Short Answer: Mountain Dew Kickstart works!
Mountain Dew Kickstart is the energy drink counterpart of the original Mountain Dew. It comes with a caffeinated twist to a familiar taste, and a bunch of other ingredients for a refreshing boost for your tasks and workouts.
While it sounds great and all, does Mountain Dew Kickstart work?
While the answer to that question is a big YES, you have to be careful not to overconsume to avoid the side effects.
Of course, Mountain Dew Kickstart can be disadvantageous in certain situations, so for a detailed discussion on how well this drink works for you, read on.
For a more in-depth discussion on Mountain Dew Kickstart, I’ve written a Mountain Dew Kickstart Review article, where you’ll find my full thoughts on the energy drink.
Mountain Dew Kickstart Nutrition Facts
| Typical Value (Standard Serving) | Mountain Dew Kickstart (16 fl.oz) | Game Fuel (16 fl.oz) | Monster (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 80 calories | 90 calories | 210 calories |
| Protein | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Fat (Of Which Saturated) | 0g (0g) | 0g (0g) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of which sugars) | 21g (20g) | 24g (23g) | 54g (54g) |
| Sodium | 170mg | – | 370mg |
| Caffeine | 90mg | 90mg | 160mg |
| Vitamin A | – | 180μg | – |
| Vitamin B2 | – | – | 3.6mg |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | – | 6.4mg | 46mg |
| Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | – | 1mg | – |
| Vitamin B6 | – | 0.7mg | 4.6mg |
| Vitamin B12 | – | – | 13µg |
How Many Calories Are In Mountain Dew Kickstart?
A 16 fl. oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart has 80 calories, which is moderate compared to other sugary energy drinks.
The recommended daily calorie intake is between 2000 and 2400 calories for women and 2400 to 3000 calories for men.
As such, Mountain Dew Kickstart won’t contribute many calories to your overall daily intake like Monster and Red Bull. But you have to be careful, as the calories can add up if you don’t watch your intake.
You can avoid that by combining exercise with your usual go-to Mountain Dew Kickstart to burn calories off.
Of course, Mountain Dew Kickstart isn’t supposed to substitute a nutritious meal, so be sure to grab something to eat before you start your workouts.
If you prefer to go calorie-free with your energy drinks instead, take a look at my article on the best zero-calorie energy drinks, which has a few recommendations you might like.
Mountain Dew Kickstart Ingredients
Each 16fl.oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains the following ingredients:
- Carbonated Water
- High fructose corn syrup
- White grape juice concentrate
- Citric acid
- Sodium polyphosphates (preservative)
- Natural flavor
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Caffeine
- Potassium citrate
- Potassium chloride
- Gum Arabic
- Acesulfame potassium (artificial sweetener)
- Sucralose (artificial sweetener)
- Red 40 (coloring)
- Calcium disodium EDTA
- Sucrose acetate isobutyrate
- Salt
- Blue 1 (coloring)
How Much Caffeine Is In Mountain Dew Kickstart?
A 16 fl. oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 90mg of caffeine, which is a fairly moderate amount.
With caffeine having many benefits, having a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart will surely lead to an improvement in your performance, from helping you to work out longer to enhancing your reaction time.
Personally, I prefer to have my caffeine levels between 50mg to 100mg per serving, the perfect amount that leaves me feeling refreshed without side effects.
As such, Mountain Dew Kickstart’s caffeine content is something I definitely would look for if I needed a quick boost.
At just 90mg of caffeine, Mountain Dew Kickstart is also a great starter energy drink. Unless you’re caffeine-sensitive, this drink can definitely supply you with a pretty smooth boost, sans the headache.
Still, you shouldn’t have too much caffeine, no matter how beneficial it is. The FDA suggests a daily caffeine intake limit of 400mg for healthy adults. Any more than that, and you may wind up with unfortunate side effects such as:
- Dizziness
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Headaches
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
In this regard, it is recommended to limit your daily caffeine consumption and drink enough water.
Does Mountain Dew Kickstart Have Sugar?
Every 16 fl. oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 20g of sugar, which is derived from high fructose corn syrup.
Given that the AHA recommends a daily sugar limit of 36g and 25g for men and women respectively, the amount of sugar in Mountain Dew Kickstart is well below the limit, but still rather high.
Plus, the sugar in Mountain Dew Kickstart is from high fructose corn syrup, a type of sugar derived from corn, and is often added as an additional sweetener to processed drinks and food.
While it can be considered a natural alternative to table sugar, high fructose corn syrup is actually quite unhealthy for you in general.
In any case, it’s never a good idea to have too much sugar, as it could lead to health issues in the future:
- Weight gain
- Tooth decay
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure.
Besides, consuming a large amount of sugar can cause a spike and fall in your blood sugar levels, which leads to a sugar crash, making you sluggish and sleepy.
As such, I suggest controlling your consumption to avoid exceeding the recommended daily allowance and drinking no more than one can of Mountain Dew Kickstart each day.
Artificial Sweeteners
Aside from high fructose corn syrup, Mountain Dew Kickstart also contains artificial sweeteners, namely acesulfame potassium and sucralose.
Sucralose and acesulfame potassium are both zero-calorie sweeteners, so they won’t make a dent in your overall diet. These sweeteners function to enhance the flavor and taste of drinks without adding any extra calories.
That being said since Mountain Dew Kickstart already contains sugar, I can only assume that these sweeteners are supposed to add to the sweetness of this drink.
Artificial sweeteners have been linked to a lot of health controversies over the years, but the FDA has approved these sweeteners for general usage, so you don’t have to be concerned about their safety.
But if you want to stay on the safe side, make sure you aren’t having artificial sweeteners all the time.
However, if you prefer sugar-containing energy drinks, check out my article on the best energy drinks with less sugar for some great hand-picked choices.
Is Mountain Dew Kickstart Bad For You?
Provided you’re healthy and aren’t sensitive to caffeine, having a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart occasionally should be perfectly okay.
I’d say Kickstart is a pretty good drink for newcomers to give a try before moving on to stronger energy drinks. It has enough caffeine to give you a good boost without giving you a headache.
However, I wouldn’t advise having this energy drink frequently. A single can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains a large amount of sugar, which is derived from high fructose corn syrup.
So while it’s okay to have Mountain Dew Kickstart every now and then, having it consistently would turn out to be rather unhealthy for you.
As such, the best way you can protect your health and enjoy the benefits of this drink is by moderating your intake and sticking to only one can in a day.
Does Mountain Dew Kickstart Help You To Lose Weight?
Though Mountain Dew Kickstart helps to provide you with a boost for your workouts to burn off excess fat, having a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart alone won’t help you to lose weight.
If you want to lose weight, the best way to do it is by having a balanced meal, an active lifestyle, and a proper sleeping schedule.
While caffeine can indeed help you lose weight by breaking down fats and increasing your metabolism, there won’t be any significant improvements in your weight if you don’t exercise.
Still, energy drinks aren’t an important part of workouts, and you can exercise well even without it.
Does Mountain Dew Kickstart Work?
Though Mountain Dew Kickstart has relatively moderate caffeine content, it works quite well as an energy drink in general.
With 90mg of caffeine, you can expect a sufficient boost of energy that keeps you awake and vigilant, while also giving your mental concentration a boost, as well as helping you push through your exercise sessions.
Of course, while Mountain Dew Kickstart may generally work for the average Joe, whether it’ll have any effect on you depends on your caffeine tolerance.
If you regularly drink caffeinated beverages, the effects of the caffeine won’t be as profound as it is with those who are caffeine-sensitive.
Plus, Mountain Dew Kickstart also has quite a lot of sugar, so you may have to anticipate a sugar crash once the effects wear off.
Still, there’s no harm in giving Mountain Dew Kickstart a chance, since you’ll be able to enjoy the nostalgic taste of Mountain Dew while being supplied with an energy boost for better overall performance.
Mountain Dew Kickstart Flavors
There are nine brands under Mountain Dew Kickstart, with each flavor containing several ingredients like B vitamins:
- Original Dew
- Orange Citrus
- Black Cherry
- Midnight Grape
- Fruit Punch
- Mango Lime
- Pineapple Orange Mango
- Blueberry Pomegranate
- Raspberry Citrus
Mountain Dew Kickstart discontinued/region-specific flavors:
- Ultra (sugar-free version)
- Blood Orange
- Watermelon
- Limeade (only available in Australia)
- Strawberry Kiwi
Alternatives To Mountain Dew Kickstart
Mountain Dew Kickstart may send you down a path of nostalgia, but here are a few options if you want to try something new:
You could give powdered energy drinks a shot, as they’re more versatile in terms of preparations and affordable in general:
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- G Fuel
- REIZE (my number one)
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
Mountain Dew Kickstart is a great energy drink, but it lacks ingredients that may benefit you, so how about something with less caffeine and even more energy?
Meet REIZE.
REIZE is a powdered energy drink that comes in light 4g sachets, making it easy to bring around any place you go.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is also sugar-free and has only 11 calories per serving. If you think that Mountain Dew Kickstart has too much sugar, then REIZE is the healthier option for it.
In addition to reducing your sugar and calorie intake, your overall diet also won’t be affected by REIZE.
REIZE is also packed with beneficial ingredients such as 1000mg of taurine, ginseng, and B-group vitamins that combine to provide you with a smooth energy boost without the dreaded sugar crash.
The best part? REIZE can be shipped straight to your doorstep for only $1, which is pretty exceptional value for money.
Give REIZE a try, and you might agree that it’s a smarter and more preferable option than Mountain Dew Kickstart.