🚨 Dietary supplements: alert on sleep and adolescent growth

To cope with busy schedules, many young people are looking for solutions to increase their energy and sports performance. But beware: some products very popular in the fitness world could prove harmful to sleep.

Research conducted in Canada looked into this subject. By surveying people aged 16 to 30, scientists found that those who used pre-workout supplements were more than twice as likely to sleep five hours or less per night. This duration is well below the eight hours generally recommended for this age.


These supplements often contain high doses of caffeine and other stimulants. For example, one serving can have between 90 and 350 milligrams of caffeine, which far exceeds the amounts found in a typical can of soda or a cup of coffee. This high content could explain the disturbances observed in sleep patterns.

To better understand, let's compare with common beverages. A can of cola contains about 35 mg of caffeine, while a coffee has about 100 mg. Thus, a single serving of a supplement can provide several times this amount, making it difficult to fall asleep and keeping the body in a prolonged state of wakefulness.

Consequently, sleep recommendations for adolescents, which range from 8 to 10 hours per night, and for young adults, from 7 to 9 hours, are rarely met. Many young people are not sleeping enough, and the stimulant ingredients in these products risk worsening this problem during an important period of growth and development.

According to the researchers, healthcare professionals such as pediatricians and family doctors should ask their young patients about their use of these supplements. They also propose simple measures, like avoiding these products 12 to 14 hours before bedtime, to limit the effects on rest.

Young people generally consider these supplements to be safe. However, this research highlights the importance of better information for consumers and their loved ones regarding the health repercussions, which go beyond the scope of performance enhancement.

How caffeine works in the body

Caffeine is a substance that acts mainly on the central nervous system. It binds to adenosine receptors, a molecule that promotes drowsiness and signals fatigue to the brain. By blocking these receptors, caffeine prevents adenosine from functioning normally, which creates a feeling of wakefulness and increased energy.

However, this effect has a downside. The accumulation of adenosine during the day is essential for triggering the need to sleep in the evening. When caffeine interferes, the body can delay sleep onset, thereby reducing the duration and quality of sleep. This explains why consuming caffeine late in the day can disrupt rest cycles.

Furthermore, caffeine has a half-life of about 5 to 6 hours, which means it remains active in the body long after consumption. For young people who use pre-workout supplements in the late afternoon or evening, this can lead to difficulty falling asleep and frequent awakenings during the night.

It is also useful to know that sensitivity to caffeine varies from person to person. Factors such as age, weight, and dietary habits influence how the body metabolizes this substance. Thus, even moderate doses can have pronounced effects on some individuals, especially adolescents whose brains are still developing.