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The Ultimate Guide to the Best Energy Drink in the USA

The Ultimate Guide to the Best Energy Drink in the USA

This study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that over the last decade energy drink consumption has been increasing.

It makes sense. The appeal of energy drinks is so incredibly widespread, in literally every corner of the USA you’ll find people enjoying their favorite energy drink.

There are an enormous amount of energy drinks available in the US, so how on Earth are you supposed to know which ones are the best, and which ones probably aren’t worth your time?

You’re in the right place, let’s jump in and take a closer look at some energy drinks, and then I’ll suggest what I think are some of the best options in all of America that you should check out.

Let’s get started…

What goes into an American energy drink?

Energy drinks are a type of drink that contains ingredients such as caffeine and ginseng and often boast the ability to stimulate your mind and body.

Compared to sodas that contain water, sugar, and flavoring, or sports drinks, which are mainly to replenish fluids and help you stay hydrated, energy drinks are designed to boost performance.

Energy drinks were popular in Asia long before they came to the United States, but they completely blew up when they arrived.

In fact, revenues doubled each year when energy drinks first came to the United States in 1997 and reached more than 1 billion dollars in 2000.

What ingredients are in an average energy drink in the US?

Some of the main ingredients in an energy drink include:

  • Caffeine (to help keep you alert and ready to go)
  • Guarana seed extract (more caffeine)
  • Taurine (which is good as a dietary supplement and helps with muscle recovery)
  • Sugar (contains glucose which is great for energy, but isn’t good for your health and often causes sugar crashes)
  • Sucralose (an artificial sweetener that can be used to replace sugar)
  • Acesulfame Potassium (another artificial sweetener)
  • B Vitamins (Some vitamins which are good, but you don’t need to have crazy amounts of them)
  • Glucuronolactone (which helps in the structuring of tissues)
  • Ginkgo Biloba (an Asian herb supplement and an antioxidant)
  • Ginseng (which heals damaged cells and is a good source of antioxidants)
  • Citric Acid (which is derived from citrus fruits and can enhance nutrient absorption)

And many more. Energy drinks can contain a ton of ingredients but those are the most common ingredients found in most energy drinks right across America.

Are energy drinks bad for you?

Too many energy drinks can be bad for you if you are not careful with them.

However, too much of anything is bad for you. It goes the same if you drank too much water.

While American energy drinks are good for stimulation, if you overdo them, they can cause many health problems.

Energy drinks do contain a number of ingredients that if consumed in excess can have long-term health repercussions.

Therefore, it’s important to watch how much you drink, what’s in your energy drink, and figure out how much your body can take.

Drinking too many energy drinks can cause a number of problems, including:

Caffeine Overdose

While caffeine is great for helping you feel alert and getting you to work at 110%, too much caffeine is not good for you.

Over-indulging in energy drinks that have a lot of caffeine in them can result in a caffeine overdose, a very serious condition where you have too much caffeine in your body.

Caffeine overdose can cause:

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Heart Palpitations
  • Headaches
  • Becoming Delirious
  • Insomnia
  • Nervousness and increased anxiety
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Death (in very rare cases)

In conclusion, I would say that being careful with your caffeine intake is very wise. I recommend 50mg to 100mg each day, I find that to be the sweet spot.

However, if you need more to feel alert and active, try not to go over 400 mg, which is the maximum amount per day recommended by the FDA.

Watch out for these side effects when consuming too much caffeine.

Sugar Crashes

While sugar is great for a quick burst of energy, too much sugar can cause a number of problems, some immediate, and some long-term.

Health risks can range from short term sugar crashes which might include:

  • Lightheadedness
  • Dizziness
  • Shaking
  • Irritability
  • Sweating
  • Confusion
  • Anxiety

Long term health problems include:

  • Diabetes
  • Heart disease
  • Cellular aging
  • Fatty liver
  • Kidney disease
  • Cavities
  • Increasing your risk of cancer
  • Obesity

Overall, I’d say it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially in America where obesity is already such a problem. Do you really want to be drinking more sugar and subjecting yourself to more health problems and be another number in the healthcare system?

I didn’t think so.

To help you control your sugar intake, the AHA suggests:

SexMaximum Daily Intake
Men150kcal / 37.5g / 9 tsp
Women100kcal / 25g / 6 tsp
Maximum Daily Intake of Sugar

Keep to those restrictions and you can be sure sugar crashes, obesity, and diabetes will never torment you.

What is the most popular energy drink in America?

The most popular energy drink in America is Red Bull.

Red Bull is also the most popular energy drink in the entire world, selling the equivalent of one can for every person on Earth, every year. That’s a staggering amount.

In the USA, Monster is in 2nd place and VPX Bang is in 3rd place.

There are many other smaller brands that each have small pieces of the total market share, but these 3 are the dominant players.

This data is based on sales, not social media followers or any other subjective measure.

Best Energy Drink in America

In no particular order, here are some of the best energy drinks in America.

I suggest you check them all out and see which ones work best for you.

Red Bull

Red Bull was the first energy drink to be introduced into America and is the current leader based on sales, so it was an obvious recommendation.

Compared to a lot of other energy drinks, Red Bull has a good amount of caffeine and other ingredients, although it does contain quite a bit of sugar.

Red Bull contains:

  • 110 calories
  • 28g carbohydrates
  • 27g sugars 
  • 80mg of caffeine
  • Niacin
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin B12
  • Pantothenic Acid

As such, I can see why it can contest for the best energy drink in America, it has a great taste and is great as an all-around energy drink.

If you want to know why Red Bull was previously banned in France (quite an interesting story!), check out my other article for more on that.

XS Energy Drink

XS Energy drink has a long list of ingredients that contain both artificial sweeteners and a fair amount of caffeine.

XS Energy drinks contain:

  • 80mg of caffeine
  • 35mg of Sodium
  • 35mg of Potassium
  • 100% of the recommended daily value (DV) of Vitamin B3
  • 300% of the DV of Vitamin B6
  • 100% of the DV of Vitamin B5
  • 4,900% of the DV of Vitamin B12 (that’s ridiculous, and not in a good way)
  • Carbonated water
  • Taurine
  • L-Glutamine
  • Citric acid
  • Natural flavors
  • Acesulfame potassium
  • Sodium benzoate
  • Potassium sorbet
  • Salt
  • Sucralose
  • Calcium d-Pantothenate
  • Niacinamide
  • Herbal blend
  • Purple carrot extract
  • Pyridoxine hydrochloride
  • Riboflavin
  • Cyanocobalamin

I think XS Energy Drink is one of the best energy drinks in America, even though it’s not as popular as the leading brands.

My main concern with XS is that it usually isn’t all that affordable. Quite the opposite actually.

But I would say try it for yourself and see if it works for you.

Rip It Energy Drink

Rip It Energy drink contains the same amount of caffeine and a little less sugar than Red Bull.

Rip It is an American icon, with a strong message of supporting the troops. It also tastes good and provides a nice energy boost.

Rip It Energy Drink has a lot of ingredients including:

  • 100 calories 
  • 80mg of caffeine 
  • 0g fat 
  • 75mg sodium 
  • 26g carbohydrates 
  • 26g sugars 
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin B6 
  • Vitamin B12 

I would say get Rip It if you don’t mind some sugar and calories and want to feel good about supporting the troops.

REIZE (10 out of 10)

REIZE
TRY REIZE!

In my opinion, the top spot for the best energy drink in America goes to REIZE for its great flavor, awesome prices, and overall great mix!

REIZE contains only 50mg of caffeine and is absolutely sugar-free!

It has a great amount of caffeine and with the added fact that it has no sugar, you can be ensured that you won’t have a sugar crash.

REIZE also has a mix of caffeine, ginseng, taurine, and B vitamins.

These ingredients work together to give you a great energy boost that will put you in the “sweet spot” for hours, with no noticeable crash afterwards.

With those ingredients working together in perfect harmony, you’ll have a long-lasting energy boost for just about anything.

Best of all, REIZE costs only around $1 per drink including shipping right to your door anywhere in America.

That’s incredibly good value for money.

Give REIZE a shot today and I’ll bet that you’ll agree with me that it’s America’s best energy drink.

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