Senior School

Wired and Tired: What the Research Says About Energy Drinks and Teens 

Article by Nathan Cutajar, Year 11 Level Leader

Exams are close, energy drinks are cheap, and the cans are covered in promises. Here is what peer-reviewed research and health authorities actually say about caffeine and under 18s. 

What’s in the can? 

Energy drinks combine caffeine with sugar and other stimulants such as guarana and taurine. Australian food standards cap caffeine at 80 mg per 250 mL [2], so a 500 mL can can legally hold up to 160 mg. For comparison, a cup of black tea has about 50 mg and a can of cola about 36 mg. 

How much is too much? 

No single number suits everyone, but the main benchmarks for young people sit well below adult limits. The European Food Safety Authority considers 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight per day, from all sources, a safe habitual intake for adolescents. Health Canada suggests 2.5 mg/kg for ages 13 to 18. For a 50 kg student that works out to roughly 125 to 150 mg a day, so one large can could use up the whole allowance. Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network goes further, advising against caffeine under 14 and no more than 100 mg for 14 to 17-year-olds. The American Academy of Pediatrics says children and adolescents should never consume energy drinks. 

What does the research show? 

Mostly associations, with important caveats. An overview of 15 systematic reviews linked energy drink use with headaches, sleep problems, irritability, smoking and alcohol use, but rated the reviews as low quality and the evidence as weak. A 2024 systematic review reported links with short and poor-quality sleep, lower academic performance and psychological distress, building on an earlier 2016 review. These studies cannot prove cause and effect, and the link may run both ways: caffeine can worsen sleep, and tired students may reach for more caffeine. 

In Australia, a survey of 399 teenagers aged 12 to 18 found 56% had tried an energy drink, the average age of first use was 10, and 56% of those who drank them reported unpleasant physical effects. A separate survey of Australian secondary students found most do not drink them, but regular drinkers were more likely to be male and to sleep less. At the serious end, NSW Poisons Information Centre calls about energy drinks rose from 12 in 2004 to 65 in 2010, with at least 128 people hospitalised over the period, mostly adolescents and young adults. 

What are the rules? 

Australian labels must say energy drinks are not recommended for children, but there is currently no legal age limit on buying them. FSANZ’s March 2026 caffeine review tightened rules for sports foods and strong coffee drinks while leaving energy drink limits unchanged, and the beverage industry argues current regulation is enough. A Queensland petition is calling for an 18+ limit. England has announced that from April 2027, subject to parliamentary approval, it will ban sales of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s. 

What to drink instead 

A 2025 US expert panel, including the American Academy of Paediatrics and the American Heart Association, recommended water as the main drink for 5 to 18-year-olds, with plain milk, and advised avoiding caffeinated drinks. The AAP also notes that water is best for most routine exercise, so sports drinks are rarely needed. If you feel flat, Telethon Kids Institute researchers point to the basics: good nutrition, water, physical activity and enough sleep. 

The bottom line 

No health authority recommends energy drinks for under-18s, and the most cautious say none at all. The research proves less than the headlines suggest, but sleep is the most consistent thread running through it. If you feel unwell after caffeine (racing heart, shaking, chest pain), get help: Poisons Information Centre 13 11 26, or 000 in an emergency. 

References 

1. Khouja C, Kneale D, Brunton G, et al. Consumption and effects of caffeinated energy drinks in young people: an overview of systematic reviews and secondary analysis of UK data to inform policy.

2. Australian Beverages Council. Energy drink debate should be guided by evidence, not overseas headlines (industry body; summarises Food Standards Code Standard 2.6.4).

3. SA Health. Energy drinks (caffeine content examples and recommended limits).

4. European Food Safety Authority. Scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine (2015), topic summary. 

5. Verster JC, et al. Caffeine intake and its sources: a review of national representative studies (accepted manuscript; summarises Health Canada and EFSA limits).

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