THEY’VE become fashionable for young people following their heroes in recent years – but sports clubs in Donegal are being urged to ban sports drinks for young players.
The Irish Heart Foundation says the drinks are an unnecessary source of sugar for children who don’t need it.
And yesterday a soccer club in Sligo banned all members under the age of 14 from taking sports drinks like Lucozade Sport.
Strand Celtic Football Club has been supported in its move by the Irish Heart Foundation’s Donal O’Shea.
“These sports drinks are another source of calories for children and young people that they don’t need,” he said.
The soccer club’s chairman Brian McDermott said he was concerned at the amount of sugar in the drinks.
The move follows a rash of laws in the United States banning sugary sports drinks for under-18s.
Last night one under-age GAA coach in Donegal said the move could prompt a debate, but that it should be something for the county board to consider.
“If a professor with the Irish Heart Foundation is making this sort of recommendation then it is something that should be looked at and taken seriously,” he said.
“We would always encourage our kids to drink water anyway but if sports drinks are bad for them it is something which should be looked at,” he added.
