Have you ever wondered what all the ingredients listed on the label of Bang energy drinks are?
Maybe you’ve been wondering if Bang supplies you with enough CoQ10 or amino acids.
Do Bang energy drinks really contain all the ingredients stated on the label at the back of the can?
Well, in this article, I’ll be exploring Bang Energy’s ingredients label and if what’s on the label is really accurate by comparing it against a few lab test results.
Let’s begin!
In case you’re in a hurry, here’s the high-level summary:
According to the ingredients label on the back of a can of Bang energy drink, there is 300mg of caffeine, EAA’s (essential amino acids), CoQ10, sodium, magnesium, vitamin C, B group vitamins, and several other ingredients present in each 16 fl.oz can. Bang is also sugar-free and doesn’t contain any calories.
Bang Lab Test Report
I sent a sample of Bang energy drink (Purple Guava Pear flavor) to Alpha Testing Labs for testing.
I had also sent another sample of Bang Energy (Sour Heads flavor) to Chemlab, a different laboratory, to get only the caffeine content tested.
The results that came back were shocking. Stick around, you’ll be just as surprised as I was.
Before we can get to the lab test results, we need to know what the ingredients are as stated on the label of Bang Energy.
What Are The Ingredients In Bang Energy Drink?
A 16 fl.oz can of Bang energy drinks has these ingredients as stated on the can:
- 300mg caffeine
- 0 calories
- 0g total fat
- 0mg cholesterol
- 40mg sodium
- 85mg potassium
- 0g total carbohydrates
- 0g total sugars
- 0g protein
- Vitamin C (50% of the daily recommended amount)
- Vitamin B6 (25% of the daily recommended amount)
- Magnesium (2% of the daily recommended amount)
- Niacin (25% of the daily recommended amount)
- Vitamin B12 (25% of the daily recommended amount)
Bang Energy also claims to contain trace amounts of:
- Carbonated water
- Citric acid anhydrous
- Caffeine anhydrous
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Potassium citrate monohydrate
- Sucralose (artificial sweetener)
- Natural flavors
- L-Leucine
- Potassium phosphate dibasic
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
- Acesulfame potassium (sweetener)
- Magnesium chloride
- SUPER CREATINE (Creatyl-L-Leucine)
- L-Isoleucine
- L-valine
- Calcium chloride
- Calcium disodium EDTA
Now that we know what Bang says it’s made up of, we can make an analysis of the quantities mentioned on the label and compare that to what we see in the lab test reports.
A breakdown of the ingredients in Bang will be covered in the following sections.
How Much Caffeine Is In Bang Energy Drink?
Based on the ingredients label, a regular can of Bang energy drink contains 300mg of caffeine.
The massive amount of caffeine in Bang is what earned its place as one of the strongest energy drinks in the market.
With 300mg of caffeine in a single can, Bang is on par with the likes of Reign, Adrenaline Shoc, C4 Energy and Gfuel cans.
However, based on Alpha Lab’s lab test reports, a can of Bang energy drink only has 0.072mg of caffeine per milliliter (ml).
With some basic math, that means that Bang Energy contains only 34.06mg of caffeine in a can, which is about 266mg less than what’s stated on the ingredients label.
When I saw this result at first, I was really surprised and assumed a few errors had occurred during the calculations or that the lab made a mistake somewhere in the process.
I performed several calculations of my own before reconfirming with Alpha Labs.
In truth, I expected Bang’s caffeine content to vary more or less by 10% compared to the amount stated on the label, not by nearly 90%.
Alpha Testing Labs replied to me and confirmed the results, adding that the results sent to me were 99.99% accurate.
After exchanging a few more emails with Alpha Labs, I decided to have Bang’s caffeine content tested by another lab just to make sure.
Comparing Bang’s Caffeine Content between Two Different Lab Reports
Another sample of Bang Energy (Sour Heads flavor) was sent to a different laboratory to get its caffeine content tested.
The final results that came back were:
0.04% = 0.04/100g = 0.4 g/Kg(L) = 400mg/L
So, the quantities of caffeine in one 16 fl. oz (473ml) can of Bang is (473/1000) x 400mg = 188mg.
Based on these lab test results, there’s 188mg of caffeine in a 473ml (16 fl. oz) can of Bang.
With these results, now we can compare them and see the differences.
| Alpha Testing Labs | ChemLab |
| One 16 fl.oz can of Bang contains 34.06mg of caffeine. | Every 16 fl.oz of Bang Energy has 188mg of caffeine. |
What can be said about these two contrasting outcomes?
What Does This Mean – Summary
Personally, I feel there are two possibilities that could explain the difference between the test results from labs and the caffeine in a can of Bang as advertised:
- Bang really does have 300mg of caffeine in every can and the lab test results are incorrect or;
- Both of these test results are correct and accurate and the differences might have been caused by the different flavors I sent to each respective lab as samples.
But I’ll let you make up your mind about these possible conclusions regarding the actual amount of caffeine in Bang.
| Source of information | Quantity of caffeine in one 16 fl.oz can of Bang |
| Bang | 300mg |
| Alpha Testing Labs (Purple Guava Pear Flavor) | 34.06mg |
| ChemLab (Sour Heads flavor) | 188mg |
I asked one of the labs what they thought about the massive discrepancy between their findings and what Bang prints on their cans and how we could explain such a big difference.
Their answer?
“No quality control”.
Is There Any Sugar Present In Bang Energy Drink?
According to the ingredients label, Bang has zero sugar, making Bang completely sugar-free.
I didn’t test for sugar in either lab test.
What Artificial Sweeteners Are In Bang?
On Bang’s ingredients label, it states that the artificial sweeteners used are acesulfame potassium and sucralose.
As for the exact amounts of artificial sweeteners in a can of Bang, to be honest I’m not sure about it myself and I didn’t get this tested at either lab. Since it mentions on the can label that there are only traces of these sweeteners in Bang, we can probably assume there isn’t much of them in it.
At least that’s what I hope…
How Much CoQ10 Is In Bang Energy Drink?
According to the lab report, Bang has 63.86mg of CoQ10 in a 16fl. oz can.
According to WebMD, a regular dose of CoQ10 consists of 100mg – 200mg per day. Some adults would need different doses, which can range from 50mg – 1200mg in a day.
The amount of CoQ10 in Bang energy drinks is on the lower side of the range. I personally think that this amount isn’t enough to be directly beneficial to you.
You’ll need to drink two cans of Bang to get the amount of CoQ10 to be within the range of the recommended dose. However, drinking two cans of Bang pushes you way over the limit of safe caffeine intake.
Based on the guidelines from the FDA, adults can only consume up to 400mg of caffeine daily. Since Bang claims to contain 300mg of caffeine, you can’t have more than one can in a day.
Thus, you won’t be able to meet the recommended daily intake for CoQ10 from the Bang energy drink.
In my opinion, you shouldn’t depend on Bang energy drinks for your daily dose of CoQ10 and should get it from supplements instead.
If you’re wondering if it’s safe to drink Bang every day, I’ve written a helpful article covering everything you need to know so check that out.
Amino Acids in Bang
On the back of the can, you’ll see that the Bang energy drink contains EAAs, Essential Amino Acids.
EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) are required for many processes in your body like energy production and blood sugar level regulation. EAAs can’t be produced naturally by your body and you have to get them from your diet.
Some of these EAAs can be taken as supplements, which could boost physical performance and reduce muscle loss.
According to the ingredients label on the back of Bang, there are 9 amino acids listed in one can of Bang:
- L-leucine
- L-isoleucine
- L-valine
- L-threonine
- L-lysine
- L-phenylalanine
- L-histidine
- L-tryptophan
- L-methionine
The specific quantities of the amino acids are not mentioned on the label, so I requested Alpha Testing Labs to test for those too since I was curious to know how many amino acids were REALLY in Bang.
Amino Acids Content According To Lab Test Results
According to the certificate of analysis from Alpha Testing Labs, the actual amino acid content in Bang is as follows:
| Amino Acids | Results from Alpha Testing Lab’s reports |
| L-leucine | 0.22mg/ml |
| L-isoleucine | 0.04mg/ml |
| L-valine | Not detected |
| L-threonine | Not detected |
| L-lysine | 0.04mg/ml |
| L-phenylalanine | Not detected |
| L-methionine | Not detected |
| L-histidine | Not detected |
| L-tryptophan | Not detected |
Comparison between Bang Energy Drink Ingredient Label and Lab Test Results
The ingredients label states that all Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) are included in Bang.
Though, the results from the lab show something very different.
Based on Alpha Testing Lab’s reports, only 3 amino acids are actually present in Bang. These are L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-lysine.
| Amino Acid Content | Exact Amounts in a 16 fl.oz can of Bang According To Lab Test Report |
| L-leucine | 18.92mg |
| L-isoleucine | 104.06mg |
| L-lysine | 18.92mg |
Now that we have these amounts to work with, we can check if the amino acids in Bang meet the recommended daily intake for each of them or not.
For l-leucine, the acute dosage is within the 2,000mg – 5000mg range in the form of supplements. To compare, Bang has only 18.92mg of L-leucine in a can, an amount that fails to even meet 1% of the recommended daily intake.
In the case of L-isoleucine, a common dose is around 3,000mg in a lot of cases. Take that amount and compare it with Bang, which contains just 104.06mg of L-isoleucine. You guessed it, there’s not enough L-leucine in Bang to bring you many benefits.
For the last amino acid the lab detected, which is L-lysine, 1000mg per day is the typical dose used to treat cold sores. Meanwhile, Bang has only 18.92mg of L-lysine in a can.
Put two and two against each other and you can see that Bang lacks enough L-lysine to provide any significant benefit.
Summary of Differences
As before, in my opinion, the two possibilities that might explain the differences between the lab report and what’s stated to be in Bang (according to the ingredients label):
- Bang energy drink really does contain all 9 EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) and the lab test report was inaccurate, or
- The lab test results are accurate and Bang doesn’t contain all the amino acids that it claims to include on the ingredients label.
I’ll let you be the judge of which of those two possible scenarios is most likely…
Are There Heavy Metals Present In Bang Energy Drink?
According to lab test results, there are no heavy metals present in the Bang energy drink.
I also had Bang tested for any dangerous metals and thankfully the results came back negative.
Therefore, you can rest assured that Bang definitely doesn’t contain any dangerous metals.
Bang Energy Drink Ingredients Label Verdict
Personally, I really wished Bang had at least 90% of the amount of caffeine as stated on the ingredients label.
It wasn’t just the caffeine content, but also knowing there were only three amino acids in Bang surprised me too.
The results of the lab test did make me question a lot of things about the ingredients, not just in Bang, but also in other brands as well.
I guess this means that we have to be more mindful of our energy drink choices and trust brands that give you an accurate idea of the specific amount of ingredients in their energy drinks.
But, there’s always the chance of the lab test results being wrong. Again, you can make up your own mind about how likely that might be.
If you’d like to learn more about the lab test on Bang, feel free to check out this article where I cover things in more detail and share the original copies of the lab reports discussed above.
I’ve no ill intentions toward Bang with this article; in fact, I’ve been a fan of Bang for a long time and that’s my main motivation for doing this lab testing in the first place.
All in all, it’s best to take all information with a pinch of salt and keep your intake moderate, whether it’s Bang or other energy drinks.
Other Facts You Might Want To Know About Bang Energy Drink
This article focused on the Bang Energy Drink ingredient label. However, there’s plenty of information about Bang I didn’t have the opportunity to include here.
If you’re interested to read more about Bang, here are a few of my other articles you can have a peek at:
- How much creatine is in Bang energy drinks?
- Do Bang energy drinks have alcohol in them?
- Is Bang energy drinks vegan?
- Bang energy drink review – does Bang actually work?
Bang Alternatives
If Bang isn’t for you, there are plenty of other great energy drinks out there to try. Here are a few that I recommend:
If you want to know how Bang is similar and different from some of the brands above, check out these helpful articles:
The brands listed above are all ready-to-drink varieties. Personally, I prefer powder energy drinks for their superior convenience and more affordable price.
Here are a few great powder options to check out:
- Zipfizz
- Gfuel
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (my fav)
REIZE Energy Drink (10 out of 10)
REIZE is a better choice than Bang for several reasons in my opinion.
Firstly, it’s a convenient energy powder that comes in 4g sachets that you can mix with just about anything.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine per drink, REIZE provides the perfect energy boost, without the crash afterward.
REIZE also contains a smart blend of taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that work together with caffeine to keep you going for hours.
Oh, it’s also sugar-free and contains just 11 calories per drink.
The best part?
You can get REIZE shipped right to your home or office for only about $1 per drink.
That’s ridiculously good value for money.
Try REIZE today and I’m sure that you’ll agree that it’s a smarter choice than Bang.