The growing demand for energy drinks has exploded over the past two decades. You’ve probably seen your favorite fitness influencer showing off a can of their favorite beverage on social media.
Most of these products claim to boost physical and mental performance, but are they healthy? In the sections below I’m going to explore the downside, caffeine content, and calories in popular energy drinks.
Are Energy Drinks Bad for You?
This brings us to one of the most searched questions surrounding energy drinks. And the answer boils down to caffeine consumption.
“Large amounts of caffeine may cause serious heart and blood vessel problems such as heart rhythm disturbances and increases in heart rate and blood pressure.”
So, even if you’re drinking a sugar free energy drink, it can still have up to 300 milligrams of caffeine per can. To put things into perspective, 1 cup of coffee (8 fl oz) contains 95 mg of caffeine.
That means consuming multiple energy drinks per day can easily put you over the recommended level of 400 mg for healthy adults.
Moderation is Key
So, what do these numbers tell us? Some energy drinks are loaded with calories and sugar. But all of them contain extremely high levels of caffeine.
But that doesn’t mean you need to ditch the can just yet. As a nutritionist, I like to say that moderation and balance are important aspects to a healthy diet.
There’s nothing wrong with cracking open an energy drink once in a while. Just don’t make it a daily habit and avoid drinking more than one energy drink at a time.
Calories in Energy Drinks
Now let’s take a look at some of the most popular energy drink brands on the market today, their caffeine content, and calories.
Red Bull
Red Bull (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
210
Sugar
50g
Carbs
54g
Caffeine
151mg
Red Bull Sugar Free
Red Bull Sugar Free (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
25
Sugar
0g
Carbs
4g
Caffeine
151mg
Bang Energy
Bang Energy (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
0
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
300mg
Monster
Monster (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
230
Sugar
54g
Carbs
58g
Caffeine
160mg
Monster Low-Carb
Monster Low-Carb (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
30
Sugar
9g
Carbs
6g
Caffeine
140mg
Monster Zero
Monster Zero (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
10
Sugar
0g
Carbs
6g
Caffeine
150mg
C4 Energy
C4 Energy (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
0
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
200mg
Nos Energy
Nos Energy (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
220
Sugar
50g
Carbs
52g
Caffeine
160mg
Nos Sugar Free
Nos Sugar Free (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
0
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
160mg
Reign
Reign (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
10
Sugar
0g
Carbs
3g
Caffeine
300mg
Rockstar
Rockstar (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
270
Sugar
63g
Carbs
63g
Caffeine
160mg
Rockstar Sugar Free
Rockstar Sugar Free (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
25
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
160mg
3D Energy
3D Energy (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
15
Sugar
0g
Carbs
5g
Caffeine
200mg
Ghost
Ghost (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
5
Sugar
0g
Carbs
1g
Caffeine
200mg
ZOA Energy
ZOA Energy (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
15
Sugar
0g
Carbs
3g
Caffeine
160mg
Celsius
Celsius (12 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
10
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
200mg
5-hour Energy
5-hour Energy (1.93 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
0
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
200mg
NOCCO
NOCCO (12 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
10
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
180mg
FitAid Energy+
FitAid Energy+ (12 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
15
Sugar
0g
Carbs
4g
Caffeine
200mg
Prime
Prime (12 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
10
Sugar
0g
Carbs
4g
Caffeine
200mg
G Fuel
G Fuel (16 oz)
Nutrition
Calories
0
Sugar
0g
Carbs
0g
Caffeine
140mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Which energy drink has the most caffeine?
The two energy drinks that have the most amount of caffeine are Bang Energy and Reign. Both of these products contain 300 mg of caffeine in a 16 ounce can.
What energy drink has the lowest caffeine?
Monster Low-Carb and G Fuel contain the lowest amounts of caffeine when it comes to energy drinks. These two beverages contain only 140 mg per 16 ounce can.
Is 200 mg of caffeine a lot?
You might have noticed that many of these energy drinks contain 200 mg of caffeine – which is a lot. This number is roughly double the amount of caffeine you would find in 1 cup of coffee.
