The general public often frowns upon energy drinks for being a high-caffeine and sugary beverage. Sure, they give you that energy boost, but it often comes with several side effects.
However, not much of the population is aware of sugar-free formulas that significantly reduce these risks.
But are sugar-free energy drinks better than their original counterparts? How much should you consume daily?
Don’t worry, we’ll answer all your questions and more! In this article, I’ll be presenting you with the best sugar-free energy drinks that you can chug without the guilt!
Are you ready? Let’s go!
Do Energy Drinks Function Better Without Sugar?
Yes, energy drinks function better without the sugar content.
Since moderate to high sugar contents can cause a sugar crash, EDs can function better during and after your consumption.
Ideally, the sugar content of energy drinks is burned during your workouts, energizing you even more. But sugar can also add to your carbohydrate intake and cause side effects like high cholesterol levels and heart disease.
Sugar can also be very addictive. Therefore, their exclusion from energy drinks then allows people, especially those with a sweet tooth, to regulate their ED consumption better than ever.
If you’re worried about the taste, sugar-free energy drinks aren’t technically all the way devoid of sugar. Instead, calorie-free sweeteners like Stevia and Splenda are used to add sweetness to the drinks,
What is the Normal Sugar Content in Energy Drinks?
The FDA has set the supposed daily sugar intake of any individual to 50mg based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
On the other hand, research has revealed that most mainstream energy drinks in the market have at least 35mg to 40 mg sugar content.
That is dangerously high when you think about it. It is one of the main reasons why many medical professionals always warn individuals about the dangers of energy drinks.
It’s always important to remember that you must consume sugar in moderation to avoid adverse effects.
Table Sugar vs. Artificial Sweeteners
At first glance, artificial sweeteners may sound like the bad guy for being synthetic. However, most individuals are not aware that these two are like two peas in a pod.
Presentation-wise, you can’t really distinguish between table sugar and its counterpart as they are both crystalized.
Table sugar is the most abundant sugar in nature. It is highly praised for its availability, low cost, and simplicity in production besides being refined. It is made from a type of sugar that is call sucrose which came commonly from sugar cane.
Glucose and fructose are two sugars that came from sucrose. Both are sources of carbohydrates that give energy to the body. The only difference is fructose needs to be converted into glucose by the liver so that the body can use it.
But when it comes to usage, I personally think that artificial sweeteners fare better than the former substance. Since the artificial substances are 200-600 times sweeter than the average table sugar, manufacturers use lesser amounts of this natural carbohydrate.
Finally, here’s a table about the various FDA-approved artificial sweeteners in the market and where you can use them.
| Sweetener | Usage |
| Saccharin | Adds taste to low-calorie confectionery & medicines |
| Aspartame | Improves the flavor of some dairy products & dry food mixes |
| Acesulfame potassium | Used to make some bubblegum flavors, yogurt & sauces |
| Sucralose | Included in the production of baked goods & some gelatin |
| Advantame | Used by both cooking & baking products |
| Neotame | Present in confections and frostings |
What to Choose Depending on Your Health Goal
Here’s a quick guide from this study that can help you decide whether sugar or its alternatives are best for your health and fitness goals:
| Health Priorities | Recommendation |
| Weight loss | Both Change in diet and lifestyle can help you, so whether you’re using natural sugar or artificial sugar, watch your calorie intake. |
| Body recomposition | Artificial Sweetener Artificial sweeteners can help you lose your fat easier. However, if your goal is to build your body, have a bit of sugar with you. |
| Blood sugar control | Artificial Sweetener Limiting their sugar intake with artificial sweeteners can allow you to enjoy a varied diet. Also, some sugar substitutes are metabolized more slowly, allowing blood sugar levels to remain more stable. |
| Cavity prevention | Artificial Sweetener Doctors prescribe artificial sugars because the microflora of the dental plaque does not ferment them. |
| Reactive hypoglycemia | Artificial Sweetener If you are a diabetic person, you must avoid high-glycemic foods to prevent producing excess insulin after absorbing sugar into your system. |
Is Sucralose the Safest Artificial Sweetener?
While the FDA has approved Sucralose as an effective and safe substitute, it’s not the safest option.
People point to sugar alcohols as the safest replacement to table sugars, mainly because these are organic compounds and not made in labs.
Research has also considered that Xylitol and Erythritol are the most effective sugar alcohols thus far. They possess little to no calories, are deemed as “tooth-friendly, and are easily expelled by the body within mere hours.
More importantly, these compounds are also safe to use by people with diabetes as they do not affect your glucose levels.
In my opinion, all the substitute sweeteners are equally safe. It all boils down to how much we consume daily so we won’t develop sugar addiction and sugar crashes in the process.
Because frankly, anything is dangerous if we consume too much of it. It’s up to us to be self-disciplined and choose healthier options not just for the present but also for our future selves.
Energy Drinks and Sugar Crash
As I’ve said earlier, the presence of high sugars in an energy drink and other food in general causes a sugar crash.
You’ll know if you’re experiencing the decline if you have fatigue, irregular heartbeats, anxiety, etc. and when your glucose reading drops to 70 mg/dL and lower. This is actually a medical emergency.
Crashes are more than just exhaustion, hunger, and jitters. It can also escalate to something much more life-threatening. Such instances also cause seizures for some individuals, triggering more diseases in the long run.
This is why monitoring your sugar intake is important in safeguarding your health.
Are Zero Sugar Drinks Bad For You?
Sugar-free energy drinks are considered safe, but excessive use can be bad for you.
You may not have to worry about sugar’s side effects in zero sugar drinks, but they still do contain caffeine.
Energy drinks vary in caffeine content, especially those that are sugar-free. It would help if you always remembered to never go beyond FDA‘s 400mg recommended caffeine daily intake.
Just like when consuming too many sugars, caffeine dependency can easily turn into caffeine addiction. You know you’re addicted to caffeine when you frequently have headaches and fatigues, always irritated, and trembling, among many other symptoms.
You should always listen and monitor your body whenever you’re drinking something new to know if you should continue buying the product or not. In my opinion, you shouldn’t force your body to stick to a brand if you have negative reactions to it.
Are Sugar-free Drinks Really Sugar-free?
When beverages claim that they are sugar-free, this means they don’t have natural sugars added to their ingredients. However, sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners may be present in place of the said compound.
Personally, you should always check the ingredients on the container before purchasing it to buy the most suitable one for you. After all, there are at least three types of ‘sugar-free’ drinks in the market that the AHA has reported.
EDs may have different labels when it comes to their sugar-free contents or their absence. You can view my other article to know more about these descriptions.
Here’s an informative Youtube video that can help you identify sugars in every food label you may come across.
The Best Sugar-free Energy Drinks
There are many sugar-free EDs in the market, but I’ve compiled what I think are the best ones for you to try!
Aspire
Aspire energy drink is one of the vegan-friendly, calorie-free, and sugar-free energy drinks in the market.
The brand uses the calorie-free sucralose, which assures you that it will not go over FDA’s recommended sugar intake. You can also benefit from the Taurine, Guarana, Green Tea, and B Vitamins.
This beverage also contains 80mg of caffeine, which is relatively less than other brands.
Xyience
If you prefer a higher dose of caffeine minus the drastic decline afterward, then Xyience may be the right beverage for you.
Xyience is also calorie-free and packs a whopping 176 mg of caffeine for every 16 fl. oz. Aside from this, you can also get nutritious benefits from the B-Vitamins and other essential minerals such as Taurine and Citric Acid that are present in every sip.
However, I wouldn’t recommend Xyience if you don’t know if you’re caffeine-sensitive or not, as you may experience caffeine withdrawal and much more serious side effects.
REIZE (10 out of 10)
Out of all the brands I’ve tasted, nothing still compares to REIZE.
This 4g sachet of energy and goodness is surprisingly jam-packed. The sugar-free energy powder contains just 50mg of caffeine accompanied by 11 calories.
This means that you won’t have to worry about the pesky side effects of caffeine or sugar!
Aside from this, you also get beneficial ingredients such as Taurine, Ginseng, and the B-group Vitamins. All this comes in convenient powder sachets that you can easily mix with water to get a deliciously fruity beverage.
REIZE is priced at around $1, and you can get your orders shipped straight to your door too.
That’s amazing value for your money.
I highly suggest that you give REIZE a try and see how this little packet can give the mainstream EDs a run for their money.
Other Notable Mentions
Here are other sugar-free brands that you may also want to take a look at:
Final Verdict
Zero-sugar energy drinks are more than what the world initially thought. No longer are energy drinks just sugar-filled health risks, but they can actually be nutritious and tasty.
Be wary of taking sugar-free beverages for granted. Caffeine is still present, as it is in every energy drink. Even if some companies check to see whether their caffeine comes from natural sources, you still shouldn’t drink more than the suggested amount every day.
All in all, sugar-free drinks are a great option for those who are health conscious. This way, you’ll still get that energy boost without compromising your health or taste preferences!
Hmmm, sounds like the best of both worlds, right? So if you’re hesitant because you think sugar-free energy drinks can’t hold a candle to regular ones, hopefully, this article made you open to trying out the various zero-sugar energy brands available.