Red Bull, Boost, Monster: everything behind energy drinks

Do energy drinks really work or are they just extra calories ruining your progress?

And now, we will not talk about those drinks you drink when you need to enhance your workouts such as ” sports and isotonic ” (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) so you do not get confused. Rather, we will offer you a current overview of those that you choose to mix with your black pearl of the weekend, those that you turn to when you go down and require a punch of energy or, those that you take to get active on those tremendously charged days working at the office …

But what are energy drinks?

According to a Harvard mini-review published in Frontiers in Public Health Magazine on the effects that these drinks have on health and public health, it states that they do not contain alcohol and differ from other “ functional drinks ” by increasing energy, endurance, athletic performance and concentration. This industry alone already had sales of 9.7 billion dollars in the United States for 2015. Imagine how they will go today!

What are the ingredients in energy drinks?

Obviously, one of the main substances they contain is caffeine (especially to stimulate your central nervous system), however, they also have water and sugar, other non-nutritive stimulants such as: guarana, ginseng, yerba mate, taurine, acai, maltodextrins, creatine, ginkgo biloba, L-carnitine, D-glucuronolactone and inositol, as well as vitamins (usually B complex) and minerals.

TEMPORARY improvements in alertness, physical performance (maybe even muscle strength) or less fatigue could be some of your pros, but what about the cons?

When we get into this topic of energy drinks such as Red Bull, Boost, Monster and others, we run into the controversial if we resort to what science shows. Now, we have to tell you that if your consumption is conscious and you adapt it to a true eventual need, there is no problem with you drinking them; Conflict and possible damage can occur when you go to the club and order your drinks combining these types of drinks with alcohol, or when you make them your greatest source of hydration.

According to what science says, these are the effects that you would NOT want to experience from excessive consumption! (Watch out! They can even be permanent!)

1. Risk behaviors : you can get into the abuse of harmful substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, etc. and begin to experience aggressive behaviors.

2. Mental effects: stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal attempts, poor academic performance.

3. Adverse cardiovascular effects: increases in your blood pressure and your heart rate.

4. Metabolic effects: overweight, obesity, cavities, diabetes, microvascular damage, kidney …

5. Others : such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, headaches, stomach, etc.

In Mexico, many of these products were modified in their composition due to changes in the Official Mexican Standard that regulates them (NOM-218-SSA1-2011).

That is why this year (to be more precise in the July volume) a comparative analysis of these drinks is published in the Consumer Magazine. So according to their findings we will list them for you by the caffeine content (obviously, in case you want that energy boost !!!) that they have in 100 ml from largest to smallest, which gives you a better idea about those that are more concentrated in this ingredient (although we clarify that the total volume per container could be different):

1. Coca Cola Energy 355 ml

2. Coca Cola Energy 235 ml

3. Amper Energy on the Go fortified with vitamins 473 ml

4. Amper Energy on the Go 473 ml

5. Go !! Blu Energy Drink blueberry flavor 250 ml

6. Volt Blue Energy 473 ml

7. Volt Pink Energy 473 ml

8. Live 100% added with vitamins 355 ml

   M Monster Juice Energy + Juice Pipeline Punch 473 ml

9. Live 100% 355 ml

10. Vive 100% Ginseng Citrus 500 ml

11. Monster Energy Lewis Hamilton 473 ml

12. Go !! Blu Energy Drink Mojito flavor 250 ml

13. Red Bull Energy Drink 250 ml

14. Red Bull Energy Drink 355 ml

15. Pepsi Kick 500 ml

16. Red Bull Energy Sugar Free 250 ml

17. Red Bull Tropical Edition Energy Drink 250 ml

18. Boost Active Energy (blue) 235 ml

19. Boost Pop Active Energy (red) 235 ml

20. Boost Active Energy (green) 235 ml

21. Nitro Energy Drink 473 ml

22. Blue Day Refreshing Energy 250 ml

23. Coca Cola with Coffee 235 ml

Those with the most caffeine per container:

• Coca Cola Energy (115.4 mg)

• Vive 100% Gingseng Citrus (96.1 mg)

• Amper Energy on the Go (95.5 mg)

• Pepsi Kick (93.3 mg)

Those with the most taurine:

• Amper Energy on the Go, Nitro Energy Drink and Volt Blue Energy (1892 mg / container)

• M Monster Energy Lewis Hamilton (1868 mg / container)

Those with the most sugars:

• M Monster Juice Energy + Pipeline Punch Juice (50.4 mg)

• Volt Blue Energy (49 mg)

• Nitro Energy Drink (41.5 mg)

• Red Bull Energy (39.7 mg)

They do not contain vitamins:

• Amper Energy on the Go

• Coca Cola with coffee

• Pepsi Kick

• Live 100%

Higher in calories (200 kcal):

• M Monster Juice Energy + Jugo Pipeline Punch

• Volt Blue Energy

Zero calories but with sweeteners:

• Coca Cola with coffee and Coca Cola Energy

• Pepsi Kick

• Red Bull Sugar Free