NOS Energy certainly revs up your energy engines with its powerful boost, but what exactly gives it that extra pizzazz?
What are the ingredients in a can of NOS Energy?
In brief, NOS Energy contains 160mg of caffeine, and 54g of sugar, with 210 calories, along with a bunch of B vitamins and other ingredients like taurine and guarana.
For a closer look at each of these ingredients, stick around to learn more about NOS Energy, from a breakdown of its ingredients to how NOS might affect you.
Let’s get started…
NOS Energy Nutrition Facts
First up, let’s go over the table of nutritional values in a regular 16 fl. oz can of NOS Energy:
| Typical Values | NOS Energy Drink (16 fl. oz) |
| Energy | 210 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Fat (Of Which Saturated) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrates (Of Which Sugars) | 54g (54g) |
| Caffeine | 160mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 3.4mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.8μg |
How Many Calories Are In A Can Of NOS Energy?
A can of NOS Energy contains 210 calories, which, if you’re following a specific diet or trying to lose weight, probably isn’t ideal.
Given that the recommended daily caloric intake is between 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for women and 2,000 to 3,000 calories for men, the calories in a can of NOS make up around 1/10 of your daily allowance.
Having a high-calorie intake, especially if you have a relatively sedentary lifestyle, isn’t good for your health as it could lead to obesity and other diseases.
Unless you burn off all those calories through regular physical activity and movement, it’s probably better to go for low-calorie energy drinks instead for the sake of your health.
That said, the fairly high number of calories in NOS will give you plenty of energy for the day. However, drinking NOS isn’t supposed to replace an actual meal, so if you’re hungry, you should definitely eat something nutritious instead of reaching for another can.
If high-calorie, high-sugar energy drinks like NOS aren’t what you’re looking for, you can check out this article on the best zero-calorie energy drinks that I wrote, which provides some great options.
NOS Energy Drink Ingredients
Each 16 fl. oz can of NOS Energy (GT Grape) contains the following ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Citric acid
- Sodium citrate
- Natural & artificial flavors
- Sodium hexametaphosphate (preservative)
- Taurine
- Caffeine (160mg)
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Sucralose
- Red #40
- Inositol
- Calcium sodium EDTA (preservative)
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6)
- Blue #1
- Guarana extract
- Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12)
Taurine
Commonly found in many energy drinks, taurine is a naturally-occurring amino acid that’s mostly found in your brain, heart, muscles, and eyes.
Taurine can also be taken as a supplement and is beneficial in improving physical performance, thus explaining its presence in a lot of energy drinks.
A 2013 study showed that taurine can positively augment exercise performance. Eight athletes who ingested taurine showed a 1.7% improvement in performance during the study.
However, it’s hard to say if the amount of taurine in NOS is sufficient to affect physical performance at all since the exact quantities aren’t specified.
Guarana
Guarana is a plant native to Brazil that naturally contains caffeine in its seeds. Guarana seeds can contain up to three times more caffeine compared to regular coffee beans.
Guarana is often added to energy drinks as it can reduce fatigue and enhance cognitive abilities, though this increases the amount of caffeine in energy drinks.
This is something you should take note of, as the caffeine from guarana typically isn’t included in the total caffeine content, so you may possibly end up consuming more caffeine than you can handle.
Inositol
Inositol is sometimes called vitamin B8, though it’s really a kind of sugar that helps control the actions of insulin.
Insulin is the hormone in your body that balances your blood sugar levels.
However, like taurine, the precise amount of inositol isn’t mentioned on the label, so we don’t know how effective it might be in the case of NOS.
How Much Caffeine Is In NOS Energy?
Every 16 fl. oz can of NOS Energy drink has 160mg of caffeine, which is a pretty average amount for an energy drink of its size.
For reference, Rockstar and Monster both also have 160mg of caffeine per 16 fl. oz. They also come in 16 fl. oz cans, the same size as a can of NOS. So NOS doesn’t really contain a jaw-dropping amount of caffeine, unlike some energy drinks such as Bang and Reign.
I prefer my caffeinated beverages to contain between 50mg to 100mg of caffeine per serving, which gives me a great boost, but not so much that I can’t think straight or get a headache.
But, no matter how high your caffeine tolerance is, make sure to limit your caffeine consumption to no more than 400mg of caffeine in a day, according to the FDA’s recommended maximum daily caffeine limit for healthy adults.
Any more than that and you might experience some unpleasant side effects like:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Dizziness
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
As long as you stay under the daily caffeine limit and moderate your consumption of how much NOS you have in a day, you don’t need to be too concerned with possible side effects.
I also don’t recommend drinking NOS close to your bedtime. Caffeine decreases the symptoms of fatigue, which will cause you to feel more alert and awake, resulting in difficulty falling asleep.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid caffeine within about six hours of when you plan to try to sleep.
How Much Sugar Is In A Can Of NOS Energy Drink?
A can of NOS Energy has 54g of sugar, which is a considerable amount for an energy drink.
To give you a clearer picture, 54g is roughly 4½ tablespoons of sugar, which is a ton of sugar in one can of energy drink and probably not something that you want in your diet on a daily basis.
The type of sugar in NOS Energy is high fructose syrup, which is typically used to improve the taste of processed foods and drinks. It’s just as unhealthy as regular sugar if consumed in excess.
Considering that the AHA recommends a maximum daily sugar limit of 36g for men and 25g for women, NOS Energy definitely goes way over that limit.
Consuming too much sugar over time may lead to health problems such as:
- Tooth decay
- Acne
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart diseases
Furthermore, the high sugar content in NOS Energy pretty much guarantees a sugar crash when the effect of NOS wears off due to the sudden spike and then falls in your blood sugar levels.
If you have a medical condition, especially diabetes, I advise against having NOS Energy. You should probably go for sugar-free energy drinks instead and always consult your doctor first before consuming any new energy drink to check whether it’s suitable for you.
Are There Artificial Sweeteners In NOS Energy Drinks?
Aside from sugar, NOS Energy also contains sucralose, which is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener that enhances the sweetness of the drink.
Since sucralose is a zero-calorie sweetener, it won’t leave much of an impact on your overall diet and it doesn’t affect the nutritional values of NOS Energy either.
Though the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners aren’t conclusive yet, artificial sweeteners like sucralose are approved by the FDA, so there isn’t much for you to worry about provided you have them in moderation of course.
Still, it is kind of unusual that NOS contains an artificial sweetener when it already contains so much sugar. It’s not completely unheard of to use both, it’s just not all that common.
Is NOS A Good Pre-Workout Drink?
NOS might be a good pre-workout drink if you drink it in moderation. With 160mg of caffeine and 54g of sugar, NOS can supply you with a sufficient energy boost for your workouts.
Plus, there’s no doubt the taurine and guarana in NOS will help in providing a boost as well.
However, the issue with NOS is the huge sugar content. With 54g of sugar, you’ll most likely end up with a sugar crash, which may leave you feeling sluggish and tired – not exactly what you want during your workout.
Give NOS a try as a pre-workout and see if it works for you.
Do NOS Energy Drinks Have Nitrous Oxide?
NOS Energy drinks don’t contain nitrous oxide, even though it can be confusing considering that NOS stands for ‘Nitrous Oxide Systems.’
Nitrous oxide is a sedative commonly known as ‘laughing gas’. It’s most often used in dental procedures to treat pain because it leaves the patients feeling relaxed and blissful.
Fun Fact: If you didn’t already know, NOS Energy used to be distributed in NOS tank-shaped bottles before being discontinued, leaving only cans in their product range.
NOS Energy Drink Flavors
NOS Energy offers a selection of six flavors:
- Original
- GT Grape
- Nitro Mango
- Sonic Sour
- Power Punch
- Turbo
NOS Energy Drink Vs Rockstar
| NOS Energy Drink | Rockstar Energy Drink | |
| Caffeine | 160mg | 160mg |
| Sugar | 54g | 24g |
| Calories | 210 | 122 |
Both NOS and Rockstar have the same amount of caffeine per 16 fl. oz can.
With 160mg of caffeine, NOS and Rockstar rank fairly average in terms of caffeine strength when compared to some brands with a lot more caffeine, providing a sufficient energy boost to get you through an afternoon slump or an intense exercise session.
However, Rockstar has less than half the sugar and calories as NOS.
Although 24g of sugar is still cutting it close to the maximum daily sugar limit that the AHA recommends, it’s still a lot less than what’s in NOS Energy, making it a healthier choice in my opinion.
If you’re looking for an energy drink with lower sugar and calorie content, Rockstar might be more suited for you when compared to NOS.
NOS Energy Drink Vs Bang
| NOS Energy Drink | Bang Energy Drink | |
| Caffeine | 160mg | 300mg |
| Sugar | 54g | 0g |
| Calories | 210 | 0g |
Compared to NOS, Bang has a lot more caffeine per 16 fl. oz can, making it one of the strongest energy drinks on the market.
Drinking Bang will definitely jolt your senses and energize you. If you regularly drink caffeinated drinks and have a high caffeine metabolism, this might be for you.
However, if you have a lower tolerance to caffeine, you might feel some side effects more intensely after drinking Bang.
My advice is to go slow and know your body’s limits, choose energy drinks with lower caffeine content to start.
Bang has zero sugar and zero calories, making it ideal if you’re cutting or you’re more health-conscious.
It all depends on your preference and what benefits you seek from drinking energy drinks.
NOS has a more sensible caffeine content than Bang, but it comes with a lot of sugar. Make your choice depending on what you want, or perhaps consider something with a little less of both.
Is NOS a healthy energy drink?
NOS and any other energy drink are not healthy especially when consumed excessively.
The sugar in NOS is something that everyone should be concerned about as it’s way past the daily recommended limit.
Although NOS works, it’s not ideal for you to consume it daily or long-term as it may put your health at risk.
Still, NOS is not bad as long as you’re consuming it in moderation!
What are the side effects of the NOS Energy drink?
Excessive consumption of NOS Energy can lead to the following side effects:
- headaches
- jitters
- insomnia
- rapid heartbeat
- high blood pressure
- bad stomach
Learn more about the side effects and dangers of energy drinks in this article.
Alternatives To NOS Energy Drink
If you’re looking for energy drink alternatives that are similar to NOS, here’s a list of some great options that you might enjoy:
- C4 Energy
- Red Bull
- Mountain Dew Kickstart
- Reign
- 3D Energy
- AMP Energy
- Game Fuel
- Monster
- Full Throttle
- Adrenalin Shoc
- Guru Energy Drink
- Raze Energy
- Celsius
There are also some great powdered energy drinks worth considering because they’re more customizable and usually a lot more affordable than their ready-to-drink counterparts:
- G Fuel
- Advocare Spark
- Zipfizz
- REIZE (my fav)
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
NOS is a good energy drink, but its high caffeine and sugar content isn’t for everyone. So how about an energy drink that’s low in caffeine and is sugar-free instead?
REIZE is an awesome powdered energy drink that comes in convenient 4g sachets, making it super convenient for you to take anywhere you go.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is sugar-free and has just 11 calories per serving, which is great if you’re health-conscious.
Plus, REIZE contains a special blend of healthy ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and B vitamins that work together to provide you with the perfect boost of energy without a dreadful crash afterward.
Perhaps best of all, REIZE ships straight to your door for only about $1 per drink.
That’s amazing value for money.
Give REIZE a try today and I’m sure you’ll agree that REIZE is a smarter choice than NOS Energy.
Other Articles
- Monster Vs Red Bull (What’s the difference?)
- Reign Energy Review
- Is NOS Energy Drink Bad For You?
- Strongest Energy Drinks (Ranked)