- caffeine content (energy drinks have caffeine while sports drinks typically do not)
- carbohydrate content (both have carbohydrates, but energy drinks usually have more)
- other ingredients (sports drinks may have electrolytes, protein, or vitamins added, whereas energy drinks have ingredients such as taurine, guarana, and others)
Energy drinks are those brands like Red Bull and Monster, whereas sports drinks are those things like Gatorade and Powerade.
Because of the high caffeine content of energy drinks, they are dangerous for adults to consume and not recommended at all for children. Energy drinks can be like a regular soda, but with a lot more caffeine and some other extra ingredients. Some of those extra ingredients add caffeine too. The labels on energy drinks do not always specify the amount of caffeine in those products, so they can be dangerously high.
Most energy drinks are also high in sugar. Adults and children already consume more than enough sugar and this added amount is not needed.
Soda is a "food" and must not have more than 71 mg of caffeine per 12 oz serving. Energy drinks are different and are "dietary supplements" and do not have to list the amount of caffeine. Coffee is labeled different too because the caffeine is natural and also does not have to be listed on the label .
A regular mountain dew has about 35 mg of caffeine. The amount of caffeine in coffee varies greatly, anywhere from 30-300 mg. Energy drinks range from 80-300 mg, with some brands even unknown.
It might not seem that energy drinks are too bad when compared to the caffeine in coffee, but there are differences. For one, energy drinks not only have caffeine but other substances that are herbal sources of caffeine too, and lots of sugar. The safety of those other ingredients is not quite known. Energy drinks are sometimes marketed for kids and they can be very dangerous for children. Energy drinks are usually consumed faster than coffee too. Research has also shown the benefits of moderate coffee consumption, whereas research has presented some adverse effects of energy drinks.
Moderate caffeine consumption is not harmful, but the amount of caffeine in energy drinks is not a moderate amount.
Sports drinks are only necessary for those exercising for over an hour, exercising or working in very hot conditions, or someone who is sick. They have too much sugar for casual exercisers. For activities lasting under an hour, plain water is best. For longer exercisers, those who are exercising or working outside, or someone who is sick, sports drinks can help replace lost electrolytes (sodium and potassium). Children typically do not need sports drinks except for those reasons listed above, otherwise plain water is fine.
References from:
Energy Drinks, Stan Reents, rev. 2012
Sports Drinks and Recovery Drinks, Stan Reents, rev. 2012
For the two detailed articles on sports drinks and energy drinks, use the links below:
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