Short Answer: Yes, you can drink a minimal amount of energy drinks before an exam to help you concentrate.
I’m sure everyone’s experienced the gut-wrenching nervousness you get before entering an exam room – your palms sweaty and wondering if you studied enough.
Maybe you have a paper you need to finish or an exam you haven’t finished cramming for, but you’re starting to feel like you have to turn to energy drinks to give you that extra fuel to get to the finish line.
In this article, I’ll outline the ingredients in energy drinks that give you energy, if they work, what the side effects are, and what energy drinks are best for students to drink.
That way, you’ll be able to answer for yourself if or not you should consume your favourite energy drink before an exam.
Let’s begin!
Do energy drinks actually work?
The short answer is, yes.
People may react differently to energy drinks depending on caffeine and sugar tolerance. However, with the average energy drink packing around 100mg of caffeine, it’s impossible to not be affected to some degree unless you’re totally caffeine-sensitive.
You can tell if the energy drink has an effect on you if you feel as if your heart rate is elevated, your tiredness has faded, and you feel more energetic and energized than before.
The effects of the energy drink also depend on your personal metabolism- for some, the effect can last 3-4 hours, while it could be shorter or longer for others.
Do energy drinks help you concentrate?
Yes, energy drinks can help you concentrate and focus better.
This study done on Red Bull also showed that it can help boost cognitive function (meaning you’ll be able to get more done in a short period of time) and also improve your mood.
The caffeine in energy drinks helps stimulate your nerves both physically and mentally, so you feel less tired overall.
However, that doesn’t mean that your body does not need to rest – you just rack up a sleep debt that one way or another, you will have to pay back sooner or later.
Watch the video below to learn more about how energy drinks can help with focus.
What is the best energy drink for studying?
I’d say REIZE is one of the best energy drinks for studying considering the price, caffeine content, and other energy-boosting ingredients.
While being on a budget is definitely an issue, that’s not easy when you have to consider other things like health as well. Personally, I think that some of the best energy drinks are usually made from organic ingredients, have a minimum of artificial sugars, and try to use real fruit juices.
If you’re concerned about price but don’t want to turn to those kinds of energy drinks, try powdered energy drinks, which fulfil a lot of these criteria, especially REIZE.
REIZE ships right to your door for around $1, and with 1000mg of taurine in a single serving, it’s perfect for those who are looking for a great, clean energy payoff with a minimum of side effects.
Is Red Bull good for studying?
Yes, Red Bull can be good for studying.
A can of Red Bull is loaded with 80mg of caffeine, and 27g of sugar, which although may sound like a lot, is perfectly fine for healthy adults.
If you’re feeling really tired but you need to power through and study, this might be just the drink to restore you to full power.
But of course, this does not negate all the potential negative side effects that excessive amounts of Red Bull might have on your body.
Caffeine Pills and Studying
While caffeine pills typically do not contain any artificial flavouring or sugars and just give you a solid caffeine boost, there are several downsides to them.
For one, because of the ease of popping a caffeine pill, you can find yourself slowly taking larger doses, which can lead to addiction.
Also, keep in mind not to wash a caffeine pill down with a cup of coffee, as that might cause heart palpitations or headaches!
If you know that you’re sensitive to caffeine but still want to give it a go, I would recommend starting off with small doses first – a quarter or half a pill to build up a tolerance.
Is it good to have caffeine before an exam?
Partly yes, as caffeine can really help you concentrate and strengthen your focus.
However, the best thing to have before an exam is really 8 hours of sleep so that you’re well-rested and focused for what is about to come.
But there are certain caveats that come with that – some people are night owls, so you might not be used to getting up early in the morning regardless of whether you’ve slept enough or not.
In cases like these, caffeine can help you wake up a little faster so that you can adapt to the situation at hand.
Still, the key is moderation to reap the benefits of caffeine in terms of helping you get through your exam smoothly.
Energy Drink Ingredients That Can Help With Focus
Apart from caffeine, there are other ingredients in energy drinks that are said to be effective in terms of helping you focus.
In this section, we’ll look at the Panax ginseng root, guarana seed extract, and taurine.
Panax Ginseng Root
Most people have heard of the ginseng root, a traditional Chinese herb, and a staple in some energy drinks.
Panax ginseng root grows mostly in the eastern hemisphere of the world, mainly in Korea and China.
Ginseng root comes with a myriad of benefits, such as being a good source of antioxidants and helping heal damaged cells in recovery. It can be used in the prevention of cancer as well, as in boosting the immune system.
Guarana Seed Extract
Guarana seed extract is derived from the guarana plant, which is named after the Guarani tribe in the Amazon.
Guarana contains caffeine, which in turn, stimulates the central nervous system and gives you an energy boost.
Besides caffeine, guarana also contains the chemicals theophylline and theobromine, which have a similar effect on the body as caffeine does.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that is found in the body and is commonly used as a dietary supplement.
Studies suggest that the combination of taurine with caffeine help with strengthening focus, but these studies are only preliminary.
If you’re looking for energy drinks that are filled with taurine, check out my article here.
Side Effects of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks do come with certain side effects if you consume them over a long period of time or in excess.
In this section, I’ll discuss the side effects of energy drinks in terms of the ingredients: caffeine and sucralose. (There are more active ingredients that can actually harm you especially when you overconsume energy drinks.)
Caffeine
Some possible side effects of too much caffeine include:
- anxiety/panic attacks
- dehydration
- diarrhea
- headaches
- inability to concentrate
- jitters
Check out my list of energy drinks with the highest caffeine content!
Always check the caffeine content of your energy drinks and keep your caffeine intake below 400mg in a day to avoid the symptoms mentioned above.
Sucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is supposed to replace natural sugars in food and drink.
Although Sucralose has been deemed safe, there are still concerns about the side effects that occur after consuming this sweetener.
Sucralose is a simple sugar made from sugar in a chemical process where 3 hydrogen-oxygen groups are replaced with chlorine atoms.
Sucralose has been found to reduce good gut bacteria (the ones that help improve your digestion- this study found that up to 12 weeks after the experiment, the gut bacteria had still not returned).
It can also help you lose weight to some extent but not enough evidence about the effects of long-term use of sucralose has been examined.
Check my recommendations for energy drinks without sucralose in this article.
Best Energy Drink Before Exam
As for my recommendations for the best energy drinks before an exam, check the list below!
- Red Bull
- Guru
- XS
- Bing
- Gfuel
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (I think this is the best choice for students!)
You could also look at Vivarin caffeine pills if you’re looking for something that’s quick and easy to take. At 200mg of caffeine, it’s around the same amount of caffeine that regular energy drinks do, but without the great, energising taste.
Of course, there are also loads of other caffeinated products out there that you could turn to for your energy needs. Something like Make It Mio immediately comes to mind, which is supposed to flavour your water and give you an energy boost at the same time, for those who are a bit more health-conscious.
REIZE (10 out of 10)
REIZE is the best solution for you if you’re looking for something that’s not too stronger and still guarantee an energy boost without giving you nasty headaches.
It comes in 4g sachets and the mixture contains 50mg caffeine, 11 calories, taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins. And yes, REIZE is sugar-free!
REIZE is a lot more convenient and versatile since you can add all types of liquids to it – soda, hot water, cold water, flavoured juice, it’s up to you.
REIZE ships right to your door for around $1 per drink.