Quote of note:
"I am concerned that they are gateway substances," Uryasz said in a telephone interview. "I think it develops a mind-set especially among young athletes that they have to take something - a powder, a pill, a liquid - to improve their performance, when actually study after study shows that almost all of these products add no value to a young person's athletic performance."
A Sports Drink for Children Is Jangling Some Nerves
By DUFF WILSON
The company's marketing materials describe the drink as a way to kick-start the morning for children as young as 4. The company Web site, adorned with a picture of an elementary school wrestler and a gymnast, says its drink can help a child "develop fully as a high-performance athlete" and fill nutritional gaps "in a sport that is physically and mentally demanding."
The drink, called Spark, contains several stimulants and is sold in two formulations: one for children 4 to 11 years old that includes roughly the amount of caffeine found in a cup and a half of coffee, and one containing twice that amount for teenagers and adults.
Despite the promotional materials, Sidney Stohs and Rick Loy, executives with AdvoCare International of Texas, which makes the products, said Spark was not devised or marketed for children's athletic performance but rather for their overall good health.
"It's not just a caffeine delivery system; it has many more nutritional properties," said Stohs, senior vice president for research and development at AdvoCare, the nation's leading company in direct marketing of dietary supplements for athletes.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Newsvine
Furl
Google
Yahoo
