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Need a boost? NOS energy drinks might just be the answer.
Once upon a time, NOS came in cool tank-shaped bottles, but after its discontinuation, NOS then released their energy drinks in ready-to-drink cans that pack a powerful punch.
So, you might be wondering if NOS is the energy drink for you and if it’s actually good for your health.
As long as you practice moderate consumption and have no medical conditions, NOS energy drink is unlikely to be harmful to your health. Since the drink contains a substantial sugar content, NOS is not recommended for those who are caffeine-sensitive or are diabetic.
For more details about the ingredients of NOS and its effects on your health stick around…
NOS Energy Drink Nutrition Facts
A comprehensive table on the nutritional facts in a can of NOS energy drink:
| Nutrition | NOS Energy Drink (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 210 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Fat (Of Which Saturated) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of Which Sugars) | 54g (54g) |
| Caffeine | 160mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 3.4mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.8μg |
How Many Calories Are In NOS Energy Drink?
There’s 210 calories in 16 fl.oz can of NOS energy drink.
Given that the recommended daily calorie intake is 1,600 – 2,400 calories for women and 2,000 – 3,000 calories for men, NOS contains a rather large amount of calories in one can of energy drink.
I recommend staying away from NOS if you’re following a strict diet or have a relatively sedentary lifestyle as 210 calories are quite a lot to burn.
On the other hand, if you’re someone who’s on the move often or goes to the gym often, you’ll benefit from the energy that NOS provides.
As a reminder, energy drinks like NOS aren’t meant to replace proper meals completely, so if you’re feeling hungry, you should get something nutritious to eat instead of having another can of NOS.
If you prefer an energy drink with fewer calories, you can check out my article about the best zero-calorie energy drinks, which you’ll find informative.
NOS Energy Drink Ingredients
Every 16 fl.oz can of NOS Energy Drink (GT Grape) has the ingredients as stated:
- 210 calories
- 0g total fat
- 410mg of sodium
- 54 of total carbs
- 54g of sugar
- 0g of protein
- Vitamin B6 (200% of the recommended daily value)
- Vitamin B12 (200% of the recommended daily value)
It also contains traces of:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Citric acid
- Sodium citrate
- Natural & artificial flavors
- Sodium hexametaphosphate (preservative)
- Taurine
- Caffeine
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Sucralose
- Red #40
- Inositol
- Calcium sodium EDTA (preservative)
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)
- Blue #1
- Guarana extract
- Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12)
How Much Caffeine Is In NOS Energy Drink?
Every 16 fl.oz can of NOS energy drinks has 160mg of caffeine.
Caffeine is the main stimulant in energy drinks that keeps you awake, increases your exercise performance and boosts your mental focus.
In terms of caffeine content, NOS is pretty average for an energy drink of its size. NOS definitely isn’t the strongest energy drink available, so if your tolerance to caffeine is high, you might find that NOS doesn’t give you the boost that you seek.
This really depends on your caffeine metabolism, and generally speaking, 160mg of caffeine should be enough to keep you going for a few hours at least.
In my case, my personal preference is between 50mg – 100mg of caffeine per drink, which I find gives me sufficient energy without overwhelming me with side effects.
Though NOS is quite moderate in its caffeine content, it’s also wise to abide by the recommended maximum daily caffeine intake from the FDA, which is 400mg per day for healthy adults.
Going over that amount can lead to adverse effects such as:
- Insomnia
- Shakiness and restlessness
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
With regard to the caffeine content, as long as you stay under the daily caffeine limit of 400mg, having a can of NOS in a day won’t bring about any harm to you.
How Much Sugar Is In NOS Energy Drink?
Each 16 fl.oz can of NOS contains 54g of sugar, which makes it a highly sugary energy drink.
For your information, the maximum daily sugar intake recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) is 25g for women and 36g for men.
With this reference, it’s quite clear that NOS exceeds the approved limit.
Having a lot of sugar in your diet certainly isn’t beneficial for you, and the frequent consumption of excessive sugar without proper control may lead to serious health issues like:
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Acne
- Acne
- Cavities
- Kidney disease
Besides, you’ll likely also end up with a sugar crash from the high sugar content in NOS when the effects of the energy drinks wear off.
If you’re diabetic, I would strongly advise you to avoid drinking NOS completely.
Personally, I feel that the amount of sugar in NOS is a bad idea for anyone, but it’s especially concerning if you have a medical condition.
To minimize the risks to your health, you should probably go for healthier, lower-calorie energy drinks instead.
If you’re interested, here’s an article I wrote on the best energy drinks with less sugar that you might find helpful.
Does NOS Have Artificial Sweeteners?
In addition to containing a lot of regular sugar, NOS also contains sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener.
Sucralose is a zero-calorie sweetener that’s about 400 times sweeter than sugar. Though it doesn’t have any additional nutrients and is considered a healthier alternative to sugar, its effects in the long term are still somewhat unknown.
That said, sucralose is approved by the FDA for use in foods and drinks, so as long as you aren’t consuming sucralose in excess, you should be safe.
Other Ingredients
Guarana
Originating from Brazil, guarana is a plant that’s rich in natural stimulants and antioxidants.
Guarana has plenty of benefits, notably being able to decrease fatigue, improve mental focus, and increase the ability to learn. The key stimulant guarana contains is actually caffeine, and it actually adds to the total caffeine content in energy drinks.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that your body produces naturally. You can also obtain taurine from foods in your diet like fish, meat, and dairy.
Some of the benefits of taurine are promoting healthy metabolism, enhancing exercise performance, and protecting the muscles.
In terms of physical performance, a 2013 study reported that exercise performance increased by 1.7% among middle-distance runners after the ingestion of taurine.
Is NOS Energy Drink Bad For Your Health?
NOS energy drink won’t be bad for your health as long as you drink it in moderation and you’re a healthy adult without any pre-existing conditions.
NOS contains a reasonable amount of caffeine that’ll supply you with a quick boost of energy and increase your concentration when you really need it.
However, as with all energy drinks, you need to drink NOS in moderation to avoid running the risks of side effects.
Make sure to also lead a healthy lifestyle and consume a balanced diet to keep yourself in good health at the same time.
After all, drinking energy drinks can either mean increased performance or a terrible headache depending on how you consume them.
How Many Cans Of NOS Energy Drinks Can You Have In A Day?
| NOS Energy Drink (16 fl.oz) | Daily Max Limit (Female/Male) | |
| Calories | 210 calories | 2400 calories/3000 calories |
| Sugar | 54g | 25g/36g |
| Caffeine | 160mg | 400mg |
Personally, I recommend that you have only one can of NOS energy drink in a day due to the number of calories and sugar that NOS has.
While the caffeine content in NOS is fairly average, the amount of sugar in NOS is what you really should be concerned about.
Drinking one can of NOS already puts you over the maximum daily sugar limit recommended by the AHA. Having two cans in a single day is just asking for trouble.
Aside from the high sugar content, the amount of calories in NOS is also quite high. This definitely won’t do you any favors especially if you have a desk job unless of course, you have a very active lifestyle, then you’ll have no problem burning off those calories.
The best way to have NOS energy drink is to consume it in moderation. It’s probably best to only drink 2 – 3 cans of NOS in a week, and switch out the other days with coffee, tea, or other sugar-free energy drinks if you need a caffeine kick.
Is NOS A Good Energy Drink?
Despite the high sugar and calorie content, NOS delivers a great energy boost and increases your performance when you need it.
A combo of caffeine and sugar can be beneficial if you consume them in moderation, especially when it comes to helping you to stay energized and awake for a long period of time.
When it comes to functionality, NOS is just as good as regular energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster in providing you with a boost of energy, so you can definitely drink NOS if you need to pull an all-nighter or for some extra energy for your workouts.
However, from a health perspective, the high sugar content is probably something to be wary of. NOS energy drink’s sweet, fruity flavor can be addictive, so be mindful of how much NOS you’re consuming on any given day.
Is NOS Energy Drink bad for your heart?
If drank in moderation, Nos energy drink is unlikely to harm your heart. If drank too much, however, it can lead to some bad side effects.
As you know, NOS energy drinks has a high caffeine content. In a regular 16oz can, there exist about 160mg of caffeine.
The recommended caffeine intake is 400mg, therefore drinking a can of NOS energy drink won’t be bad for your heart. Keep in mind however that there are other ingredients in the drink.
The same 16oz can contain 54g of sugar which could lead to heart disease with frequent and excessive consumption. Therefore keep those in mind when drinking NOS energy drink
NOS Energy Drink Flavors
NOS offers a selection of six flavors:
- Original
- GT Grape
- Nitro Mango
- Sonic Sour
- Power Punch
- Turbo
Alternatives To NOS Energy Drink
NOS is a good energy drink, but there are plenty of other great options that work just as well or better. Here are some other popular ready-to-drink energy drinks that you might enjoy:
- Red Bull
- Mountain Dew Kickstart
- Rockstar
- Reign
- 3D Energy
- Game Fuel
- Bang
- Monster
- Full Throttle
- Adrenalin Shoc
- Guru Energy Drink
- Raze Energy
- C4 Energy
Powdered energy drinks are great choices too since you can customize the serving size according to your preference, plus they’re more affordable:
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- G Fuel
- REIZE (my fav)
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
NOS might pack a sugary punch, but how about a milder energy drink that goes easy on the caffeine without the sugar crash afterward?
REIZE is a great powdered energy drink that comes in convenient 4g sachets which makes it easy to take with you anywhere you might need an energy boost.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is also sugar-free and has just 11 calories per serving.
REIZE also contains a smart list of beneficial ingredients like taurine, ginseng and B-complex vitamins that work together to give you the perfect energy boost without the crash.
The best part?
REIZE ships right to your door for only about $1 per drink.
That’s outstanding value for money.
Give REIZE a try today, and you might find that it satisfies your energy needs better than NOS.
