Top Recommendation: REIZE Energy!
Energy drinks are quite popular among Kiwis, as they’re easily available in many stores and supermarkets around the country. That said, in 2019, the country imposed a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 16.
While international brands are a hit in New Zealand, there are some awesome local brands that are worth sharing with everybody else.
Thus, if you happen to settle in New Zealand, or just looking forward to trying something new, read on for an in-depth discussion on what’s goes into an energy drink, to a few great picks that might tickle your taste buds.
Let’s dive in!
What Do Energy Drinks Usually Contain?
Caffeine
Caffeine is a necessary feature of energy drinks, as it’s responsible for keeping you awake and improving your cognition as well as your physical performance.
The caffeine content of energy drinks can range from 50mg to 300mg per serving, thus it’s important to select your pick-me-up wisely, especially if it’s your first time having one.
The amount of caffeine you need depends on how tolerant you are to caffeine and your natural caffeine metabolism. While it might be hard to know your limits with caffeine without some trial-and-error, it’s best to keep your caffeine intake low until you’re able to handle higher levels of it.
That said, you shouldn’t go crazy with caffeine. The FSANZ recommends a daily caffeine limit of up to 400mg for healthy adults. If you have more than that, you might end up with adverse effects like:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Rapid heart rhythm
Therefore, be sure to consume caffeine within the recommended limit and moderate your energy drink intake as well to stay on the safe side.
Sugar
Another common ingredient of energy drinks, sugar gives these beverages their sweet and delicious taste, though having too much consistently isn’t good for you.
Many energy drinks are extremely sweet, which can be attributed to their high sugar content. While it’s fine to enjoy some sugar every now and then, a diet fairly high in sugar could lead to some serious health problems in the future.
For guidance, the recommended daily sugar intake for healthy adults and children over 11 is no more than 30g per day.
Frequent consumption of sugar, in the long run, could lead to health-related issues like:
- Weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Aging skin
Plus, consuming large amounts of sugar in a short time could cause you to experience a sugar crash, which leaves you sluggish from the spike and fall in your blood sugar levels.
The good news is that you can easily cut down on your sugar and calorie intake by going for sugar-free energy drinks, which give you the same sweetness and delicious flavor. A few well-known brands, such as Red Bull and Monster even offer their own sugar-free versions.
Aside from going for sugar-free energy drinks and moderating your sugar intake, you can reduce your daily sugar consumption by:
- Avoiding desserts like cakes, pies, and ice cream that have high sugar content.
- Consuming whole foods and cutting back on processed foods.
- Checking food labels for sugar content.
- Eating food with more protein and fat such as meat and fish.
- Getting enough good sleep.
If you want to know more ways to reduce your overall sugar intake, check out the video below:
Amino Acids
Amino acids are the compounds that are responsible for creating protein and are commonly featured in energy drinks due to their overall benefits.
The most common amino acids in energy drinks are BCAAs and taurine, which are known to improve exercise performance.
They’re also beneficial in increasing muscle mass, reducing mental fatigue, and decreasing muscle soreness.
Vitamins
As they’re healthy and can improve your health, B vitamins are included in energy drinks to give you an extra edge in performance.
B vitamins contribute to your overall bodily functions, helping you to function smoothly to maintain your health and wellbeing. From producing red blood cells to promoting proper nerve function, B vitamins are important to stay energized and in good health.
The most common B vitamins in energy drinks include vitamins B3, B6, and B12, which have specific roles, as seen in the table below:
| Types of B Vitamins | Purpose | Tolerable Upper Intake Level |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | Helps the body release energy; keeps the skin healthy. | 35mg |
| Vitamin B6 | Store energy from protein and carbohydrates; formation of red blood cells | 100mg |
| Vitamin B12 | Release energy from food; forms red blood cells; keeps the nervous system healthy | – |
If you want an in-depth look into what each B vitamin can do, check out Harvard’s article on the matter.
Can Energy Drinks Affect Physical Performance?
Energy drinks can certainly affect physical performance by improving your energy levels and endurance.
To be clear, it’s not the energy drink that’ll enhance your exercise performance, rather it’s the caffeine within the beverage.
With caffeine, you would be provided with an energy boost to help you last through your workouts for a longer period of time.
A study involving the use of the energy drink Amino Impact reported that the time to exhaustion significantly increased and subjective feelings of focus, as well as energy, were heavily enhanced.
Plus, the caffeine in energy drinks can also increase your endurance levels, helping you to push through long and energy-draining activities like cycling and triathlons.
A study involving the blend of carbs and caffeine reported that the participants’ performance significantly increased by 4.6% compared to the consumption of carbs alone.
Besides, caffeine can help give you a mental boost, keeping you focused and attentive when you’re working out.
To get the full benefits of caffeine while working out, you should have an energy drink around 30 to 45 minutes before you begin. The caffeine would kick in by then, giving you the boost in energy and focus that you need for your workouts. Once your workout is done, make sure to have some water instead.
Does The Caffeine In Energy Drinks Improve Cognition?
The caffeine in energy drinks can improve certain cognitive functions. such as focus, attention, and reaction time.
While caffeine is well-known for enhancing physical performance, it’s also good for helping you cognitively as well.
From improving your mental concentration to increasing your brain’s ability to absorb as well as understand information better, caffeine can definitely give you a boost when you’re facing trouble focusing on a difficult task at hand.
In fact, researchers have found that caffeine might be able to enhance long-term memory, which could help you to store data and information for a long time.
One study using a caffeine-glucose beverage reported that this combination improved mental performance while reducing subjective fatigue during long periods of cognitive demand.
Hence, if you need an extra charge in your noggin, have some caffeine and you’ll immediately feel more focused and alert.
Best Energy Drink In New Zealand
Mother Energy
The first entrant of this list, Mother Energy, injects a dose of energy and happiness into your life with great flavors and refreshing ingredients.
Every 500ml (16 fl. oz) can of Mother Energy contains 228 calories, 51g of sugar, and 160mg of caffeine, alongside a handful of taurine, guarana, and B vitamins.
Mother Energy also features a selection of fruit-inspired flavors, which is a bonus, especially if you like switching between flavors.
If you’re interested to know more about what goes into a can of Mother, check out my article on the caffeine and ingredients in Mother Energy Drink for a detailed explanation of what they do.
V Energy
First introduced in 1997, V Energy is a major fan-favorite in New Zealand, rivaling even Red Bull with its delicious taste and potent blend of caffeine, sugar, and other ingredients.
Each 250ml (8.4 fl. oz) can of V Energy has 85mg of caffeine, 29.2g of sugar, and 128 calories, with a serving of guarana and B vitamins.
If you aren’t a big fan of the sugar in V Energy, they offer a sugar-free version, Sugar-Free V, which has the same taste, caffeine content, and benefits.
An interesting fact about V Energy is their mysterious Blue V, which leaves its flavor undisclosed for you to figure out on your own. If you’re an energy drink enthusiast and love a challenge, you should get one to solve the mystery for yourself.
Or, if you want to know about this mysterious flavor quicker, check out the article I’ve written on the flavor of Blue V Energy, which details my opinion and theories on it.
Live+
Formerly Lift Plus, Live+ is one of New Zealand’s iconic energy drinks, offering a great boost to help you through your day-to-day tasks, from staying awake to having a good time with your mates.
A 355ml (12 fl. oz) bottle of Live+ Energy contains 107mg of caffeine, 41.9g of sugar, and 180 calories, along with beneficial ingredients like ginseng, antioxidants, guarana, and B vitamins.
While the Original flavor is great, Live+ Ascend, their Sugar-free version, offers the same caffeine content and benefits without the extra sugar, which certainly makes it a healthier choice.
If you’re up for something fruity with a delicious taste and decent boost, you should go for Live+, which definitely checks out all the boxes.
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
REIZE is a powdered energy drink that comes in light and convenient 4g sachets. With a reasonable 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is sugar-free and contains only 11 calories per serving.
Plus, REIZE has a smart blend of beneficial ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and B-group vitamins that work together to provide you with the perfect energy boost without the dreaded sugar crashes afterward.
The most beneficial part is REIZE ships to your doorstep for only around $1 per sachet, which is amazing value for your money.
Give REIZE a try, and you might find it to be the best option to keep you energized and awake throughout the day.
Final Thoughts
Energy drinks are definitely tasty and vitamin-filled beverages you can take if you need a pick-me-up. They come in various flavors and with different ingredients. It’s just a matter of choosing the right energy drink for you!
If you’re a native to New Zealand or just visiting, you won’t have a shortage of great energy drinks at your disposal. Aside from the availability of global favorites like Red Bull or Monster, there are also a lot of excellent local brands you can try.
But of course, for me, the best would always be REIZE! It just has everything I need in an energy drink and it’s the perfect choice for beginners as well.