Energy drink consumption and associated lifestyle factors among German adolescents: findings from the EDKAR-study

Abstract Purpose The consumption of energy drinks (EDs) has become increasingly popular among adolescents. The present study aimed to comprehensively characterize ED consumption behavior and associated lifestyle factors in pupils aged 15–18 years. Methods The cross-sectional EDKAR-study assessed data from 5100 German pupils using an online questionnaire. Following exclusion criteria, 4893 pupils were categorized into six ED consumer groups based on the frequency, duration, and quantity of their reported ED consumption: non-consumers, occasional, moderate, regular, chronic low, and chronic high consumers. Results Overall, 65.6% ( n = 3208) reported ED consumption within the past 12 months, 12.6% on ≥ 4 days per week, and 3.9% daily. Median (IQR) daily ED intake was higher in groups with more frequent ED consumption, ranging from 20.5 ml/day (5.3–41.0) among occasional consumers to 818 ml/day (571–1250) among chronic high consumers. Reported adverse effects likewise increased from occasional to chronic high consumers, ranging from 23.2% to 50.2%, with palpitations, poor sleep, headaches, and chest pressure reported most frequently. Harmful lifestyle behaviors also increased from non-consumers to chronic high consumers, including alcohol intake (from 0.2 to 2.3 glasses per week), smoking rates (from 5.6% to 53.3%; cannabis: from 10.3% to 48.8%), short sleep duration (< 5 h/night on weekdays: from 4.7% to 20.6%), and excessive daily screen time (> 8 h/day: from 35.8% to 72.8%). Conclusion The EDKAR-study highlights the high prevalence of ED consumption among German adolescents and its association with several harmful lifestyle behaviors, underscoring the importance of raising awareness of potential adverse health effects of ED consumption.