Energy drinks consumption among football players in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the prevalence, frequency and reasons for the consumption of energy drinks among members of registered football clubs in Lagos, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed and the study setting was Onikan Stadium Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select 350 members of the football clubs. Method: A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence, frequency and reasons for consumption of energy drinks. Epi Info® software (version 6.04) was used for data analysis. Results: Most of the respondents (76.3%) were energy-drink consumers but none of them was a daily user. Most of those who took it (71.9%) drank at least two cans a week. Power Horse™ was the most preferred choice (58.4%) and more than one-third (37.1%) mixed it with alcohol. The commonest reasons for using energy drinks were leisure (42%), performance enhancement (25.1%) and drinking with friends (25.1%). Single students between ages 21 and 30 years consumed energy drinks more than married, younger or older workers (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The majority of the football players were weekly energy-drink users and the commonest reason for consumption was leisure. Although it can be expected that football players consume energy drinks to enhance their sporting performance, it was of concern to find that one-third of the football players mixed energy drinks with alcohol. Education regarding the effects of energy-drink consumption and alcohol is needed among the football players in Lagos.

Sociodemographic differences, prevalence, and patterns of energy drink consumption among Jazan university students, Saudi Arabia

“…Another study conducted in Jeddah reported that the taste and flavor allured the majority of the users to consume energy drinks [11]. A study conducted in Ghana found that a high proportion of the respondents consumed energy drinks to renew lost energy after working out [27]. Studies conducted in the United States reported that the main reason for consumption was to make them more active [28,29].…”