What are the potential side-effects?

Some of the physical side effects of performance-enhancing substances include:

• High blood pressure,
• Heart disease, stroke,
• Kidney and liver damage,
• Reduction in normal testosterone production in males,
• Irregular menstrual cycle in girls and stunted growth.

Emotional side effects include:

• Overly-aggressive behaviour, being short – tempered,
• Volatile mood swings that can lead to violence,
• Impaired and slow learning ability,
• Weakening of short-term memory.

What can you as a parent do to help your kid?

• Make your kid aware that short-term gains can lead to long-term problems.
• Teach your child that a well-balanced diet and rigorous training are the true keys to athletic performance, and not the use of such substances. It actually amounts to cheating.
• Keep a check on the over-the-counter, internet purchases your kid makes. See what the ingredients are.
• Schools, parents, coaches should be proactive in discouraging the use of performance-enhancing substances, incorporating this message into their policy.

Scare tactics do not work with teens. They are they proponents of “I don’t care” school of thought. Our goal should be to make them realize that success is not just winning, but winning it in a fair way.

Strength training is the practice of using free weights and weight machines to build muscles stronger and more efficient.

Introduce your kid to a variety of exercises and resistance. Kids love to learn new things, so working with resistance tubing in addition to the traditional free weights and machines is a great idea.

Is strength training beneficial for a kid?

Yes. Strength training exercises that are supervised, safe and age – designed offer many benefits to young athletes.

What are the benefits?

• Increases your kid’s muscle strength
• Protects your child’s muscles and joints from injury
• Better functioning of body parts
• Stronger bones
• Lower blood cholesterol levels
• A good fitness regime that lasts a lifetime
• Self confidence along with mental discipline gets boosted

Who benefits most?

Strength training benefits older pre-teens more than younger kids. It also helps those kids who have a focused interest in a particular sport eg football, gymnastics, athletes.

Important thumb rules of strength training for kids:

• To be done under guided instruction
• Supervise – to reinforce safety and proper technique/form.
• Warm up; cool down.
• Lift light weights supplemented with controlled repetitions
• Rest between workouts is necessary- give a gap of one day in between
• Add weight slowly and not at one go
• Make it a fun activity by adding variety.

When can a kid start with strength training:

Kids as young 6 years old can usually do strength-training activities (such as push-ups and sit-ups) as long as they can perform the exercises safely and follow instructions. These exercises can help build co-ordination and control of their bodies.

The initial focus should be on developing good form and learning the basics of strength training.

As they gradually get stronger, they can increase the amount of resistance they use, step by step, but only trained supervision.

Some misconceptions about strength training:

• Strength training may stunt the physical growth of kids.
• They should not lift weights until they are 12 years old.

However, there is no evidence to support these statements. About the question of age, children can begin to train with weights as soon as they are able to understand and follow directions – usually around the age of six to seven.

What are the risks involved?

• Muscle strains are the most common form of injury, and the lower back is the most commonly injured area. But these injuries occur if the kid has not used the proper technique or is trying to lift too much weight.
• Kids undergoing strength training should not use any kind of steroids to build muscles and improve performance. These drugs can cause severe risks to physical and psychological health.

Remember that the goal when exercising with children and introducing them to strength training is simple: Make it safe, have fun and help kids learn to love and understand the benefits of physical activity.

Even mild dehydration can affect a person’s athletic performance and make him lethargic and irritable. As dehydration worsens, it increases the risk of other heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Teens who are out playing football, cricket and other sports are at risk of dehydration and other heat-related illnesses.

A person may be all the more vulnerable to dehydration if he:

• Does not exercise
• Is overweight
• Has had a previous heat-related illness
• Consumes caffeinated beverages or takes medications that cause dehydration, such as antihistamines and diuretics

Many players/teens do not deal adequately with dehydration, and in fact never fully rehydrate after training or a game. This leads to them taking part in further sports sessions already in a dehydrated state exposing themselves to a greater risk of injury.

How to prevent dehydration while participating in sports:

Climatize gradually to the heat:

Most heat-related problems occur in the initial days of practice. Coaches should gradually increase the amount of activity. New athletes may need up to 14 days to safely acclimatize to the heat.

If you’re participating in sport activities, drink some fluids before the activity begins. You should also drink at regular intervals (every 20 minutes or so) during the course of the activity even if you are not thirsty, and after the activity finishes.

Mostly, teens need about twice as much fluid as they usually drink when they’re playing sports or exercising. But if you’re busy playing, do not forget to stop and take a drink, or rest and cool down for a while.

Make sure you wear proper clothing:

Lightweight, light-coloured clothing is best. Ventilated shorts and tees let heat dissipate. For sports that use heavy equipment, begin practicing in lighter clothes to acclimatize your body and then shift to heavy gear.

Do not play outdoors if it is dangerously hot or humid.

For each kg of weight lost through sweat, replace with 1.5 litres of fluids. Along with water, electrolytes are also lost through sweat. Sports drinks contain both carbohydrates and electrolytes. Ensure that your sports drink has a carbohydrate level of 6 – 8%.

To help reduce the muscular damage caused by sports, it is necessary to consume a source of protein along with your sports drink. Some sports drinks do contain protein, but if yours does not, consume some light protein rich food after your sport is over.

Sports, protein supplements and dehydration:

Many a times, teens involved in sports consume a variety of protein supplements which is also a main cause of dehydration. That is because excess amino acids from protein supplements, which cannot be incorporated as new proteins are converted either into energy or fat. During the conversion process excess urea is produced which increases the body’s need for water, which can lead to dehydration.

If your teen is on a balanced diet, then his body does not require the extra protein provided by a supplement.

Make your own sports drink to combat dehydration:

• 200ml of orange pulp (concentrated orange)
• 1 litre water
• A pinch of salt (1g)
• 2 teaspoon sugar

Mix all the ingredients together and drink chilled – drinks are absorbed more quickly if they are cool rather than ice cold.