5-Hour Energy is a long-standing brand in the energy market, being one of the top-selling energy drinks in the United States.
While you may already enjoy 5-Hour Energy, you might be wondering: Is 5-Hour Energy actually beneficial for you? What happens when you drink it? And what is the good and the bad of 5-Hour energy?
5-Hour Energy’s energy blend contains Taurine, Glucuronic acid, L-Tyrosine, and Citicoline. Taurine and L-Tyrosine help improve various bodily functions. Meanwhile, Glucuronic acid helps remove harmful substances from the body. Finally, it also contains 200mg of caffeine, which is well below the FDA’s 400 mg daily intake limit.
With that in mind, stick around for some serious analysis of 5-Hour Energy as I guide you through its nutrition facts.
5-Hour Energy Ingredients
Before we go into the details of nutrition, let’s look at the ingredients of 5-Hour Energy.
It may be small, but it’s got a lot of active ingredients going on:
- Taurine
- Glucuronic Acid
- Malic Acid
- N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
- L-Phenylalanine
- Caffeine
- Citicoline
Here is the list of the other ingredients that make up the energy drink. These are the components and inactive ingredients:
- Purified Water
- Natural & Artificial Flavors
- Sucralose
- Potassium Sorbate
- Sodium Benzoate
- EDTA
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that’s naturally occurring in the body, being concentrated around your brain, eyes, muscles, and heart.
5-Hour Energy contains an undisclosed amount of Taurine. Some potential benefits of Taurine include:
- Heart Health Improvement
- Added Energy when Exercising
- Liver Protection
- Regulate the electrolytes and minerals
Glucuronic Acid (Glucuronolactone)
Glucuronic acid is found in various sources such as Arabic gum, xanthan gum, and also Kombucha tea. This acid helps regulate metabolism within the body.
This acid is a highly soluble compound that binds itself to substances such as hormones, drugs, and toxins. The acid would then facilitate and transport these substances around the body.
It’s largely responsible for the elimination of poisonous and toxic substances inside the body, so this ingredient is beneficial to have in an energy drink.
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine (NALT)
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, or Tyrosine for short, is a dietary supplement that’s popular for its use in improving alertness, attention, and focus.
It produces essential brain chemicals that aid nerve cells to communicate and may even regulate and boost mood.
However, the quantity of Tyrosine in 5-Hour Energy is not specified on the label, hence its efficacy is uncertain.
Caffeine
One small 57 fl.oz bottle of 5-Hour Energy contains 200mg of caffeine, which is quite a large amount of caffeine for that serving size.
According to the FDA, the maximum daily caffeine limit is 400mg, and anything more than that and you would be going overboard with your caffeine consumption.
Excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to negative side effects, such as:
- Jitteriness
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- High blood pressure
Keep in mind that your caffeine tolerance may vary. If you have a high caffeine tolerance, you can handle the high amounts of caffeine present in 5-Hour Energy.
On the other hand, if you have a low caffeine tolerance, I’d recommend that you opt for energy drinks with low caffeine content.
Artificial Sweeteners
As seen in the ingredients list, sugar is nowhere to be found. Instead, 5-Hour Energy uses artificial sweeteners, namely sucralose, to give you sweetness without any guilt.
Although artificial sweeteners are 200 to 600 times sweeter than sugar, it doesn’t come with the calories that sugar has, so it’s a plus if you’re watching your waistline or your diet.
While there may be some controversies around the use of artificial sweeteners, you don’t have to worry too much as it’s been approved for general consumption by the FDA.
Does 5-Hour Energy Have Carbs?
5-Hour Energy does not contain any carbs. In fact, it doesn’t contain any fat, carbs, sugars, protein, nor fiber.
The calorie count of one bottle is only a minute amount of 4 calories, which is great if you’re watching your calories or happen to follow a certain dietary lifestyle.
For more information on how 5 Hour Energy might be suited for your diet, have a look at the article I’ve written on if 5 Hour Energy Shots Are Vegan, you’re sure to find it informative.
What Is In 5-Hour Energy That Gives You Energy?
5-Hour Energy contains a special energy blend, which is made out of great ingredients that keep you alert and focused throughout the day.
The key ingredients that claim to give you the energy-boosting properties are:
- Citicoline
- Tyrosine
- Phenylalanine
- Taurine
- Malic Acid
- Glucuronolactone
- Caffeine
That said, some ingredients mentioned above have been found to have little to no significant effect. A study shows that citicoline, phenylalanine, and tyrosine does little to no improvements in boosting cognition and focus.
However, there’s one ingredient here that’s well-known for providing a giant boost of energy—caffeine, which is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system of the body.
Does 5-Hour Energy Work?
Loaded with a high dosage of caffeine and packed with B-Vitamins, this one will definitely work out in your favor.
It is a very effective energy drink that can give you a massive boost of energy in almost an instant. On top of that, it’s made from natural sources, which is great if you’re looking for all-natural energy drinks.
How Long Does It Take For 5-Hour Energy To Kick In?
How quickly 5-Hour Energy works is largely dependent on your caffeine tolerance and how full you are.
Let’s say you just had lunch and it was an incredibly delicious meal. Then, to prevent the afternoon slump you drink a bottle of 5-Hour Energy Drink.
Due to your stomach being full of food, the caffeine inside your stomach may take a while before its effects work on you.
However, if you decide to drink it before the meal, it would take approximately 15-30 minutes before you feel its effects.
Another variable to keep in mind is your caffeine tolerance. If you have a high caffeine tolerance, the caffeine in 5-Hour Energy may take time before the alertness creeps in.
Is 5-Hour Energy Approved By The FDA?
According to the FDA, with regards to dietary supplements, they don’t need to be approved. However, dietary supplements are strictly regulated and must comply with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act.
Keeping in mind that 5-Hour Energy Drink labels itself as a dietary supplement, it’s not approved by the FDA, but it’s still heavily regulated and complies with certain laws and restrictions.
How Long Does 5-Hour Energy Last?
Again, this also depends on a number of variables and may vary across individuals.
Firstly, your body size and height may play a part. If you have a large body mass, the caffeine may take a while to circulate in your body, causing the effects of caffeine to last longer.
Another variable to take note of is your metabolism. How fast or how slow your body burns and filters out the caffeine is definitely something that affect how long the effects of 5-Hour Energy last.
Does 5-Hour Energy Make You Crash?
While you won’t experience a sugar crash, you may experience a caffeine crash from the high levels of caffeine present in the drink.
When 5-hour Energy Drinks first came about in the market, it was advertised as a no-crash energy drink. Meaning that when you drink it, you won’t experience the dreaded slump of energy after.
This, however, has been disputed by research companies and marketing firms, claiming that it does cause a caffeine crash. Since then, the brand has dropped its claims of having no crashes.
Is 5-Hour Energy Drink Good For You?
As mentioned previously in the ingredients list, 5-Hour Energy Drink is filled with different vitamins and minerals that may be beneficial to your body.
More importantly, 5-Hour Energy Drink has Taurine, Glucuronic Acid, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and L-Phenylalanine.
With that in mind, if you’re looking for healthy energy drink options, here are the best energy drinks for health, which might interest you.
5-Hour Energy Pros And Cons
If you’re still not sure of where you stand in terms of 5-Hour Energy Drink, here’s a table detailing its pros and cons:
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable: About $2 per bottle | High Caffeine Content* |
| Sugar-free | Small Bottle (subjective) |
| Quick and Easy to Consume | Lack of study in ingredients |
*This is circumstantial and based on caffeine tolerance. But due to it being relatively high than most energy drinks, I’m putting it into the con side.
As some of these are subjective, you may disagree with me for some, but these are my take on the pros and cons of the 5-Hour Energy Drink.
REIZE (10 out of 10)
REIZE is the perfect alternative for you to try.
If you’re not too fond of the caffeine content of 5-Hour Energy, how about opting for REIZE instead?
REIZE is a powdered energy drink that only contains 50 mg of caffeine, which is only one-fourth of the caffeine content in a 5-Hour Energy Drink but enough to give me the boost without any side effects.
Similar to 5-Hour Energy, it’s also sugar-free, which makes it healthier too.
With that in mind, you can enjoy this delicious energy drink without going overboard on the daily recommended servings of caffeine and sugar.
REIZE also has the same beneficial ingredients as the 5-Hour Energy Drink and more, packed with taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins. All in a jam-packed, bang for the buck, easy to carry take wherever you go sachet.
And you want to know the best part?
You can have this amazing drink shipped right to your door for only about $1 per drink. That’s amazing value for money.
Try REIZE today and I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s a smarter choice than Rockstar.