There is evidence that suggests a link between routine consumption of sport or energy drinks and other risky behaviors in teens. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education and Behavior on May 6, found that teenagers who drink at least one of these beverage types a week were more likely to engage in other behaviors that could pose a threat to their long-term health.

Teens consuming these sugary, and often caffeinated, drinks were more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and experiment with other substances. They were also more likely to consumer other sources of sugar, watch more television and play more video games.

The study was conducted in 20 schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where 2,800 students in high school or middle school filled out surveys about their everyday habits. Results from the surveys showed that around 40 percent drank at least one sport drink and 15 percent at least one energy drink per week.

A Canadian study published earlier in the year supports these findings as well. Both studies confirmed that the consumptions of these types of drinks is on the rise and that regular imbibing of them tends to accompany sensation-seeking and otherwise risky behaviors.

Researchers claim that the increased amount of caffeine in energy drinks can pose health problems on its own, but can also lead to greater consumption of other types of stimulants as the body acclimates to the caffeine. The effect of these elevated levels of caffeine in the teen’s body have been shown to cause health problems such as insomnia, irritability and anxiety, seizures, heart irregularities and in very rare cases, death.

Critics of these studies say that researchers have only managed to establish that sport and energy drink consumption and risky behaviors can occur together. They argue that no causation has been established between the two elements. All agree that further research is required to better understand what increased use of these kinds of beverages among youth really means for their health and well-being.