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Full Throttle was released in 2004 by the same company that brought you Monster and NOS.
Packed with plenty of caffeine and other ingredients, Full Throttle seems to be the energy drink that would complement your active lifestyle and overall health, but does it really measure up?
The short answer is that I score Full Throttle Energy Drink a solid 8 out of 10 as I think the energy boost does live up to expectation. But there are several shortcomings of Full Throttle that you really should know about.
In this article, I’ll be going in-depth on a few of the central components of Full Throttle and give you a full review of the ingredients, taste, and effects.
Let’s get started…
Full Throttle Nutrition Facts
| Value (Standard Serving) | Full Throttle (16 fl.oz) | Red Bull (8.4 fl.oz) | Monster (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 230 calories | 110 calories | 190 calories |
| Protein | 0g | 0g | 2.28g |
| Carbohydrate (of which sugars) | 57g (55g) | 28g (27g) | 54g (54g) |
| Sodium | 160mg | 210mg | 370mg |
| Caffeine | 160mg | 80mg | 160mg |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) | 40mg | 4.3mg | 51.5mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 4.08mg | 4.0mg | 10.7mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 12μg | 9.6μg | 13 µg |
How Many Calories Are In Full Throttle?
There are 230 calories in a single can of Full Throttle.
With 230 calories, Full Throttle has quite a lot of calories compared to other energy drinks of a similar volume (take, for example, one 16 fl.oz can of Monster which has 190 calories).
To get a better idea of the recommended daily calorie intake, here’s the guide:
| Men | 2000 – 3000 calories/day |
| Women | 1600 – 2400/day |
That means to say you’re likely to have about 300-400 calories per meal if you have about 5 meals per day. One can of Full Throttle has almost enough calories for one of those meals!
If you’re on a diet or are watching your daily calorie count, you need to be mindful of how many cans of Full Throttle you have in a day, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
However, if you’re regularly exercising and lead an active lifestyle, you’ll have no problem burning off those calories, and might even need the extra energy to get you through your workout.
On the other hand, if you don’t have time to work out, perhaps you should opt for another energy drink with fewer calories instead.
If you’d like to learn more about zero-calorie energy drinks and if they work just as efficiently, head over to this other post that I’ve written where I cover things in more detail.
Full Throttle Ingredients
Each 16 fl.oz can of Full Throttle (Blue Agave) has the following ingredients:
- 230 calories
- 0g of total fat
- 160mg of sodium
- 57g of total carbs
- 55g of total sugars
- 0g of protein
- Niacin (vitamin B3) (250% of the recommended daily value)
- Vitamin B6 (240% of the recommended daily value)
- Vitamin B12 (500% of the recommended daily value)
- Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
It also contains traces of:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Natural & artificial flavors
- Citric acid
- Sugar
- Sodium citrate
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
- D-Ribose
- Caffeine
- Niacinamide (vitamin B3)
- Calcium D-Pantothenate (vitamin B5)
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)
- Blue #1
- Red #40
- Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12)
How Much Caffeine Is In Full Throttle?
A 16 fl.oz can of Full Throttle contains 160mg of caffeine.
160mg of caffeine per 16 fl.oz is a fairly reasonable amount for an energy drink, so the side effects shouldn’t be a problem unless you’re caffeine-sensitive.
Personally, I prefer to keep my caffeine intake between 50mg – 100mg per drink as that amount hits the sweet spot for me. If I exceed that, I often become restless and find it hard to focus on what I’m doing.
Though, it really depends on your caffeine metabolism and how frequently you consume caffeine.
Generally, if you’re a habitual caffeine drinker, you won’t have issues downing energy drinks with average to high amounts of caffeine. The same can’t be said for those with a lower caffeine tolerance though.
For guidance, the FDA recommends that healthy adults only have up to a maximum of 400mg of caffeine in an entire day, with no more than 200mg of caffeine per serving.
Consuming too much caffeine can lead to side effects like:
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Fever
- Irritability
Full Throttle has warning notes on the back of the can for your reference, so if you happen to fall into any of the categories mentioned, you should avoid drinking Full Throttle energy drinks to minimize health risks.
How Much Sugar Is In Full Throttle?
A can of Full Throttle has 55g of sugars, which is quite a lot.
As a reminder, the AHA states that the recommended maximum daily sugar intake is 25g for women and 36g for men. Considering that Full Throttle has 55g of sugar, it’s obvious that Full Throttle has way too much sugar for both men and women.
Aside from sugar, Full Throttle also contains high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that comes from corn syrup.
It’s used as a sweetener in many processed foods and drinks. Seeing as it’s similar to regular sugar, it can lead to health problems like obesity and diabetes if consumed in excess.
Having said that, sugar isn’t completely harmful to your health. In fact, sugar is pretty important as brain fuel since our brains feed on glucose, and it can improve your mood.
It’s when you consume too much sugar that the problems start.
Consuming a lot of sugar, in the long run, can lead to damaging health effects, such as:
- Tooth decay
- Acne
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
Plus, too much sugar can result in a sugar crash, which leave you feeling tired and sluggish, so I recommend going for energy drinks with less sugar instead.
What Is D-Ribose?
According to Healthline, D-Ribose is an extremely important sugar molecule. Aside from being a component of your DNA, it’s also a part of the main energy source for your cells.
D-Ribose is naturally produced in your body and can be found in supplement form as well. D-Ribose supplements help enhance exercise performance.
Some of the benefits of D-ribose are:
- Help recovery of energy stores in your cells
- May improve heart function in people with heart disease
- May improve symptoms in certain pain disorders like fibromyalgia
- May benefit exercise performance
A 2017 study found that supplements with D-Ribose improved physical performance compared to a placebo.
Though there aren’t any standard doses for D-Ribose supplements, 5g – 30g per day is recommended for some chronic medical conditions.
If you’re consuming D-Ribose supplements for workouts, 5g in a day is enough.
D-Ribose is considered safe, but some of the side effects that might occur are nausea, headache, and diarrhea. So, make sure to consume these supplements according to the recommended dosages.
Since Full Throttle claims to only contain “trace amounts” of D-Ribose, we can probably assume that there’s not a significant amount present in a can.
Full Throttle Review
On the whole, I would give Full Throttle an 8 out of 10.
It’s a really good energy drink, better than plenty of others I’ve had before, with great taste and a refreshing energy boost. The energy boost isn’t too overwhelming – it’s steady and kept me alert and energized for about three hours.
However, Full Throttle does have a few shortcomings that I’d like to comment on.
Full Throttle has a lot of sugar. That’s just a fact. With 55g of sugar, Full Throttle far exceeds AHA’s recommended daily sugar intake.
Full Throttle has more sugar than I usually prefer in an energy drink.
Furthermore, aside from sugar, it also contains high fructose corn syrup, which only adds to the sugar content and sweetness of the drink and is unnecessary in my opinion.
A can of Full Throttle costs about $3, which I feel is slightly expensive considering Full Throttle doesn’t have any additional ingredients like taurine or BCAAs which many other energy drinks of a similar price tag tend to have.
Altogether, Full Throttle is a great energy drink if you’re willing to shell out a few more dollars for it, and it’s worth a try if you happen to find any good deals for Full Throttle energy drinks.
If you want a second opinion, you can watch this review video below. It goes pretty in-depth on the background of Full Throttle and provides a taste test on both of the flavors of the energy drink:
What Does Full Throttle Taste Like?
Full Throttle (Blue agave flavor) has a certain tang to it as you sip it, similar to Mountain Dew, and flows smoothly into your throat with a gentle fizziness and sweet aftertaste.
The sweetness does build up after several sips, so you might find it too sweet before you even get through half of the can but that could just be me since I usually go for sugar-free energy drinks.
I tried drinking Full Throttle while it was cold and also when it was at room temperature. I recommend having a can of Full Throttle straight after you’ve taken it out of the fridge as it tastes a lot more refreshing that way.
Overall, Full Throttle is an enjoyable drink, except for the extra sweetness. I also find its line-up of flavors to be quite limited seeing as there are only two flavors that are available at the moment.
Oh, one last thing. It also contains a tad too much caffeine for my liking too. But that’s not nearly as bad as the crazy amount of sugar that it contains in my opinion.
Overall, 8 out of 10. Good tasting drink with too much sugar and a bit too much caffeine.
Full Throttle Flavors
Full Throttle only has two flavors available:
- Full Throttle Original Citrus
- Full Throttle Blue Agave
These are the flavors that were discontinued from Full Throttle:
- Full Throttle Orange
- Full Throttle Red Berry
- Full Throttle Original Citrus Sugar-Free
- Full Throttle Night
- Full Throttle Fury Berry
- Full Throttle Fury Orange
- Full Throttle Fury Blue
- Full Throttle Fury Berry Sugar-Free
- Full Throttle Mother
- Full Throttle Unleaded
- Full Throttle Hydration
- Full Throttle Coffee Vanilla
- Full Throttle Coffee Mocha
- Full Throttle Coffee Caramel
Where To Buy Full Throttle Energy Drinks?
You can purchase Full Throttle from their official website. You can also search for good deals for Full Throttle energy drinks on online retailers like Amazon and eBay.
Based on my search on Amazon, the price of a 12-pack of 16 fl. oz cans of Full Throttle energy drink is about $39, shipping fees excluded. So, one can of Full Throttle is around $3.
Personally, I feel there are other energy drinks out there that are cheaper and just as great or even better. However, if you find that Full Throttle suits your taste and you prefer energy drinks without too many ingredients, then Full Throttle might be the energy drink for you.
Full Throttle Energy Drink Alternatives
If you’re looking for other energy drinks similar to Full Throttle, here are some good options that you might enjoy:
If you’re someone who values convenience and flexibility, you may prefer powdered energy drinks instead. They’re usually more cost-effective and you can customize the strength of the drink to your preference too:
- G Fuel
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (my favorite)
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
If you can’t tolerate high-caffeine, high-sugar energy drinks like Full Throttle, why not give REIZE a try instead?
REIZE is an energy drink mix with a sensible 50mg of caffeine that comes in light 4g sachets, thus making it super convenient for you to bring anywhere.
REIZE is also sugar-free and contains a smart blend of taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that work together to provide you with the perfect energy boost – with no crash.
Best of all?
REIZE ships to your door for only about $1 per drink, shipping included.
That’s amazing value for money right there.
Try REIZE today and I’m sure you’ll agree that REIZE is a smarter choice than Full Throttle.
