With the launch of the all-new Coca-Cola Energy drink from The Coca-Cola Company, many people who like the taste of Coca-Cola, but also like the boost of energy drinks, are rejoicing.
Being new to the energy drink industry, there are many questions to answer about whether Coca-Cola energy is as good as other energy drink brands such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar, which have all been in the market for quite some time now.
However, there is a much more pressing concern about the new Coca-Cola product – is it actually good or bad for you? I wouldn’t exactly say it’s bad for you but you be the judge of it after reading this article.
In this article, I’ll tackle and explain exactly that. From the ingredients to the possible effects of drinking Coca-Cola Energy, read on to find out if is it actually bad for you.
How much caffeine is in a can of Coca-Cola Energy?
Coca-Cola Energy contains 80mg of caffeine in a single 8.4 fl. oz can.
If you take into account that no more than 400mg of caffeine per day is generally considered safe for adults (according to the FDA), 80mg is not that much.
In fact, I think Coca-Cola Energy has a good amount of caffeine.
Personally, I prefer energy drinks that have somewhere between 50mg and 100mg of caffeine per serve. I find more than 100mg of caffeine in a single-serve to be a bit overwhelming and it usually leaves me unable to properly concentrate.
However, it’s still in your best interest to not overdo it and to always consume energy drinks in moderation.
Coca-Cola Energy Nutrition Facts and Ingredients
For the record, here’s a quick summary of what’s inside Coca-Cola Energy.
| Nutritional Value | Coca-Cola |
| Energy | 105 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Carbohydrates | 26g |
| Sugar | 26g |
| Caffeine | 80mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | – |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 4mg |
| Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | – |
| Vitamin B6 | – |
| Vitamin B12 | – |
Coca-Cola Energy also contains other ingredients such as:
- Guarana extract
- Citric Acid
- Phosphoric Acid
- Natural Aroma
- Sodium Benzoate
- Potassium Sorbate
- Carbonated water
Read this article for my analysis of Coca-Cola Energy ingredients.
Coca-Cola Energy Drink Side Effects
All energy drinks have the potential to cause health problems if they are abused and consumed in excess. Too much caffeine or sugar are things that you want to avoid if you want to stay healthy over the long run.
This is especially true if you are particularly sensitive to caffeine or any of the other ingredients within the can.
Research states the health risks from the consumption of energy drinks are mainly due to caffeine.
You may experience some of these side effects in a few hours after drinking a can of Coca-Cola Energy (or any energy drink for that matter):
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Thirsty
- Light-headed/ Dizzy
Possible side effects that you may experience if you consume Coca-Cola Energy in excess include:
- Insomnia
- Diabetes
- Caffeine addiction
- High blood pressure
- Weight gain
- Poor dental health
As usual, moderation is key. If you have an otherwise healthy diet and lifestyle, consuming energy drinks like Coca-Cola Energy won’t do you any harm unless you have a pre-existing health condition.
Is Coca-Cola Energy Bad For you?
No, Coca-Cola Energy drinks aren’t overly bad for you.
That’s if you consume them in moderation and assume that you don’t have any pre-existing health conditions.
Coca-Cola energy contains lots of ingredients that, if consumed in moderation, won’t do much harm to you. However, in excess, these ingredients pose a threat to your general well-being.
The main message here is moderation.
In my opinion, the most “dangerous” ingredients in Coca-Cola Energy, and many other energy drinks, are caffeine and sugar. It’s no secret that too much of either can cause you harm, but if you drink Coca-Cola energy drink occasionally and have an otherwise healthy diet you should be just fine.
If in doubt, talk to your health professional.
Is it safe to drink Coca-Cola Energy every day?
Personally, I don’t see a problem with drinking Coca-Cola energy every day, but I wouldn’t recommend you do so. It’s best to take some days off from it every once in a while to avoid the chances of becoming addicted to caffeine.
Coca-Cola Energy definitely doesn’t contain the most caffeine or sugar of all the energy drinks on the market, but still, it can do some serious damage to your health if you drink it in excess.
Take it easy, drink it in moderation and take the occasional day off.
Can you drink more than one Coca-Cola Energy in a day?
Practically speaking, you can drink more than one Coca-Cola energy per day, however, I don’t recommend that you drink more than 2 of them.
Drinking 2 cans of Coca-Cola Energy a day is fine from a caffeine point of view – you’re only consuming 160mg of caffeine, which is much less than the FDA-recommended maximum of 400mg per day.
However, you might want to keep an eye on the amount of sugar that you’re consuming.
Coca-Cola Energy contains 26g of sugar per can which I think is quite a lot. Consuming 2 cans will put you way past the maximum recommended daily dosage for sugar, regardless of your gender, and that’s not even taking into account any other sugar that you’re getting elsewhere in your diet.
In countries like Australia, most energy drinks have labels on them recommending a maximum of 2 cans per day because of the number of B-group vitamins in them. Coca-Cola energy is very similar to those energy drinks, so a limit of 2 cans per day seems sensible to me.
How long does Coca-Cola energy stay in your system?
Most of the ingredients in a Coca-Cola energy drink will quickly pass through your body and be gone.
However, caffeine is special among the list of ingredients because it has a half-life. Drinking lots of water won’t accelerate the rate at which caffeine is broken down and won’t flush it out any sooner.
In this regard, caffeine is like alcohol – they both have half-lives.
Caffeine normally has a half-life of 5-6 hours, depending on your physiological makeup. To completely rid your system of caffeine it’s going to take an average of 12 hours.
Can you die from drinking too much Coca-Cola Energy?
Not unless you REALLY overdo it or have a pre-existing health condition.
But honestly, you can also die from drinking too much water.
I also think that the amount of Coca-Cola energy that you would need to drink to guarantee a fatal dose is probably about the same amount of liquid that would kill you regardless of what kind of liquid it was.
Personally, I don’t think it’s a valid concern.
Despite that, I still think that if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or under the age of 18 you should stay away from all energy drinks, including Coca-Cola Energy.
Caffeine can have negative effects on teenagers.
Why did they stop making Coke Energy?
The Coca-Cola company discontinued its sales of Coca-Cola Energy in North America during the pandemic.
This was the statement made by Coca-Cola…
“An important component to this strategy is the consistent and constant evaluation of what’s performing and what’s not,” Coca-Cola said in a statement. “As we scale our best innovations quickly and effectively like AHA and Coca-Cola with Coffee, we need to be disciplined with those that don’t get the traction required for further investment. It is for that reason we’ve made the decision to discontinue Coca-Cola Energy in North America.”
Alternatives to Coca-Cola Energy Drink
There are many great options to choose from when it comes to energy drinks. If you want something similar to the Coca-Cola Energy drink in the ready-to-drink category, have a look at:
- Red Bull
- Celsius
- Rockstar
- XS Energy Drink
- Monster Import (different from the original Monster)
- Rip It
- Bing Energy Drink
- Guru
- Xyience
- Bang Energy Drink
If you want to try out something a bit different, consider Vivarin Caffeine Pills or something like Make it Mio from Kraft Foods.
Powdered energy drinks are another great option if you’re looking for something much more convenient.
They also tend to be more affordable than most of the well-known energy drink brands.
- Gfuel
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (my personal favourite)
REIZE Energy Drink
REIZE is nothing like your conventional, ready-to-drink energy drink. Instead, it comes in much more convenient sachets of powder that make it extremely versatile and easy to use.
That’s not all, you can also mix it with your favourite beverages – definitely the most versatile energy drink on the market right now in my opinion.
At 50mg of caffeine, REIZE doesn’t have as much caffeine as Coca-Cola Energy. However, it still gives you a great energy boost because it contains lots of other great ingredients such as taurine, ginseng and B vitamins, all of which work great together with caffeine to give you the perfect energy boost.
REIZE is also sugar-free, so you don’t need to worry about the dreadful sugar crash afterwards or excessive calories.
Best of all, REIZE ships right to your door for about $1 per drink. Definitely much more affordable than Coca-Cola Energy drinks and most other energy drinks.
Choose monthly deliveries or a one-time purchase to suit your energy needs.