NCAA Bans Celsius Energy Drink

Over the past three years the energy drink Celsius has become very popular among  college athletes and students all over the country. Drinking one Celsius is equal to about 4-5 cups of coffee, which is a concern to many, including the NCAA. In addition, the drink is found to contain some banned substances, and because of this the NCAA banned the sports drink for its athletes.

According to knightlife.paceacademy.org the NCAA performed a study on Celsius stating, “It proved that there are many illegal performance stimulants in the test. Celsius drinks have the illegal banned stimulants of ginseng, guarana, L-carnitine and taurine. These ingredients are not only considered banned by the NCAA but also the National Olympic committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.” 

Besides the illegal ingredients, celsius is being banned due to how people have been feeling after drinking one. Senior Marah Olszewski has some side effects after drinking a Celsius. “I drank a Celsius once at school during the middle of a test and had to go home because I felt nauseous and like I was going to pass out,” she said. 

Celsius is now being sued for the fact that the label states it contains no preservatives when tests that were done by the NCAA claims it has citric acid. 

So, if Celsius is so bad for you, why are people still drinking it? Some people claim that it gives them energy and that it tastes amazing. “I drink Celsius before concerts or ‘crazy nights.’ My favorite flavor is sparkling orange,” junior Ayanna LaPointe said. 

The Celsius company has been making new flavors such as sparkling lemon lime and fantasy vibe to make this drink more enjoyable. You can now order these drinks off Amazon, and they are being sold in over 92,000 locations in the US. Because these energy drinks are  so accessible, people have become more addicted to the taste. 

 Some teens drink two Celsius’ a day, which is not healthy considering that in 2021 Celsius was not recommended to drink if under the age of 18 due to the increase of heart rate and insomnia. 

Sophomore Tess Zaja drinks Celsius at least three times a week. “I have never actually looked into health benefits but I should because I have heard bad things about it,” she said.