Sports and Energy Drinks

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THE NUMBER OF SPORTS AND energy drinks on the market today is creating quite a stir. It can be a challenge for renal dietitians to stay informed of the abundance of products and to guide chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients appropriately. By law, manufacturers do not have to provide amounts of certain ingredients that may be important to the CKD patient. This issue focuses on the vast array of sports and energy drinks that are enhanced with vitamins, minerals, caffeine, and unique herbal ingredients. Table 1 provides the reader with nutritional information on the most popular drinks.

Table 1. Nutritional Content of Sports and Energy Drinks

N/A, not available; EDTA, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; IU, International Units; SF, sugar free.

Sports and energy drinks are different from a nutritional standpoint. A sports drink is defined as a beverage designed to help athletes rehydrate and replenish sugar and other nutrients that can be depleted after strenuous training or competition. An energy drink is a beverage designed to give the consumer a burst of energy through a combination of ingredients including caffeine, vitamins, minerals, and exotic herbal ingredients. Some CKD patients may need a sports drink if they are training for or performing in a strenuous sports-related event that depletes their electrolytes and sugar. Energy drinks, if approved by the renal dietitian, may be appropriate for patients who can tolerate them.

An endless number of different energy and sports drinks are available today. This Product Update focuses on the most popular beverages found in most retail stores in the Northern California area. In the course of our research, most companies were willing to share the nutritional information requested. However, some companies did not have a telephone number listed on their website, e-mails were not returned, or the more detailed information simply was not available.

Most energy drinks contain herbal supplements such as guarana, yerba mate leaves, Pannax ginseng, gingko biloba, and milk thistle. When determining if an energy drink is appropriate, it is important to remember that herbal supplements often claim to provide health benefits with minimal scientific evidentiary support. Some herbs may interact with prescription medications and alter their effectiveness or interact in a harmful way. Some patients may be allergic to particular herbal compounds. Please note that the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate these compounds, and the potential for drug/nutrient interactions may be increased with the unique combinations of ingredients in these drinks.

Caffeine is also an ingredient meriting special attention. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, causing potential side effects such as heart palpitations, feelings of anxiousness, irritability, restless sleep, and gastrointestinal upset. In comparing energy drinks to caffeinated soda or coffee, soda contains approximately 35 to 55 g of caffeine per 12 ounces, and 1 cup of coffee (6 ounces) contains anywhere from 50 to 200 mg of caffeine. Some energy drinks contain slightly more caffeine, insofar as the serving size listed is based on approximately 8 ounces.

Table 1 provides valuable information to the renal dietitian for better educating the CKD patient of the potential consequences of consuming sports and energy drinks, and ultimately for preventing possible toxicity after an excessive intake of vitamins, minerals, or other additives.

You will find an “N/A” (not available) in Table 1 for the following reasons: companies were unable to provide all of the information requested; we were unable to find all of the information on their respective websites; or we were unable to reach anyone in the company. This does not imply that CKD patients should or should not drink these products; it simply means the information was not available, and therefore the authors do not recommend these products until further information is available. As a case in point, some products contain guarana, an herbal supplement containing caffeine, but the caffeine amount is not listed.