RESEARCHED: ENERGY DRINKS & PRE-WORKOUTS
A deep dive into what the supplements in energy drinks and pre workouts actually do.
How to buy
What to buy & What not to buy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOP PICKS
ENERGY DRINKS
HIGHBALL ENERGY $20 - $23 per 8 pack
150mg Caffeine, 50mg Guarana, 50mg Ginseng
No sugar or natural/artificial sweeteners
No dyes, or unnecessary ingredients
CELSIUS POWDER STICKS: $11 - $22 per pack of 15
200mg Caffeine, Guarana, Green Tea
No dyes
It is sweetened with sucralose
I find these so convenient to keep on hand and the flavors are great
RUNA ENERGY DRINK: $26 - $33 per 12 pack
150 mg Caffeine, Guayusa
2g sugar, no artificial sweeteners
Organic ingredients
PRE-WORKOUT
Says 21 servings, but serving size is 2 scoops and it puts you at 350mg of caffeine. I use only 1 scoop and double my servings. I personally do not need/want 350mg of caffeine at 5 am.
No dyes, added sugar, or unnecessary preservatives
Sweetened with Swerve & Stevia
WORST PICKS
ROCKSTAR
31g sugar (8oz)
Artificial flavors
Supplements are listed under ingredients meaning the dosage is negligible
ROCKSTAR ORGANIC
46g of sugar (16oz)
*Shows that just because it is labeled "organic" doesn't mean it's healthy!
MONSTER
54g of sugar (16oz)
Sucralose
Unnecessary additives: maltodextrin
Supplements are listed under ingredients meaning the dosage is negligible
RED BULL
37g sugar (12oz)
Artificial flavors
Supplements are listed under ingredients meaning the dosage is negligible
FULL THROTTLE
58g sugar (16oz)
High fructose corn syrup is 2nd ingredient
Supplements are listed under ingredients meaning the dosage is negligible
HOW TO BUY
BOTTOM LINE: There are sooo many options out there. After reading about the ingredients below, you should have no problem finding the perfect one.
Here's some tips on how to buy energy drinks & pre-workouts:
Go straight to the nutrition label & ingredient list. Pay little attention to the advertisements on the front.
Ingredient list: If I see artificial colors, unnecessary preservatives, added sugar (watch out for this one!!)000, or artificial sweetener (other than stevia or monk fruit - I'm ok with those), it's out.
Next, the nutrition label for doses.
Caffeine hardly affects me, so my minimum is 150mg.
L-Theanine: Ideally, I would find a dose of 2x my caffeine dose. But it's pretty hard to find. So I am good with it matching my caffeine dose.
Pre Workout
Alpha-GPC: >150mg
Citrulline Malate: >6g
Beta-Alanine: >3g
Energy Drinks
The less supplements & ingredients, the better. I am looking for energy - that's it.
CAFFEINE DEEP DIVE
First up, the star of the show: Caffeine.
It's the most widely used drug on the planet and has been used for centuries for its stimulating effects. Since it mainly affects your brain, it is referred to as a psychoactive drug. It works as a natural stimulant to the central nervous system and brain to help you stay alert.
Once consumed, caffeine gets quickly absorbed by the gut then passes into the bloodstream. Then off to the liver where it is broken down into compounds that affect various organs. But caffeine mainly effects the brain.
Once in the brain, caffeine blocks the affects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel tired by relaxing the brain. Levels of adenosine normally build up over the day, which is why you feel increasingly more tired as the day goes on. Caffeine connects to these adenosine receptors, blocking the effects and thus making you feel more alert.
One cup of coffee takes roughly 20 minutes to hit your bloodstream and around 1 hour to reap the benefits.
Fun facts:
The first brewed tea is dated back to 2731 B.C.
Eighty percent of the world's population and 90% of the adults in North America will consume a caffeinated product each day.
Caffeine is naturally found in the nuts, leaves, or seeds of certain plants. Here's a list of common caffeinated beverages and the amount of caffeine in them:
Here's a list of the drinks containing the most caffeine.
Here's a caffeine calculator to see how much is in your favorite drinks.
INGREDIENTS
Some disclaimers:
Most of these ingredients either have no research or very, very little research to back the claims. So keep that in mind...
Most of the doses are listed as "trace amounts" which means there's not enough to even matter.
80% of the ingredients are marketing strategies
The most effective are listed first (not in order). Least effective or research-lacking are listed towards the end.
CAFFEINE
Natural stimulant found in seeds, nuts or leaves of certain plants
Also synthetically produced (read more on that here)
Average dose: 70 - 200mg
Recommended dose: <400mg
Functions:
improves mood & brain function
may boost metabolism & fat burning
may enhance exercise performance
may protect against heart disease & diabetes
may reduce the risk of liver damage
may increase life span
decreases cancer risk
lowers risk of skin cancer
reduced risk of MS
prevents gout
increases gut health
Side effects: (in excess of 400mg)
headache
insomnia
nervousness
irritability
frequent urination or inability to control urination
fast heartbeat
muscle tremors
Natural vs Synthetic: Main difference (other than being produced by a concoction of chemicals): synthetic caffeine is absorbed faster, so you feel a quicker boost, which then leads to a quicker crash.
L-THEANINE
Amino acid found in green and black tea
Average dose: 50 - 200mg
Recommended dose: This is not an official recommendation, but people swear by the effects of combining L-Theanine & caffeine in a 2:1 ratio. They recommend either taking caffeine & l-theanine tablets or drink your morning cup of coffee (~100mg) and either add in 200mg of l-theanine powder or take 200mg of l-theanine tablets. (read more on this here)
Functions:
In energy drinks: to counteract some of the side effects from caffeine
Calm the brain and enhance concentration
Ease anxiety & stress
Side effects: None
BCAAS
Amino acids
Average dose: "Trace amounts" aka not enough to matter
Recommended dose: 4 - 20g daily
Functions:
Help muscles recover & repair faster
Side effects:
ALPHA-GPC
Protein building block, Nootropic
Average dose: 150mg per serving
Recommended dose: 150 - 600mg daily
Functions:
Increases power, strength, and agility (results can be seen within a week of taking!)
Increases fat oxidation
Improves cognition
Supports natural human growth hormone
Side effects: Heartburn, headache, dizziness, skin rash is rare, but can happen.
This is a super interesting supplement. I encourage you to read more about it here.
CITRULLINE MALATE (L-CITRULLINE)
Amino acid
Average dose: 3g per serving
Recommended dose: <18g daily ; at least 6g to see effects.
Functions:
Improves blood flow during workouts
Increases endurance and power
Fights muscle fatigue
Lowers blood pressure
Side effects: None for citrulline, but the malic acid has been linked to headaches, diarrhea, and nausea.
more on citrulline malate here
BETA-ALANINE
Amino acid (this is what gives you all the tingles)
Average dose: 2g per serving
Recommended dose: 1.5 - 5g daily
Functions:
Helps fight muscle fatigue
Controls lactic acid build up
Boosts endurance
Side effects: Skin flushing, tingling sensation.
BETAINE
Amino acid
Average dose: 2.5g per serving
Recommended dose: 1.25 - 1.5g twice daily, pre & post workout.
Functions:
Boosts muscle size and strength by increasing creatine production
Supports healthy homocysteine levels, which affects muscle growth and fat loss
Increases SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine) levels, which supports mood, liver health and joint recovery
Side effects: Nausea, stomach upset, and diarrhea is rare but possible.
GUARANA
Natural source of caffeine (bean)
Average dose: 1.4mg - 300mg
Recommended dose: None currently
Functions:
Stimulant (3-4% caffeine vs 1-2% in coffee beans)
Reduces mental & physical fatigue
Weight loss
Enhances athletic performance
Side Effects:
In doses greater than 250-300 mg daily, side effects such as anxiety, headaches, nausea, insomnia, and increased heart rate are possible.
GINSENG
Plant extract
Average dose: 8mg-400mg (per 16oz)
Recommended dose: 200-400mg
Functions:
Improves brain function
Lessens mental fatigue
Side effects: In doses greater than 3g daily, diarrhea may be possible
CREATINE
Natural compound
Average dose: 0.84-1.21mg
Recommended dose: 0.3g per kilogram daily for 5-7 days, then 3-5g daily.
Functions: (of caffeine & creatine combo)
Increased strength & power
Increased muscle mass
Increased energy & alertness
Performance enhancer
Side effects: Digestive discomfort has been reported when mixing caffeine & creatine together. Dehydration & poor sleep is also a possibility.
GUAYUSA
Natural source of caffeine (herb used in tea)
Average dose: ~41mg caffeine in 8oz depending on steep time and quality of product
Recommended dose: <400mg daily
Functions:
Improved concentration
Antioxidants
Stabilized blood sugar
Aids in weight loss
Side effects: Same as caffeine side effects plus: it may cause nausea or interfere with iron absorption.
YERBA MATE
Natural source of caffeine (herb used in tea)
Average dose: 20 - 180mg caffeine per 8oz depending on steep time & quality of product
Recommended dose: <400mg daily
Functions:
Antioxidants & nutrients
Boosts energy & mental performance
Enhances physical performance
Weight loss
Boost immune system
Side effects: Same as caffeine side effects plus: in long term use, an increased risk in upper respiratory & digestive tract cancers.
TAURINE (Amino Sulfonic Acid) (more research needed)
Amino Acid
Long term effects have not been studied.
Average dose: 20mg - 2,000mg (per 16oz)
Recommended dose: 3,000mg daily
Functions:
Improves mental function
Antioxidant
Improves athletic performance
Side Effects:
Long term, high dose use combined with caffeine can result in side effects such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, and difficulty walking are possible.
L-CARNITINE (more research needed)
Amino acid
Average dose: 42mg
Recommended dose: 500 - 2,000mg
Although the science suggests L-carnitine should benefit weight loss, the results, if any, are small.
Energy production
Weight loss, fat burner
Improved exercise performance
Side Effects: In doses greater than 2 grams daily, mild side effects such as nausea and stomach discomfort are possible.
B VITAMINS
B vitamins are misunderstood. They only help with energy for people that are deficient, which is rare. Those that are deficient are most anemia, which is the source of the fatigue. B vitamins do not boost your energy. Being deficient is rare and only somewhat common in those with a strictly plant based diet.MO
Bottom line: B vitamins advertised in supplements are just a marketing tactic. And you pee most of them out.
GLUCURONOLACTONE (more research needed)
Natural or synthetic chemical
Average dose: 600mg
Recommended dose: 1.2 - 2.3mg daily
Functions:
Increased athletic performance
Improved focus
Side effects: None
INOSITOL (more research needed)
Carbohydrate
Functions:
Aids in serotonin & nervous system modulation
Side effects: None
MILK THISTLE (more research needed)
Plant with live detoxifying capabilities
Not super common, but should be ignored since trace amounts are found. So you won't be reaping any of the benefits drinking an energy drink.