Whether you’re currently an IB student or thinking of signing up for the program, I’ve got a secret weapon that might help you power through some academically demanding situations.
Psst! It’s energy drinks.
In this article, I’ll be taking you through the best energy drinks for IB, as well as what you should consider before buying one and how they can affect your student life.
But if you’re more of a night-owl when it comes to studying, I’ve written an article on the best energy drink for staying up all night, which you may find useful too.
Let’s get started..
What Is An IB Education?
IB (or IBDP) is short for the International Baccalaureate, and it’s a pre-University Diploma program founded in Switzerland.
If you’re a current IB student, you’re probably aware of the huge debate about whether A-Levels or IB is harder, but the truth is, they’re both just as equally challenging and require lots of mental functions.
And unlike A-Levels, the grading system for the IB program is point-based. And you’ll need to complete an independent research project on top of your classes and assessments.
What Should You Consider When Buying Energy Drinks?
Caffeine Content
Energy drinks usually contain between 50mg to 300mg of caffeine to increase their effectiveness as caffeine has many benefits for you.
Caffeine doesn’t only keep you awake but also boosts your focus and mood to get you through those difficult semesters.
But, of course, everyone has a different caffeine metabolism, so if you’re sensitive to caffeine, it’s best to choose energy drinks that have low caffeine content.
That said, you should still keep your daily caffeine limit to no more than 400mg as recommended by the FDA. Over-consuming may lead to adverse side effects, which can distract your studies.
So while it’s tempting to chug down all that caffeine for the sake of chasing deadlines, you should always priorities your health first.
If you want to know more about the side effects of caffeine, check out the article I’ve written on the subject here.
Sugar Content
Everyone loves sugar, and it’s completely alright to indulge in your sweetness cravings occasionally. That said, you should still be cautious of your sugar intake, especially with sugary energy drinks.
For guidance, have a look at the maximum daily sugar limit that is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) in the table below:
| Gender | Recommended daily intake of sugar by AHA |
| Men | 150 kcal / 37.5g / 9tsp |
| Women | 100 kcal / 25g / 6tsp |
Going overboard may lead to many notable side effects plus, consuming too much sugar at once can cause a nasty sugar crash.
The health risks of sugar includes:
- Acne
- Tooth decay
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
That said, I highly recommend going for energy drinks that are low in sugar or completely sugar-free so you won’t have to worry about any unnecessary side effects after.
Price & Availability
Without a doubt, it may be difficult to get your hands on energy drinks if you’re living on-campus and don’t have a 24-hour convenience store nearby.
Thankfully, you can always get them online, through their official website or online retailers like Amazon or eBay.
If you want to avoid waiting around for delivery every time one of your energy drinks runs out, I recommend stocking up. Buying in bulk is a great way to stretch your budget.
But buying in bulks can also hurt your pockets if you choose rather expensive energy drink brands. While it’s easy to be sold over good marketing, paying more won’t guarantee you good quality.
So, why not check some of the good deals out there that work just as good, if not better?
I highly recommend REIZE Energy Drink because it’s affordable yet works way better for me than some famous energy drink brands out there. Stick around to find out about its greatness.
For a starters guide on getting your energy drinks at a relatively decent price, take a look at my article on the Best Energy Drink Deals for some useful advice.
Is It Good To Drink Energy Drinks While Studying?
Yes. Energy drinks can help improve your study performance as long as you’re relatively healthy and don’t have any underlying medical conditions.
The caffeine in energy drinks stimulates your mental performance by giving you more brain energy and increasing your concentration.
There’s also guarana extract present in some energy drinks, which are said to contain caffeine properties, so that’s double the effectiveness.
IB programmes are known to be quite challenging in terms of workload and grading, and they’ll be moments where you’re trying to cramp as much knowledge as possible to get good points.
So, having a caffeinated energy drink can help boost your memory, making it easier for you to remember important key points, especially when you have an early morning class.
Furthermore, energy drinks contain other beneficial ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, B vitamins, and carnitine, which are proven to help reduce your stress levels as a student.
Another important tip to help you ace your studies is to get enough sleep to avoid affecting your memory, mood, and overall performance in class.
So while energy drinks make a good study buddy, you still need to keep your mental and physical health in check.
Feel free to check out my article on whether you can have energy drinks before an exam, which may be helpful if you’re stressing about a paper.
What Are The Effects Of Energy Drinks On College Students?
It’s a given that too much of a good thing can be bad, and the same can be said about energy drinks, where excessive energy drinks can be detrimental to your health due to their sugar and caffeine content.
The rise of exposure to large quantities of stimulants commonly found in energy drinks among adolescents is concerning. Over-consumption at a young age may lead to some serious long term health effects.
A study also shows that college students are the top consumers of caffeine, and they mainly rely on energy drinks to give them the caffeine boost they need.
So if you find yourself constantly reaching out to a can of energy drinks, you might want to consider its short-term and long-term harmful effects such as:
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
- Fatigue and sugar crashes
- Kidney stones
- Caffeine addiction
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
These effects can disrupt your development into adulthood, so is it really worth it to put your health at risk? Remember, moderation is key.
What Are The Brain Foods For Students?
Before I unravel the best energy drinks, have a quick look at the list below to see what other food that can improve your study performance:
- Water
- Leafy green vegetables
- Avocados
- Blueberries
- Dark chocolate
Water
Everyone knows that water is essential, and you should always keep yourself hydrated, regardless of whether you’re a student or not.
Besides supplying your body with nutrients, it can also boost your memory and cognitive function. This helps improve your focus and concentration.
To add on, water is just as important to your brain as it is to your body. So if you want to increase clarity and creativity, go on and get yourself a glass of water!
Leafy Green Vegetables
Vegetables, in general, are good for your health, but eating more leafy green ones can help you a lot as a student.
That’s because they contain plenty of antioxidants and carotenoids, which not only increases your brainpower but also protects your brain.
Also, the folic acid present in vegetables contributes to a healthy mental state.
Hence, if you still haven’t picked up the habit of finishing your vegetables, now’s the time to start trying.
Avocados
Avocados have grown quite popular (mostly thanks to millennials), and I’m here for the hype!
Firstly, avocados are great stimulants to regulate blood flow into your brain cells.
Also, they’re known as high-fiber foods, and each fruit can contain up to 11 to 17g of fiber. This keeps you feeling full longer, which is helpful when you want to avoid stress eating.
Blueberries
Another great fruit to start eating is blueberries, as they’ve proven to boost your concentration and memory.
Personally, blueberries are one of my favorites, and I eat them at least a couple of times a week.
Not only are they delicious treats, but the antioxidants present in them are good for healthy blood and oxygen flow to your brain.
Dark Chocolate
Chocolates aren’t always bad for your health, as having a healthy dose of dark chocolate allows for better alertness due to its caffeine content.
While it’s a great addition to your diet as a focus and mood booster, it’s still not a good idea to go crazy on the chocolate.
Remember, moderation is key!
Best Energy Drink For IB Students
| Energy Drink Brands | Volume | Caffeine | Sugar |
| Celsius Energy | 16 fl.oz | 200mg | 0g |
| Red Bull | 8.4 fl.oz | 80mg | 27g |
| REIZE (10 out of 10) | Customizable | 50mg | 0g |
Celsius Energy Drink
Caffeine Content: 200mg
Sugar Content: 0g
Price: Around $2, varies according to flavors
Celsius Energy is known for its healthy properties, which include being sugar-free. You definitely won’t have to worry about the nasty sugar crash affecting your study performance.
It also has plenty of varieties, which you can find under their four series:
- Originals
- Naturals
- On-The-Go
- Heat
The beneficial vitamins and minerals packed in a can of Celsius help give you a smooth energy boost and increase your alertness.
If you’re more health-focused, Celsius has a modest amount of 10 calories, which won’t affect much of your daily calorific intake.
However, each series contains 200mg to 300mg of caffeine, which is a rather high amount for an energy drink. So if you’re like me and have low caffeine tolerance, Celsius may not be for you.
Red Bull
Caffeine Content: 80mg
Sugar Content: 27g
Price: Around $1.50
Here’s an OG energy drink that needs no introduction especially if you’re a student.
Red Bull is famous for its ability to keep you awake and give you a great amount of energy without overwhelming yourself with side effects.
Unlike stronger energy drinks, Red Bull has a moderate amount of 80mg of caffeine.
But you may want to try healthier energy drinks if you want to avoid additional calorie intake as there are 110 calories present in a single can of Red Bull.
In terms of pricing, it’s definitely a lot more affordable than Celsius Energy. So, Red Bull will surely complement your student life.
REIZE (10 out of 10)
While Celsius and Red Bull have their own benefits, I think REIZE Energy Drink is the best energy drink that will fit into your IB student life.
Why?
Allow me to share the goodness REIZE has to offer. It’s a powdered energy drink that comes in lightweight 4g sachets, which allows you to bring it with you easily.
All you need to do is mix it with 250ml of liquid of your choice, be it water or juice, then you’re good to go! You can even put it in your water bottle and have it during class.
To add on, it has a sensible amount of 50mg of caffeine and is completely sugar-free with only 11 calories. So no sugar crash detected here.
REIZE is also packed with a blend of beneficial ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins, giving you a balanced energy level to get you to check the boxes for all your daily tasks.
Best of all, you don’t even need to leave your dorm to enjoy it as REIZE delivers straight to your doorstep for only about $1 per drink.
So try REIZE today, and you might agree that it’s the best energy drink for IB students.