The 5 Best Energy Drinks Reviewed
Have you ever got to that certain time in the day where you simply have no energy left to complete the rest of your daily tasks? That lull that you fall into after your lunch break where you know that you should be getting right back into the swing of things, but your energy levels are at an all-time low?
The good news is that you’re not the only one, many people actually suffer from energy crashes during their days. Whether you’re needing to get back to your workday, a gym session, or simply a never-ending list of parenting tasks to complete, and energy drink could be the welcomed answer to all your problems.
Energy drinks are a fruity, tangy alternative to a cup of bitter coffee. There is plenty of debate about whether energy drinks are a healthier alternative to coffee, not to mention the taste is much more refreshing to set you up properly for the rest of the day.
That being said, some people are concerned about energy drinks and their effectiveness. You don’t want to be consuming strange ingredients that you’ve never heard of if you’re not achieving the desired results, right? Because of this, we’ve taken to the market and found the five best energy drinks in terms of effectiveness, taste, and price.
In a hurry?
From our research, we’ve concluded that Monster Energy Zero Ultra, Sugar Free Energy Drink is the best energy drink on the market right now. One reason that determined this for us is that there is no added sugar within the formula, so you won’t see an intense drop in your energy levels halfway through your day.
Another reason why we like this energy drink so much is because the ingredients list is full of beneficial components to keep you on top form throughout your workouts and daily tasks. Finally, you can choose between smaller cans and larger alternatives, with the latter having a higher caffeine content.
Best Energy Drinks
Here are our favorites for the best energy drinks on the market today and why we love them:
1. Monster Energy Zero Ultra, Sugar Free Energy Drink
The ingredients list features caffeine, taurine, guarana extract, and a range of B vitamins. All of these components will push your performance to new levels and increase your energy levels. Guarana is a natural caffeine supplier so make sure to account for this to prevent an overdose.
Pros:
- No added sugar.
- Choose between small and large servings.
- Specialized ingredient list to keep you on top of your game.
Cons:
- Artificial flavors have been used to make this drink.
- Higher price point.
2. V8 +Energy, Healthy Energy Drink
+Energy includes as much caffeine as the leading competitor on the market, but V8 sources this from tea rather than chemically adding it into the formula. There is no sugar, artificial coloring, or gluten in these energy drinks.
Each serving has an 80mg caffeine content in each 8-ounce can. You can choose from a range of lovely and natural flavors, either coming in a crate of 12 or 24. The price per can is impressive and very competitive with other leading energy drinks on the market.
Pros:
- Healthy ingredients rather than chemicals.
- Each serving contains the same amount of caffeine as leading alternatives.
- 10 flavors to choose from, as well as five variety packs.
Cons:
- Includes artificial sweeteners.
- Not suitable for people with high caffeine tolerance.
3. Reign Total Body Fuel
There are zero added sugars and only 10 calories per serving, making this an excellent choice for people who want to up their performance. There are also no added flavors or colors, so you can rest assured that no useless ingredients are being consumed into your body.
You’ll also find B vitamins in Total Body Fuel which will both help your body convert food into energy as well as reducing premature muscle fatigue. These drinks come in packs of 12 and there are some very intriguing flavors to choose from.
Pros:
- Designed to bring out your best performance in the gym.
- There are zero unneeded ingredients in the formula.
- Nine unique flavors to try.
Cons:
- 300mg of caffeine is too much for some people.
- More expensive than other alternatives on our list.
4. Mountain Dew Kickstart
You can choose between purchasing 12 or 16-ounce cans, with the former including 69mg of caffeine and the latter offering 92mg per can. Each can also only includes 60 calories, making this a great alternative to a full-fat latte.
Mountain Dew offers eight mouthwatering flavors such as Pineapple Orange Mango, Black Cherry, and Orange Citrus. The 16-ounce cans come in a pack of 12 and the 12-ounce cans come in packs of 18. The price is a great value when you determine how much one can cost, so this is a cost-effective way to get your caffeine.
Pros:
- Made from real fruit juice and B vitamins.
- Good amount of caffeine in each serving.
- Great flavors to choose from.
Cons:
- Not a sugar-free formula.
- A couple of customers found that the taste wasn’t for them.
5.Red Bull Energy Drink Sugar Free
Each 8.4-ounce can offer 80mg of caffeine, while 12-ounce cans house 114mg. 16-ounce servings feature 151mg and 20-ounce alternatives give you 189mg of caffeine. You can choose to purchase the two smaller sizes in crates of 24, and the larger drinks come in packs of 12.
Red Bull is one of the most popular energy drinks on the market and is often used by busy professionals, students, and athletes alike. The benefit of the sugar-free alternative to the original Red Bull is that you’re less likely to crash a few hours after drinking it.
Pros:
- High-quality ingredients used.
- Choose the amount of caffeine you want to consume.
- Used by lots of athletes and professionals.
Cons:
- A well-known brand allows for a slight increase in price.
- A few customers complained about the quality control.
Energy Drinks – Buyers Guide
An energy drink’s main purpose is to supply you with enough energy to continue your day at the top of your performance, whether it be mentally or physically. For this reason, you don’t want to purchase an ineffective option that isn’t going to help you in any other way than quenching your thirst.
Below we’ll be outlining some basic information about energy drinks that you can use to find the best option for you. Checking all of this information next to the different options of energy drinks on the market will help you make a more informed decision of which is the right choice for you.
Effectiveness
As we’ve just said, the whole point of energy drinks is to make you more alert and raring to go. If your drink doesn’t increase your energy levels, what’s the point of drinking it? The main factor in how effective an energy drink will be for you refers to the caffeine content.
Caffeine is the main ingredient in high-quality energy drinks – if caffeine is not the featured component of a drink, we’d suggest steering clear of it. Obviously, the higher the caffeine content in one portion of the energy drink, the more effective it’s going to be.
Bear in mind that some people’s caffeine tolerance is higher than others, so don’t go for an incredibly high caffeine content if your tolerance is relatively low. A caffeine overdose has the potential to leave you with some nasty side effects, so choose the caffeine content by thinking about your specific needs.
Recommended Dosage
Speaking of the caffeine content, most energy drinks feature anywhere from 50 to 200mg of caffeine in each serving. Compare this to how much caffeine you usually consume on a daily basis. If you’re an avid coffee drinker who brews up multiple cups a day, you’re going to be able to withstand a higher content in your energy drink.
On the other hand, if you don’t like coffee and hardly ever touch a caffeinated product, you should begin with a lower content so that you can work up a tolerance. A person who doesn’t consume much caffeine in their day to day life is much more likely to feel the effects of a low content energy drink than a coffee connoisseur.
You’ll usually find around 160mg in one cup of coffee. Of course, this amount will depend on the individual coffee your use and how you brew it, but it’s a good starting point to monitor how much caffeine you can handle. Use this number to determine your caffeine intake and tolerance before you decide on one energy drink.
Additional Ingredients
While caffeine will be the main ingredient in your energy drink, there are still a few others that will help towards your energy levels. There are also a few ingredients that you should look out for to avoid or only use in moderation.
Sugar: A lot of low-quality energy drinks use sugar to give you the feeling of more energy faster. Consuming a lot of sugar will cause you to feel a rush of energy, so at first use, you’ll think that the drink is very effective and helpful.
That being said, a sugar rush is often followed by a sugar crash, in which your energy level will decrease rapidly and leave you feeling worse than before. It’s best to steer clear of sugary energy drinks unless you’re going to be exercising after drinking it. Look for energy drinks that house less than 10 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving.
Vitamins: Some energy drinks make a big deal about offering you lots of different vitamins in every serving. Unfortunately, vitamins don’t tend to offer you a lot in the way of energy, although it is nice to know that you’re getting the added benefits with your drink.
Although, vitamin B is known for helping your body convert food into energy, which can help your energy levels in the long run. So, energy drinks that include B vitamins will help your energy.
However, it’s important to know that the more B vitamins you consume, doesn’t make your body convert the food to energy any more effectively or quickly. Just because one energy drink has many more B vitamins than another alternative, doesn’t mean that your food is going to be more effective for your energy levels.
Taste
Of course, no one wants a drink that feels like a chore to consume, which is why the taste of your energy drink is important. Energy drinks tend to have a very distinct taste, however, they do come in a variety of different flavors.
We’d suggest looking at the customer reviews to see how others found the taste. This will give you a better understanding of what the taste is likely to be. Bear in mind that everyone’s tastes are different, though.
Customer Reviews
Speaking of customer reviews, they can be used to determine more than just the taste of the drink. Energy drinks don’t tend to need to be tailored to be the individual person, so if others have had a good experience with one option, you’re likely to as well.
This can tell you how effective each option is, but keep in mind that you may have a different caffeine tolerance to you. That being said, if a lot of customers are stating that they’ve found the drink ineffective, it’s a good indicator of how you’ll fare with it.
Price
Purchasing energy drinks online usually entails buying in bulk rather than singular portions. This, therefore, increases the price and can easily distort the price per drink, giving the manufacturer an easy way to hike the price up without you realizing it.
Due to this, it’s always worth doing a quick sum to work out the price per serving so you can see whether you’re getting a good deal or not.
Brand
Opting for an energy drink from a well-known brand will give you more peace of mind that you’re getting a good option. Everyone in their loyal customer base can’t be wrong, can they?
You can conduct your own quick search of the brands to see the quality of their ingredients, the effectiveness of their products, the overall value, and a general public consensus about the energy drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are energy drinks bad for you?
Not necessarily. Energy drinks are beneficial for some people to give them an extra boost after a long day and improve their brain function so that they can work for longer.
However, some people have also experienced heart issues after drinking energy drinks such as small flutters and palpitations. There has also been research showing that energy drinks can cause high blood pressure in some consumers.
Moreover, some energy drinks are loaded with sugar which is bad for your health. To avoid drinking an energy drink that is bad for your health, choose one that has little sugar included in the formula.
Whatever you do, though, do not mix energy drinks with alcohol. This can cause negative effects on your body while intoxicated such as palpitations and feeling as though you’re not intoxicated when you are.
What are the side effects of drinking energy drinks?
Potential side effects of drinking energy drinks are:
- Caffeine overdose – this can lead to palpitations, nausea, high blood pressure, and death.
- Obesity.
- Dependence on addictive substances.
- Late miscarriages and birth complications.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Neurological and cardiovascular issues in younger people.
How many energy drinks can you drink a day?
It’s advised that adults don’t drink more than 400mg of caffeine a day, so try not to consume more than this number. Energy drinks often include herbal ingredients such as guarana that are natural sources of caffeine. This is often not reflected in the caffeine content, which is why caffeine overdose is such a common thing.
Many health professionals don’t recommend drinking more than 16 ounces of energy drinks per day to ensure that you don’t unwillingly consume more caffeine than you should. This is especially important if you drink coffee as well.