Sugar rush or sugar crash? Experimental evidence on the impact of sugary drinks in the classroom

FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:

Permitting sugary drinks in schools remains a controversial issue - not only for their potential contribution to rising obesity rates, but because of their possible negative effects on children's mood, behaviour and ability to learn. 

However, properly controlled trials that can actually assess cause and effect are extremely difficult to do - so as the authors of this study note, there is actually little 'hard evidence' from school studies of how consuming sugary drinks affect children's behaviour in the classroom.

Although this study found some 'significant effects' - these were mixed, and primarily evident only in boys.

For the related news article and FAB comment, please see:

• What is the short-term impact of sugary drinks in the classroom?

Other evidence - from a recent systematic review of 31 randomised controlled trials in adults - found no evidence whatosiever to support the widely held belief that consuming sugar improves mood, even in the short-term. (If anything, it leads to fatigue, and a worsening of mood). See:

• Mantantzis et al 2019 - Sugar Rush or Sugar Crash? A Meta-Analysis of Carbohydrate Effects on Mood

There are already more than enough good reasons to restrict children's intake of sugary drinks - and indeed, also ones containing artificial sweeteners.


Sweetened drinks of either kind usually have little or no nutritional value: and sugary drinks both add calories, and usually displace healthier foods or drinks from the diet.  

See also:

• Soft drinks - Research