City's budding sports stars needed to test fizzy logic

Young Edinburgh sports players are set to help kick off groundbreaking research into the effects of sports energy drinks on stamina and performance.

School-age players of football, rugby and hockey in the Capital will assist University of Edinburgh student Shaun Phillips in determining whether or not carbohydrate-based drinks such as Lucozade Sport and Gatorade can boost endurance and sporting ability.

Phillips, 30, has completed 12 months of a three-year PhD study into the impact of such energy drinks on young people, as opposed to adults.

"All the research you hear on TV adverts, like Lucozade's 33 per cent longer campaign, is based on adults," he says. "Research has never been done into whether or not carbohydrate drinks can improve performance of young people, and you can't apply research on adults to children.

"A lot of kids drink Lucozade and Gatorade but, until last year, there was no proof that they helped improve performance. We have discovered, with novel findings in the past year, that these energy drinks can, indeed, significantly improve endurance capacity - or stamina. We're now conducting follow-up research and have made contact with local clubs and schools to find people interested in helping us."

Fifteen young people between the age of 12 and 14 were involved in the first stage of research, with pupils from schools such as Craigmount High, George Watson's and Stewart's Melville aiding Phillips in his study.

He said: "They can be involved in something that's never been done before. Kids are getting something from sport if they are enjoying it and improving at it.

"Hopefully, the findings from this research will encourage them to take drinks, maximise their performance, and to stay active and committed to their sport."

Those participating in laboratory-based tests would be put through their paces in a simulated 'game' environment -without disruptive factors such as quality of opposition, game intensity, terrain and climate - with shuttle running exercises followed by physical tests. Any young people interested in helping out should contact Shaun Phillips by emailing [email protected].