What Energy Drink Works The Best?
Life is full of work, social outings, and responsibilities that leave you feeling tired. Often, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in a day to get everything done, let alone to get enough sleep at night. As a result, many adults go through their day powered by caffeine. Some choose to drink cup after cup of coffee, while others seek out highly-caffeinated energy drinks.
Due to the increase in popularity over the last few decades, the energy drink industry has seen a lot of changes. Today, there are a variety of products available so it can be difficult to know what energy drink works the best. Each has its own unique benefits. For example, some brands are known for long-lasting energy drinks, while others are designed to give you a quick burst when you need it most.
In this guide, we’re specifically going to look at the most energizing energy drink. We’ll cover the basic definition of an energy drink and how it works so that you can understand more about what makes one product more effective than another. We’ll also go over some of the key ingredients that you should look for when trying to choose a drink that delivers the most energy.
You’ll even learn more about some of the most popular energy drinks and the side effects that come with them. Finally, we’ll point you in the direction of clean energy drinks that work to keep you energized without all of the junk.
What Is an Energy Drink?
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) defines an energy drink as a product that increases energy while also enhancing a person’s physical performance and mental alertness. These products primarily come in two forms.
You can purchase a standard energy drink in cans similar to that of a soft drink. They typically come in 16-ounce servings, but you can also purchase them in larger options. Some brands also offer “energy shots.” These are concentrated caffeine drinks that are typically sold in containers that hold 2 ounces of liquid. These are designed to give you the same amount of energy as their larger counterparts.
How Much Caffeine Is in an Energy Drink?
Though some energy drinks offer lower caffeine levels, the average drink contains 70-240 mg of caffeine. In the concentrated energy shots, you’re more likely to see products in the range of 113-200 mg. To put that into perspective, a typically 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 100 mg of caffeine.
That means that the 2-ounce energy shots can give you twice that caffeine with just 25% of the liquid. It’s no surprise that more and more people are turning to these products as their preferred caffeine source.
How Do Energy Drinks Work?
Many people know that an energy drink helps them power through a long day, but few people know the science behind these products. To know what energy drink gives the most energy, you must understand how they work.
Energy drinks are made up of a combination of different ingredients, but caffeine is one of the most important ones. The reason is that caffeine is responsible for inhibiting the effects of adenosine. That is the brain chemical that tells your body when to sleep.
When it is blocked, it causes an increase in neuron activity that tricks your body into thinking there is an emergency. Your body then goes into “fight or flight” mode and releases adrenaline to increase your heart rate and release more sugar into your bloodstream.
That’s not all!
Caffeine also stimulates the part of your body responsible for producing dopamine. This chemical activates your body’s pleasure center and leaves you feeling better. When you combine all of these effects, you physically feel more energized and less exhausted.
Many energy drinks that work most effectively have other legal stimulants as well. These ingredients work with caffeine to increase alertness and attention. Popular stimulant additives have even been shown to increase heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure.
What Ingredients Are Found in Strong Energy Drinks?
Though the exact ingredients used can vary from one brand of energy drink to the next, there are several that are widely used. If you want to know which energy drink gives you the most energy, you will want to look for a product that uses a combination of different stimulants with caffeine.
The following are just a few of the most popular additives that you will notice in strong energy drinks:
Taurine
This non-proteinogenic amino sulfonic acid is one of the original ingredients in energy drinks. It was used in Liptovan in Japan back in the 60s and was marketed as a product to increase energy, but it acts as a nervous system depressant rather than a stimulant.
Ginseng
Long before ginseng was ever found in a can of energy drink, it was used by Native Americans as a stimulant. The root was used to treat an array of ailments, from indigestion and headaches to fever and infertility.
It remains a popular herb because it is healthier and less addictive than other sources of energy. It also has been associated with cognitive improvements for memory and immune system support.
B Complex Vitamins
Though it is not a stimulant, vitamin B12 is one of the most energizing of the eight B-complex vitamins. Increasing your intake when your body is low on this nutrient has been shown to help people feel more energized and alert.
Since most people don’t produce enough of this on their own, it must be supplemented by outside sources, such as food, energy drinks, and multivitamins.
L-Carnitine
This ingredient is another example of an amino acid derivative that plays a major role in your body’s energy production. L-Carnitine is responsible for transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria.
While your body can make this ingredient, supplementing it with an energy drink helps to increase your overall energy production.
Guarana
Amazonian tribes have been using this native plant for centuries due to its therapeutic benefits, but it has also become a popular ingredient in some of your favorite energy drinks. In fact, 70% of the world’s guarana plants are used in the beverage industry.
This is because the plant contains several different stimulants, including caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline.
Sugar
The energy drinks that provide the most energy almost always include sugar because simple carbohydrates can provide a quick boost of energy. The body can break them down and send the sugar into your bloodstream faster than complex carbohydrates.
As a result, you get that well-known sugar rush followed by the infamous crash.
Inositol
Finally, several of the most common energy drinks add inositol because it helps the body modulate serotonin, which is the hormone that makes you feel happier, more focused, and calmer. It helps fend off feelings of anxiety and depression.
Which Energy Drink Gives You the Most Energy?
Did you know that energy drinks are one of the most popular dietary supplements among young adults and teens? They are only bested by multivitamins! Since they sell so well, it should come as no surprise that several brands are trying to get in on the market.
Some have been successful in their efforts to create ultra-powerful energy drinks, but what energy drink is the strongest? The following are some of the most energizing beverages available:
Spike®
There’s no doubt about it. Spike Hardcore Energy® belongs at the top of the list as one of the strongest energy drinks available. You won’t find another like it on the market. The can is only 16 ounces, but it has a whopping 350 mg of caffeine. That’s the equivalent of drinking 3.5 cups of coffee.
Unlike most popular energy drinks, this product doesn’t contain any sugar or carbohydrates. Instead, you’ll find the following ingredients:
- Caffeine
- Beta-Alanine
- Acetyl-L-Tyrosine
- Vitamin B12
Redline®
Though Redline Xtreme® doesn’t offer quite as much caffeine, it is more concentrated. In just one 8-ounce bottle, you’ll get an impressive 316 mg of caffeine. Don’t let the smaller bottle fool you, though. It is easy to overdose on caffeine, so you shouldn’t attempt to drink more than one serving.
Much like Spike®, this is an energy drink you will want to consume with caution. Since it contains more caffeine than three cups of coffee, it can create a quick burst of energy that many people aren’t used to. If you are sensitive to caffeine or new to energy drinks, you could experience negative side effects.
If you need the extra energizing power that comes with this beverage, you will be happy to know that it is zero-sugar, as well. It even includes electrolytes, so it is a perfect pre-workout energy drink option.
Bang®
A Bang Energy® drink is another great option for someone looking to hit the 300 mg mark in their caffeine intake. It also packs a lot of caffeine per ounce of liquid, so it’s another concentrated solution designed to provide quick energy.
The product is perfect for people who need extra energy to get through a tough workout, and since it has zero sugar or carbohydrates, this is a great choice for people trying to lose weight.
What else does it have?
It’s more than just your average energy drink. It also contains EAAs, CoQ10, and Super Creatine by Bang®. Together, these products work to provide athletes with all of the ingredients they need to crush their next workout.
Reign®
Reign Total Body Fuel® also falls under the athletic energy drink category. The creator of this product formulated it with athletes in mind, so it can help you push your body as far as it can go. The 16-ounce can contains 300 mg of caffeine, so while it’s powerful, it’s not quite as concentrated as some of the other options.
Athletes especially love that this zero-sugar drink contains 1000 mg of BCAAs, which are amino acids that support muscle health. Each can also have CoQ10, B vitamins, and electrolytes.
That’s not all!
This fruity-flavored beverage gets its 300 mg of caffeine from a blend of coffee beans and tea leaves.
Celsius®
We round off our list of the most energizing energy drinks with another fitness-related beverage. Celsius Energy® is advertised as a product to help speed up your metabolism to help burn body fat. Though most of Celsius Energy®’s basic varieties only contain 200 mg of caffeine, they offer a Celsius Heat® version that has 300 mg of caffeine in just a 10-ounce can.
What ingredients make up this allegedly thermogenic energy drink?
In each can of Celsius Heat®, you’ll find a healthy dose of caffeine, taurine, guarana extract, and ginger extract. Similar to most of the other strong energy drinks on this list, Celsius Heat® doesn’t have any sugar, and it is low in carbohydrates.
Negative Side Effects of Drinking These Stronger Energy Drinks
Choosing the best energy drinks isn’t just about finding one that has the most caffeine. For most adults, it is safe to consume up to 400 mg of caffeine each day. However, that doesn’t mean that you won’t experience any side effects when you drink these ultra-strong energy drinks. Many people cannot drink more than 200 mg of caffeine in one serving without any problems, so consuming highly-caffeinated drinks already puts you at risk of feeling sick.
Aside from being high in caffeine, there are several ingredients in those products that can leave you feeling unwell. Consuming too many stimulants and an excessive amount of caffeine can lead you to experience:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Stomach Pains
- Liver Pain
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Sugar Crash/Fatigue
- Jitters
For many people, these symptoms occur when they consume products that are high in sugar, and other additives. Fortunately, many clean energy alternatives prove to be the best because they deliver all of the benefits without the junk.
Keep reading to learn more about some clean energy drinks that can help you power through a night of studying, workout, or just your usual tiredness.
The Strongest Energy Drink With Clean Caffeine
FITAID Energy is the highest caffeinated beverage by LIFEAID. With 200 mg of clean caffeine in each 12-ounce can, you get the perfect amount of energy per serving. Since it doesn’t have more than 300 mg per can, you are less likely to experience the negative side effects of consuming energy drinks with too much caffeine.
Instead, you can get just the boost you were looking for without the jitters or sick feelings that you may experience with other brands.
What makes the caffeine from these healthy energy drinks different from what is found in other energy drinks?
LIFEAID only uses clean ingredients, so we make sure that our caffeine comes from clean sources, too. The 200 mg of caffeine in this product comes from green tea leaves.
That’s not even the best part. Much like many of the strong energy drinks we discussed before, this product is ideal for helping athletes energize their bodies for better performance, and it contains several ingredients that make it an overall great drink to supplement your diet. Each serving of FITAID contains BCAAs, B-Complex vitamins, CoQ10, and electrolytes like the powerful energy drinks listed above.
However, this product goes beyond just providing you with an excessive amount of caffeine. They also include:
- Turmeric which may reduce inflammation from everyday stress.
- Glucosamine to support joint health and prevent post-workout soreness.
Best Energy Drink for Post-Workout Recovery
At LIFEAID, we don’t just offer energy drinks for people looking to get the most energy. We also offer dual-purpose products, including energy drinks that aid in sports recovery. FITAID RX is a product that specifically offers bonded creatine supplements. The biggest difference between this product and traditional FITAID is that it has 1,000 mg of added creatine, perfect for your intense exercise.
This particular ingredient makes this drink an excellent choice for people who are looking to develop and maintain both speed and power while they are working out. Creatine can also reduce the amount of muscle and protein breakdown that occurs. Along with creatine, you’ll also find caffeine sourced from green tea extract.
Each serving contains about 45 mg of caffeine which makes it far less energizing, but many people love the recovery blend because it also has:
- A B-Complex Vitamin to promote energy and endurance while also maintaining muscle tone.
- BCAAs & glutamine to reduce muscle breakdown during long periods of intense exercise.
- Glucosamine & quercetin that may help prevent inflammation that causes post-exercise soreness.
Want to know the best part? This low-calorie energy drink also comes in a zero-sugar option, so it is perfect for many diet and exercise plans.
Which Energy Drink Works the Best for Studying?
Finally, we offer an energy drink that also provides consumers with a brain boost. That’s right—our FOCUSAID is the perfect blend of nootropics and caffeine to make sure that you are awake, alert, and focused on any task. As a result, it’s the best energizing drink for students.
Though it might not be the strongest energy drink on the list, it does offer 100 mg of clean caffeine. The caffeine is sourced from Yerba Maté and Green Tea, so it doesn’t give you the spike and crash that you get with some of the other products.
Instead, this is a long-lasting energy drink that provides you with the nourishment you need to focus on any task—even if you have to stay up all night cramming for a test.
What makes this energy drink so effective?
The combination of caffeine and nootropics like American Ginseng and Acetyl-L-Carnitine. It also contains a B-complex vitamin, but that isn’t all.
We go above and beyond with our blend of herbs, vitamins, and nutrients, so you can also expect:
- GABA
- Alpha-GPC
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D3
- Biotin
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
All of these ingredients work together to improve your brain's memory and function while also improving alertness and overall energy. To top it off, this product comes in two flavors, a zero-sugar alternative, and a convenient powder packet.
Discover What Energy Drink Gives You the Most Energy
Did you come here looking to find what drink gives you the most energy? If so, we hope that you found this guide helpful. You should now know a little bit more about what to look for when shopping for an energy drink.
If you are interested in trying any of our different energy drink products, we recommend that you look through all of the flavors and product lines that we have to offer. We’re sure that you’ll be able to find an energy drink that you love. If you still aren’t sure where to start, you can try out the variety pack of our FITAID Energy drinks. It comes with all four of our flavors in one 12-pack.
At LIFEAID, we strive to make buying energy drinks as easy as possible, so you can order our variety pack or any other flavors directly from our website. When you order online, you can make a one-time purchase or sign up for our subscription to save 10% off all your future monthly orders. You’ll also get free shipping with your subscription and never have to worry about running out of your favorite energy drink. Convenience and savings? You can’t beat that!
Finally, you can also purchase our products from your favorite retailer. Our drinks are available in several local grocery and convenience stores around the country. You can use our store locator to see what products are near you. With all of these ways to shop and save, it’s never been easier to stay energized. What’s stopping you from finding the best energy drinks to help you power through your day?
