There’s one thing quietly working against your young athlete that most people aren’t paying nearly enough attention to: what they are drinking. 

Sugary drinks are one of the most overlooked threats to youth health today. And it’s not just soda; the problem goes deeper. 

Yes, sodas are an obvious culprit, loaded with sugar and offering zero nutritional value. But what about the specialty coffee drinks teens pick up before school? The energy drinks being marketed directly at young athletes with promises of focus and performance? Or even the smoothies and “health” drinks lining the shelves of every grocery store, branded with green labels and wellness buzzwords, yet deceptively packed with as much sugar as a candy bar?

This is where it gets tricky. Parents and athletes are doing their best to make smart choices, but the labels are misleading, and the marketing is clever. A drink can say “natural,” “organic,” or “made with real fruit” and still contain 50 grams of sugar per serving. To put that in perspective, the recommended daily sugar intake for teens is around 30 grams, and 4 grams of sugar equal 1 teaspoon. That means a single “healthy” drink could contain 12 teaspoons of sugar, blowing past the entire day’s recommended amount before they’ve eaten a single meal.

For a young athlete working hard to perform and recover, that kind of sugar load isn’t fuel; it’s a setback. The impact is real: energy crashes, inflammation, disrupted sleep, weight gain, and over time, serious long-term health consequences. They show up in how your athlete feels, focuses, and performs every single day.

The good news? This is one of the most controllable variables in your athlete’s health. Start by reading labels, not just the front of the bottle, but the nutrition facts. Compare grams of sugar, and do the math. If a drink has 48 grams of sugar, that’s 12 teaspoons, nearly half a cup of pure sugar.

Make water the default. Hydrate with fruit and other hydrating foods. And when in doubt, choose whole food sources over packaged drinks, even the ones that look healthy. Small changes in what your athlete drinks can have a massive impact on how they feel, train, and recover.