USA Today reports that doctors increasingly are warning parents and coaches about energy drinks’ contents, lax labeling requirements, and the risks of high doses of caffeine — particularly to young athletes. In June, a clinical report in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned that ‘stimulant-containing energy drinks have no place in the diets of children or adolescents.’
In October, the National Federation of State High School Associations cautioned that caffeinated energy drinks — often confused with such products as Gatorade, a fluid replacement drink — should not be consumed before, during or after physical activity because they could raise the risk of dehydration and increase the chance of potentially fatal heat illnesses.”
The Food and Drug Administration, which warned makers against adding caffeine to alcoholic drinks, has not yet  commented on still-pending petitions to limit caffeine in energy drinks or require added label disclosures.