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Coca-Cola Energy Drink Caffeine & Ingredients (Information)

Coca-Cola Energy Drink Caffeine & Ingredients (Information)

There are a lot of doubts regarding whether Coca-Cola Energy is as good as other energy drinks on the market.

If you’re an avid drinker of Coca-Cola products then you will be happy to learn that The Coca-Cola Company has introduced a new Coca-Cola Energy drink to their line.

These beverages have a lot of excitement about them, but what exactly is in them? Keep reading to learn more about these beverages.

Coca-Cola Energy

For Coca-Cola fans who love energy drinks, it’s time to rejoice. Coca-cola launched its very own energy drink – the “Coca-Cola energy drink” in April 2019.

Initially, Coca-cola Energy was only available in Europe and Australia, with the refreshing taste of Coca-Cola that you know and love.

Coca-Cola energy drink was also launched in the United States in January 2020, a move that was announced in October 2019 by the company.

Coca-Cola energy drink is currently available in both original and sugar-free versions.

The launch came with two additional flavors that are exclusive to the United States:

  • Coca-Cola Energy Cherry
  • Coca-Cola Energy Cherry (sugar-free)

Each can is 8.4 fl. oz, which is 250ml.

Isn’t the classic Coca-cola already caffeinated?

Yes, the classic Coca-Cola that we’ve grown to know and love is indeed caffeinated. The classic Coca-cola contains 24mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz (250ml).

So what is the big difference?

Well, classic Coca-cola is more of a refreshing soda beverage than it is an energy drink. Sure, it does contain caffeine, but it’s much less than a regular energy drink.

Why is Coca-Cola introducing its own energy drink?

According to Javier Meza, the global chief marketing officer at The Coca-Cola Company, their sole reason for launching Coca-Cola Energy is to cater to the wants and needs of their consumers.

As quoted directly from him:

“Coca-Cola Energy was developed by listening to what people told us they want from a Coca-Cola Energy drink. It has a great Coca-Cola taste that people know and love, along with caffeine from naturally-derived sources. Coca-Cola Energy gives the people an option to have an energy drink that fits their specific lifestyles and preferences”.

The energy drink category has seen tremendous growth over the past few years. As a company that’s always looking for ways to dominate the market, it’s not surprising that Coca-Cola wants a piece of the action.

Dispute with Monster Energy

Monster Beverage Corp claims that Coca-Cola is violating a deal that was made by both companies which prevents Coca-Cola from distributing any other energy drinks.

If you haven’t already known, Coca-cola owns nearly 17% of Monster Beverage Corp, the company behind the energy drink “Monster”. Recent news has stated that Coca-Cola is now facing a dispute with Monster Energy over Coke’s decision to launch its own energy drink.

The move apparently doesn’t bode well for Coca-Cola’s partnership with Monster but the dispute was later resolved.

Ingredients in Coca-Cola Energy drink

Each can of Coca-Cola Energy contains

Nutritional ValueCoca-Cola
Energy105 calories
Protein0g
Carbohydrates26g
Sugar26g
Caffeine80mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)4mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Coca-Cola Energy Nutrition Summary

It also contains a small amount of:

  • Guarana extract
  • Citric Acid
  • Phosphoric Acid
  • Natural Aroma
  • Sodium Benzoate
  • Potassium Sorbate
  • Carbonated water

Coca-Cola Energy Drink Flavours

Right now Coca-Cola Energy comes only in one Cola flavour, but two different versions:

  • Coca-Cola Energy Original
  • Coca-Cola Energy Sugar-free

US customers also have the option of two new Coca-Cola energy flavours:

  • Cherry
  • Cherry (sugar-free)

Coca-Cola Energy Drink Caffeine Content

Coca-Cola Energy contains 80mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz can (250ml), which is the same as the caffeine content of Red Bull.

The recommended daily limit for caffeine is 400mg for an average adult. This is guidance directly from the FDA. Consuming more caffeine than that might place you at various health risks.

The caffeine content in Coca-Cola Energy is way below the maximum daily recommended limit, which is good – you can drink more than a can to quench your thirst or just for a jolt of energy without having to worry about a potential caffeine overdose.

Although it’s way below the recommended limit, I would still recommend you drink it in moderation. A single can contain a whole lot of sugar (26g) to go along with the 80mg of caffeine.

If you’re thinking about your health long-term, drink it in moderation.

Is Coca-Cola Energy good for you?

I don’t think it’s particularly good for you, but it isn’t all that bad either. 

Personally, I think it’s great if you’re looking for something refreshing to quench your thirst and give you the energy boost you need.

But in regard to your health, that’s another story.

If consumed in moderation, I don’t see how it can be bad for you. However, if you drink tons of it in one go or in a day, you might expect to get some potential issues at some point.

As with most energy drinks, in my opinion, the most “dangerous” ingredients in this beverage are caffeine and sugar. Be sensible regarding how much of it you drink and you should be fine.

If in doubt, talk to your doctor.

For your information, the maximum recommended daily dose of sugar for men is only 37.5g per day and for women, it’s just 25g. That’s all according to the American Heart Association.

Sure, a single can won’t put you over the recommended daily limit for sugar if you’re a man. But if you drink two in a day it doesn’t matter what gender you are, you’re well over what’s recommended.

Over time, this can pose some serious threats to your health and could even be the cause of developing type 2 diabetes.

I’m certainly not singling out Coca-Cola energy drinks here. All sugar is bad for you and you should consume it in moderation from any source – energy drinks or otherwise.

What are the side effects of Coca-Cola energy drinks?

Just like any other energy drink, Coca-Cola Energy comes with some possible side effects.

If you’re allergic to it or have a low tolerance to some of the ingredients you might experience much more severe side effects.

Some of the most common potential side effects from energy drinks are:

Possible dangerous side effects:

  • poor dental health
  • diabetes

Any energy drink has the potential to cause harm if it is consumed in excess. Coca-Cola energy drink is unlikely to cause you any side effects unless you have a pre-existing health condition or you consume it in excess.

Here’s a quick video explaining the effects of caffeine when consumed in excess.

Does Coca-Cola Energy Work?

Considering that Coca-Cola energy doesn’t contain a single ounce of Taurine, you might come to the conclusion that it might not be as potent as some other energy drinks.

Although, the effects that you feel from drinking a can of Coca-Cola energy drink depend on your unique physiological makeup and tolerance to caffeine. 

Despite not containing taurine, which helps to improve mental and physical performance, Coca-Cola energy still contains caffeine. At 80mg of caffeine, it’s the same strength as Red Bull, and that’s more than enough to give you a nice energy boost.

However, the boost that you get from an energy drink isn’t only dependent on caffeine. I already mentioned taurine (which Coca-Cola Energy doesn’t have), but it does have plenty of B vitamins and guarana, which add to the boost.

But, I don’t want you to think that the guarana in Coca-Cola energy does anything particularly special. Guarana is just a source of caffeine, and including the caffeine derived from guarana, Coca-Cola Energy contains 80mg of caffeine per can.

If you have a high caffeine tolerance or regularly drink highly caffeinated energy drinks like Bang, Coca-Cola energy might not give you much of an energy kick.

Coca-Cola Energy Drink Price and Where to Buy

I managed to get my hands on some Coca-Cola Energy through a friend of a friend, direct from Budapest, Hungary.

The price was 375 Hungarian Forints (about $1.30). I presume that if they decide to eventually launch this energy drink in the US that the price won’t be $1.30. My guess is that it will be priced in line with Red Bull.

It seems that Coca-Cola is going to test the appetite for its new beverage in a couple of smallish European markets.

According to the person who bought the samples for me, it’s not widely available in Hungary. Apparently, he needed to shop around a little bit before finding it in a small store.

We will have to wait and see how much a can cost when it launches in the US. My guess is that it will be somewhere around $2 per 8.4 fl. oz can.

How many Coca-Cola Energy cans can I drink in a day?

In my opinion, drinking one or two cans a day is fine.

At the moment, there isn’t much guidance on how many cans of Coca-Cola Energy can you safely drink in a day. However, from the caffeine point of view, you would need to drink five cans to get to the 400mg mark, which is the recommended maximum daily intake of caffeine.

Another thing that you should be aware of is that if you did drink five cans, you would’ve consumed five times the amount of sugar that you ready should be having in a day. Certainly not advisable.

Consuming too much caffeine and sugar can have devastating effects on your health. Caffeine in large quantities can cause side effects such as insomnia, irritability, restlessness and caffeine addiction.

Sugar, on the other hand, can cause obesity and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

With all that in mind, you should be perfectly fine if you drink no more than 2 cans of Coca-Cola Energy drink per day unless you have a pre-existing health condition.

Coca-Cola Energy Drink vs Regular Coca-Cola

Caffeine

Regular Coke has 34mg of caffeine per 12 fl. oz can and Coca-Cola energy drink has 80mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz can.

Despite being about 30% smaller in size than a regular can of Coke, the energy drink version contains almost 3 times as much caffeine.

Per fluid ounce, regular Coca-Cola contains 2.83mg of caffeine per ounce, whereas Coca-Cola energy drink contains 9.52mg per fluid ounce. When compared “per fluid ounce”, Coca-Cola energy drink contains 3.36 times as much caffeine as regular Coca-Cola.

Sugar

Regular Coca-Cola contains 39g of sugar per 12-ounce can, whereas Coca-Cola energy drink contains 26g of sugar per 8.4 fl. oz. 

When compared to “per fluid ounce”, they contain a very similar amount of sugar.

Price

If you buy regular Coca-Cola in bulk, you can get the price per can down below $1 per drink.

If I was a betting man I would guess that the energy drink version will eventually be priced at around $2 per can in the US to directly compete with Red Bull.

Coca-Cola Energy vs Red Bull

Caffeine

Coca-Cola Energy contains 80mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz which is the same as Red Bull.

Coca-Cola energy contains exactly the same amount of caffeine as Red Bull. However, it doesn’t give you as much of a kick as Red Bull in my opinion.

I think it might be because Coca-Cola Energy doesn’t have any taurine in it, but that’s just a guess. Perhaps it will affect you in a different way from the way it affected me.

Sugar

Coca-Cola Energy contains 26g of sugar per 8.4 fl. oz, while Red Bull contains 27g of sugar per 8.4 fl. oz.

Coca-Cola Energy contains almost the same amount of sugar that Red Bull does. Coca-Cola Energy is almost identical to Red Bull in terms of caffeine and sugar content.

It seems like Coca-Cola is trying to compete with Red Bull by introducing a very similar product. The main difference between those two is that Coca-Cola energy doesn’t contain taurine and of course their respective tastes.

Coca Cola energy drink is very similar to Red Bull in terms of their ingredients.
Coca-Cola energy drink is exactly the same as Red Bull in terms of caffeine content and is almost identical in terms of sugar content.

Price

Coca-Cola Energy costs about $1.30 (in Hungary) whereas, a can of Red Bull costs about $2.

Price-wise, Coca-Cola Energy is considerably cheaper than Red Bull. It remains to be seen if this is just introductory pricing to test the market or if this will be the typical price over the longer term.

Coca-Cola Energy vs Bang

Caffeine

Coca-Cola Energy drink contains 80mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz, and Bang has nearly four times that with 300mg of caffeine per 16 fl. oz can.

Looking at the caffeine content, it seems like Bang is much more potent and a lot more effective than Coca-Cola energy, but that depends on your tolerance level for caffeine too.

Also, a can of Bang is around twice the size of a can of Coca-Cola Energy, so Bang actually contains roughly twice the amount of caffeine per fluid ounce.

For me, I find Bang to be too high in caffeine, but that’s just my personal take on it. I think Bang walks the line between pre-workout and energy drink, whereas Coca-Cola energy drink is unquestionably an energy drink.

Sugar

Coca-Cola Energy contains 26g of sugar per 8.4 fl. oz, but Bang energy drink has 0g of sugar.

At first glance, you might think that Bang is much healthier than Coca-Cola Energy since it doesn’t contain sugar.

However, although Bang doesn’t have any sugar, it still contains a lot of artificial sweeteners. Coca-Cola Energy, on the other hand, uses simple sugars such as glucose to give it a sweet taste.

Bang has more caffeine than Coca Cola energy drink
Bang Energy drink has around double the caffeine per fluid ounce that Coca-Cola energy has.

Price

For Coca-Cola Energy, it’s currently $1.30 per can (in Hungary), whereas Bang Energy costs around $2.17 per can.

It might seem that Coca-Cola Energy is much cheaper, but Bang Energy might actually be a better value for money.

Bang Energy contains 4 times the amount of caffeine than Coca-Cola Energy and is also double in size. Make up your own mind about which of these drinks is better suited to you, but for me, I would choose Coca-Cola Energy because I think Bang has an absurd amount of caffeine in it.

To learn more about whether Bang energy drink is good for you, check out my other article.

Coca-Cola Energy vs Monster

Caffeine

Coca-Cola Energy drink contains 80mg of caffeine per 8.4 fl. oz, while Monster contains 160mg of caffeine per 16 fl. oz.

Monster is definitely stronger than Coca-Cola Energy in terms of the absolute volume of caffeine, but it’s also double the size.

On a “per fluid ounce” comparison, the two energy drinks are almost identical in caffeine strength.

Sugar

Coca-Cola Energy drink contains 26g of sugar per 8.4 fl. oz can, but Monster Energy drink contains 54g of sugar.

Both Coca-Cola Energy and Monster contain too much sugar for my liking.

Monster Energy contains about twice the amount of sugar that Coca-Cola Energy does, but it’s also twice the size. 

If you’re interested to know whether Monster Energy is good for you, you might like to take a look at this other article.

Coca Cola energy and Monster have similar caffeine and sugar quantities per fluid ounce
Coca-Cola Energy and Monster have about the same caffeine and sugar content per fluid ounce, but a can of Monster is about double the size of a can of Coca-Cola energy drink.

Price

Coca-Cola Energy is about $1.30 per can, whereas Monster Energy costs around $3.20 per can.

Despite Monster being double the size of Coca-Cola Energy, and double the caffeine content, Coca-Cola Energy still provides you with better value for money.

Do the math, Monster energy contains 160mg of caffeine and costs you about $3.20. Coca-Cola Energy, on the other hand, contains 80mg of caffeine and costs you about $1.30. Even if you get two cans of Coca-Cola Energy, it only costs you $2.60 which is still cheaper than a can of Monster Energy.

My Personal Take on Coca-Cola Energy

Visuals

The design of Coca-Cola Energy gives off a somewhat modern vibe and it’s aesthetically pleasing. Personally, I absolutely love the graphic design of the can.

Size-wise, it’s the same shape as any other 8.4 fl. oz can of energy drink – it’s tall, slim, and sleek.

My main criticism is that the regular and sugar-free versions look almost identical. In fact, when I first saw the cans I wasn’t even sure if any of them were different or if they were all the same. The only thing that distinguishes the sugar-free version from the original is a thin black line around the top of the can.

Coca-Cola energy drink has a small amount of English writing on the can, but most of the labelling is written in Hungarian and Spanish (since these were the two launch countries).

Taste

After trying Coca-Cola Energy myself, I can say it tastes like a slightly toned-down, but less fizzy version of the classic Coca-Cola.

The cola taste is much more noticeable in Coca-Cola Energy than in its classic counterpart. I think that’s mainly because it’s less fizzy than classic Coke, which makes the flavours more noticeable.

Price

I paid 375 Hungarian Forints per can (in Hungary), which is about $1.30.

Personally, I don’t find this even a tad bit expensive, as most energy drinks in the US cost somewhere between $2 and $3 per can.

To be honest, as an energy drink, Coca-Cola Energy is quite affordable and can be compared to the likes of REIZE which only costs about $1 per drink.

The main difference in price between REIZE and Coca-Cola Energy is that REIZE is about $1 per drink including shipping to your door, whereas Coca-Cola Energy is slightly more expensive, but you have to go to the store to get it.

Effects

Just like most energy drinks, Coca-Cola energy drink does give you a nice energy boost. However, it’s much more subtle compared to most energy drinks, despite having 80mg of caffeine in a can.

After drinking it, I did notice a slight energy boost – it’s nothing like what you’ll get from Bang or Monster. Still, it’s enough to keep you awake.

The effects lasted for about 2-3 hours, which was good enough to keep me focused to get my work done. However, after that, I started to feel more fatigued and found it hard to maintain my focus.

My best guess is that this is a side effect of the high sugar content in regular Coca-Cola energy. To avoid the sugar crash, you can try the sugar-free version instead.

Afterthoughts

If you were to ask me if Coca-Cola Energy is any better than most of the energy drinks that we already know about, I would say no. 

I think it does make a great refreshing caffeinated cola-type drink, but that’s about it. I found the energy boost to be a little less than I get from other options and I still can’t adjust my mind to accept that something that tastes like cola is actually an energy drink.

**Did you know that Red Bull also launched their own cola drink? Seems like the two beverage giants are increasingly encroaching on each other’s turf!

If you’re looking for a casual or refreshing drink to quench your thirst, or to slightly boost you up it does pretty much just that.

However, if you’re looking for a pre-workout drink to pump you up before you’re workouts, personally I don’t think it’s cut out for that.

I don’t think the energy boost that you get from it is enough to carry you through a workout. Plus the sugar crash that you’ll experience afterwards will only make you more miserable and fatigued post-workout.

But hey, if you’re ever able to get your hands on it, try it yourself and make your own judgments about it.

Alternatives to Coca-Cola Energy Drink

There are lots of great energy drinks out there in the market. But first, if you’re looking for a cola alternative from a brand that you already know, check out:

Red Bull Cola

Monster

Red Bull

Celsius

XS Energy Drink

Monster Import

Monster Khaos

Monster Assault

Rip It

Bing Energy Drink

Bang Energy (no relation to Bing!)

Guru

If you’re interested in trying something different, check out Mio Water drops!

Powder energy drinks are also a great option…

They are much more versatile than most energy drinks, you just add them to any drink of your choice and voila! Instant energy.

Powdered energy drinks usually come with a much lower price tag than most of the popular energy drink brands:

Zipfizz

Advocare Spark

GFuel

• REIZE (my personal favourite)

REIZE Energy Drink

Unlike your traditional ready-to-drink energy drinks, REIZE comes in powdered form – all you have to do is add water, soda, or almost any of your favourite beverages.

It’s much more versatile than most other energy drinks on the market.

REIZE Energy Drink is very convenient.
REIZE is home-delivered for your convenience and gives a perfect energy boost.

With 50mg of caffeine, REIZE doesn’t have as much caffeine as Coca-Cola Energy. However, when it comes to the energy boost, REIZE doesn’t compromise, as it contains many other ingredients such as Taurine, Ginseng, and B vitamins all of which work great with caffeine to give you the energy boost that you need.

The best part?

It’s sugar-free and a much healthier alternative to most energy drinks out there. That means no sugar crash.

REIZE ships right to your door for around $1 per drink, much more affordable than most energy drinks on the market, including Coca-Cola Energy.

Choose monthly deliveries or a one-time purchase to suit your energy needs.

Try REIZE today and you might just find that, like me, you prefer REIZE to Coca-Cola Energy.

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