You might be wondering why do energy drinks have calories? And how do calories affect your body? Especially since we’ve been taught that calories are the enemy and we have to watch out for them.
Calories can give you energy and assist you in your workouts. Energy drinks contain different amounts of calories depending on the sugar content of the beverage.
If an energy drink contains too many calories, it doesn’t mean that the energy drink is bad. Just like caffeine and sugar, you can consume up to a certain amount of calories per day as well.
In this article, I have a few suggestions for energy drinks with different amounts of calories. I hope I can help you realize the excellent value of calories in the body and up to what amount is good for you.
Let’s go.
What are Calories?
Calories are more like a unit of energy, so the amount of calories in an energy drink describes how much energy that energy drink can give your body.
The primary source of calories is sugar. Some energy drinks are sugar-free and low-carb friendly but they still contain calories.
Try to find the term calorie on the label, and if there’s none check if there’s “kcal” because it is also known as Kilojoules (kJ).
Do B Vitamins Contain Calories?
B vitamins play an essential role in transforming the food you eat into energy so that your body can use it but these vitamins don’t contain any calories.
The B vitamins work on complex biochemical machinery that converts your glucose into ATP. This process realizes energy from the food and beverages you consume. B Vitamins help your body to use the energy but they don’t contain energy themselves.
Watch this video for more info about calories!
Do You Burn Calories When You Exercise?
Yes, especially when you’re physically active.
If the calories you get into your body are more than the calories you usually ingest, you will definitely gain weight. If you want to cut your weight fast, you can reduce the calories you consume and move more.
On the other hand, mental exercise can also burn your calories. In fact, a study shows that you burn up to 300 calories if your activity really challenges your cognitive performance. So I think energy drinks are really effective in gaming and studying.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is more than the amount you can burn in a 30-minute workout. And that is just about between 140 and 295 calories.
Average Amount of Calories in an Energy Drink
Energy drinks contain an average of 110 calories. As with beverages and food, it contributes to your daily energy total. This is why if you consume more calories in the morning, you can cut your calorie intake for the rest of the day.
Just 100kcal is only about 5% of a woman’s suggested calorie intake per day. Meanwhile, it is 4% for men.
It means you still have an allowance for consuming energy drinks or food before getting past the safe level of calories.
How Many Calories Should You Consume Per Day?
According to Harvard, calorie intake shouldn’t be less than 1,200 a day in women. And for men, it shouldn’t fall below 1,500 a day.
Calories can affect your weight when you eat fatty food often and neglect to exercise. You will gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn.
You have to know your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see if you have the weight appropriate for your age. Lucky for you, many online sites can assist you. Input your height, weight, and age, and it’ll come up with its suggestions.
If you have a high BMI, that can indicate high body fatness. BMI can help assist you in knowing your ideal weight. However, it does not generally diagnose the health of individuals.
Remember, no matter the weight, the important thing to strive for is mental and physical wellness through proper rest, diet, and exercise.
Side Effects of Consuming Too Many Calories
When you consume high-calorie energy drinks, your body will store that calorie as a form of body fat. If you don’t continuously burn off these stored calories, you will gain weight.
To maintain the ideal weight for your body, the calories you use for your physical movement must be on the same level as the calorie you get in. However, it may not be a good idea to cut your calorie count to get your ideal weight.
An ideal weight is not a sexy body or hunk complexion your idol has. An ideal body is a body that matches your height and weight. You need to check your BMI to find out.
Several factors contribute to how many calories you can burn. The first is the duration of your exercise and also the intensity. You can be moving for an hour, but if you don’t sweat more, you’re not using energy that much.
In contrast, taking less than 1,000 calories daily can make you experience fatigue. This happens when your metabolic rate slows down and you’re not taking enough calories to support your essential body functions.
Like I’ve said earlier, too much calorie intake can lead to unwanted fats. But aside from this, there are many more side effects you can get from consuming calories. They are:
- Risk of fatty liver
- High blood pressure
- Risk of osteoarthritis
- Breathing problems
Difference of Calorie from Fat
Just in case you’re confused which is which, a calorie is a unit of energy, and excess calories can give you fats. However, fats are also needed for your body to stay healthy.
A gram of carbohydrate and protein can give you 4 calories/gram. On the other hand, a gram of fat has around 9 calories.
Fatty acids come from fats, and your body cannot reproduce fatty acids. Your fats help your body absorb some vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E.
Some of its benefits also include:
- Stores energy.
- Good for vitamins.
- Keep you warm.
- Protects your body from trauma.
What is the best low-calorie energy drink?
There is no definitive answer to this question because everyone has different tastes. Red Bull Zero, Monster Zero Ultra, and Rockstar Zero Carb are some popular low-calorie energy drinks.
Some people think low-calorie energy drinks are a fantastic way to get an energy boost without drinking a lot of calories, while others think they aren’t as effective as regular energy drinks.
Energy Drink Calories (Highest to Lowest)
To give you an idea of how much calorie is in your energy drink, you can take a look at this table.
| Energy Drinks | Serving Size | Calorie Count |
| AMP Energy Boost | 16 fl oz | 220 |
| Full Throttle | 16 fl oz | 220 |
| Monster | 16 fl oz | 190 |
| Rockstar | 16 fl oz | 140 |
| Red Bull | 8.4 fl oz | 110 |
| Celsius Energy Drink | 12 fl oz | 10 |
| Monster Energy Drink (Low Carb) | 16 fl oz | 10 |
| Bang | 16 fl oz | 0 |
Alternatives Energy Drinks
I hope that gives you an idea, but here are my suggestions if you want to elaborate on some energy drinks. After all, you’re not just about the calories but also the other vitamins you can get from energy drinks.
Monster
As stated on the table earlier, a 16 fl oz of Monster has 210 calories. Plus, it has 54g of sugar and 160mg of caffeine.
Its calorie content is higher than what an average energy drink must-have. If you’re not following any strict diet, you can definitely go for this mouth-watering energy drink.
On top of its sugar and caffeine, it also contains a decent amount of B vitamins.
Celsius
This energy drink only has 10 calories and 200-300mg of caffeine. It is designed to increase your caloric burn by boosting your metabolism.
Thus, it contains ingredients that assist the said process, such as green tea, guarana seed extract, taurine, and ginger root extract. You can purchase this energy drink in the can or its powdered sachet.
This is a good energy drink for a morning jog. If you want more energy drinks that are perfect for your mornings, check this out.
REIZE (The Best)
My favorite. REIZE is sugar-free with only 11 calories! It’s perfect if you’re watching your diet and at the same time you need a push.
It comes in 4g powdered sachets that you can easily mix no matter where you are. Plus, it is also packed with just the right amount of caffeine. In my experience, REIZE’s caffeine content is powerful enough to give me a buzz without bringing pesky side effects.
Aside from that, it also has taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that would definitely help you with your performance.
The best thing about REIZE is that you can get it for around $1 and have your orders shipped to your home. That’s amazing value for your money.
Grab a REIZE now to experience it yourself!
Other Notable Mentions
Conclusion
Calories aren’t altogether a bad thing. As a common ingredient in energy drinks, it can help energize you, especially for your workouts. You can then burn off calories when you’re in the gym.
However, the problem is when you consume more calories than you can burn. That can cause you to gain weight that may be harmful for your health.
Energy drinks can usually contain anywhere between zero to 100 calories. The trick is choosing the right energy drink for your lifestyle. If you’re particularly active, choosing high-calorie brands may suit your needs since you’d be burning the calories anyway. However, if you’re averse to the gym and don’t really need much of an energy boost, you can check out the calorie-free and low-calorie options.
You can also talk to a nutritionist or doctor to make sure you’re getting a number of calories suitable for your body and your lifestyle.
