Mercy School team examined contemporaries’ morning routines

Students who volunteered for research that was being undertaken by Mercy Kilbeggan students Clíodhna Kinnarney from Durrow, Emma Sue Tandy, Horseleap, and Emily O’Neill, Rahugh, were questioned about their morning nutritional habits, their energy levels and even asked to participate in timed sprints, as the three girls examined healthy ways to increase serotonin levels in teenagers.

Their project, undertaken under the supervision of teacher Niamh Daly, was entitled ‘Step up your day, endorphins are on the way’, and it was prompted by awareness, from their own experience, that students are often tired at school in the mornings.

In the course of their research, the girls were, they say, alarmed to find that many students resorted to what they describe as unhealthy ways of trying to wake themselves up and boost their moods in the morning before school – including through the use of energy drinks that are high in sugar, salt and caffeine content. “Energy drinks are not suitable for teenagers, as high doses of caffeine can cause dangerous side effects and result in anxiety. Energy drinks are high in sugar and calories and have no nutritional benefits,” says Emma, while Clíodhna explains that eating foods that contain the essential amino acid tryptophan can help the body produce more serotonin, and from their investigation, foods containing tryptophan to which students should consider switching include chocolate, porridge oats and bananas.