What is an energy drink—that is, how would you define it? Is your definition the same as your friends’? How about your parents’ views? Do they match with the definition offered by, say, your school nurse or physician?

We’re guessing that many of those definitions would vary, which may be a problem for policy makers. Since Red Bull first started marketing its caffeinated products as energy drinks, the market for these beverages has grown massively. So has the amount of caffeine in each drink, leading to what some call a “caffeine arms race.” For example, a 12-ounce can of Red Bull has 114 milligrams (mg) of caffeine; Prime Energy contains 200 mg. Bang Energy Drinks come in bigger cans and offer a mind-boggling (literally) 300 mg per can. (Note that the daily recommended allowance of caffeine for an adult is 400 mg.)

These levels vastly outpace the amounts available in conventional caffeinated drinks, like coffee and cola. For example, the 200 mg available in Prime Energy is equivalent to two cups of coffee or a six-pack of Coke. That’s a lot for anyone to consume, but it may be especially a problem if their bodies are still developing—that is, if they are children, who often appear targeted by the current crop of energy drinks. (Note here that children aged 12–18 years are recommended to consume no more than 100 mg of caffeine daily, and those younger than 12 years should not have any, according to federal nutrition guidelines.)

Prime Energy, a brand promoted by the social media personalities and “boxers” Logan Paul and KSI, appears in bright, neon-colored, reflective cans, in flavors like Ice Pop, Tropical Punch, and Blue Raspberry. Although small print on the cans indicates that the drink is not intended for people under the age of 18 years, the marketing strongly appeals to younger audiences. Other brands, like C4 and Ghost, push candy-inspired flavors, such as Swedish fish and Skittles; GFuel has a marketing tie-in with Sonic the Hedgehog.

Beyond their age-related appeals, today’s energy drinks also make health claims, because for the most part, they are sugar-free and contain few or no calories. For its Live Fit product, the Celsius brand noted the inclusion of “healthier” ingredients and touted the presence of ginger and green tea in its formulation. Other brands market their offering on the promise of fluid replenishment capabilities, in that they replace electrolytes. The original electrolyte replacer, Gatorade, accordingly has introduced its own caffeine-packed brand, Fast Twitch, in familiar flavors like Cool Blue but also with the novel addition of about 200 mg of caffeine.

Some consumers might not be blamed for feeling confused. They have learned that sugary drinks are unhealthy, so they seek out sugar-free versions. Their kids love Cool Blue Gatorade or tropical punch–flavored drinks in general. So why shouldn’t they buy an energy drink that promises healthy outcomes?

School nurses would readily explain that the reason is that children are showing up in their offices, complaining of rapid and irregular heartbeats after they have consumed one of the energy drinks. Even when elementary schools ban the sale of caffeinated drinks in the lunchroom though, many schools report a thriving secondary market, in which kids bring extra drinks from home and sell them to peers. In high schools, the drinks are not banned, and students frequently show up to class with high-caffeine beverages they have purchased from vending machines, like Kickstart—which Pepsi markets as an “enhanced soft drink.” We already cannot define an energy drink, and neither has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at this point. Can we hope to define what an enhanced soft drink is?  

The issue with the lack of definition is that it makes any legal restrictions or recommendations more difficult to establish. Pediatricians have said young children should not have caffeine, but it may seem like a losing battle to keep such drinks out of their hands, up against the marketing might of massive, global beverage companies. Thus in the United States alone, energy drink sales have surpassed $19 billion annually.

Discussion Questions

1. How should “energy drink” be defined?
2. Should energy drinks be regulated? If yes, what criteria would you recommend (e.g., levels of caffeine per serving, age)?
3. Assuming you know some people who consume energy drinks, or do so yourself, what are the main drivers of this consumption choice? What implications do those main drivers have for any effort to regulate energy drinks?

Sources: Julie Cresswell, “Energy Drinks Are Surging. So Are their Caffeine Levels,” The New York Times, June 9, 2023; James Beeson, “How Health and Wellness Became the Hottest Trends in Energy Drinks,” Just Drinks, March 30, 2023;Truth in Advertising, “Consumer Alert: Energy Drinks Marketed to Kids,” December 12, 2022, https://truthinadvertising.org/articles/consumer-alert-energy-drinks-marketing-to-kids/