If you’re in need of a big boost without going too overboard, NOS Energy is certainly the drink that’s for you, packing a decent punch to get you right back into action.
But what exactly goes into a can of NOS Energy Drink, and how healthy is it for you?
In brief, a 16 fl. oz can of NOS Energy contains 210 calories, 54g of sugar, 160mg of caffeine, as well as a handful of vitamins and amino acids like taurine, inositol, and guarana. These micronutrients are added to the drink to improve bodily function and shorten post-workout recovery time.
Of course, there’s not all to it. For a detailed breakdown of the nutritional facts of NOS Energy and its effects on you, stick around to know more.
If you would like a comprehensive review of the taste and whether it works or not, instead, feel free to check out my NOS Energy Drink Review article, which features my take on this drink.
NOS Energy Nutritional Facts
First up, let’s go through the nutritional standard of NOS Energy drink to get an overview of what we’re working with:
| Typical Values | 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?
A regular 16fl.oz can of NOS Energy drink has 210 calories, which is a large number of calories for any energy drink to contain.
If you’re looking for an energy drink to complement your keto diet or other low-carb diets in general, NOS Energy isn’t exactly going to fit into that category.
Considering that the average adult only needs to consume between 2000 to 2500 calories per day, having a can of NOS Energy will surely leave a big impact on your overall diet unless you’re consistently exercising.
Plus, the calories from NOS Energy will quickly pile up over time, so be sure to limit the number of cans you have if you happen to be on a diet.
It’s also important to remember that NOS doesn’t contain all the nutrients your body needs and thus isn’t a substitute for proper meals. So do grab something more substantial if you’re actually feeling hungry.
All in all, be sure to moderate your NOS Energy intake and keep your calorie intake in check.
If you prefer something with fewer calories, check out my article on the best zero-calorie energy drinks for some awesome options.
NOS Energy Drink Ingredients
NOS Energy drink comes with a number of ingredients, some of which we’re going to discuss in the sections below.
Here are the ingredients of a 16fl.oz can of NOS Energy in an easy-to-read list:
- 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?
A regular serving of NOS Energy Drink contains 160mg of caffeine per 16fl.oz, which is a fairly moderate amount.
Caffeine is the primary ingredient of energy drinks that makes them work, from increasing your alertness to improving your cognition, as well as enhancing your physical performance.
As the caffeine content of energy drinks can vary between 50mg to 300mg per serving, a can of NOS Energy is placed somewhere in the middle, hence it’s not that extreme in terms of caffeine.
Personally, I prefer my energy drinks to have between 50mg to 100mg per serving, as I find that amount to supply me with the perfect boost without overwhelming me with side effects afterward.
While NOS Energy’s 160mg of caffeine isn’t something I’ll look forward to often, I wouldn’t mind having it now and then for a bigger boost.
Of course, depending on your caffeine metabolism, you may need to chug on at least two cans before you can feel the caffeine in NOS kick in, but I’ll be worried about consuming large amounts of sugar if I were you.
In contrast, if you have a low caffeine tolerance, NOS Energy might have too much caffeine, so you may have to go for other lower-caffeine alternatives instead.
However, it’s always important to keep your caffeine intake to a tolerable level. The FDA advises a daily caffeine limit of 400mg for healthy adults. Anything else than that, and you may wind up with unfavorable impacts like:
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Rapid heart rhythm
- Anxiety
In any case, make sure to moderate your NOS Energy intake, and keep your daily sugar consumption to a tolerable level as well.
For more information on how caffeine affects us, check out this video:
How Much Sugar Is In NOS Energy Drink?
A single 16fl.oz can of NOS Energy drink contains 54g of sugar, which is quite a lot.
NOS Energy has an extremely high sugar content for an energy drink of its size, putting it in the same sugary energy drink spectrum as Full Throttle and Monster.
While having sugar is fine every now and then for a brief energy and mood boost, it becomes a double-edged sword once you start consuming it in excessive amounts.
A high sugar intake over a long period of time could lead to some serious health problems like fatty liver disease and inflammation, which increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
The AHA recommends a daily sugar limit of 25g and 36g for women and men respectively, so drinking a can of NOS Energy would be detrimental to your health if not consumed in moderation.
If you continuously follow a diet fairly high in sugar, you may end up with a few serious issues after a long time, such as:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular disease
- Acne
As with everything we eat and drink, you can’t definitely have too much of something, so make sure to consume NOS Energy in moderation, and control the number of sugary foods and drink you have daily.
If you prefer to do away with sugar completely, check out my article on the best energy drinks with less sugar for some great recommendations.
Other Ingredients
Sucralose
As an artificial sweetener, sucralose contains virtually zero calories and carbs. Sucralose is also a type of sugar substitute since it’s around 700 times sweeter than sugar and can act as a flavor enhancer for food products.
In my opinion, though, the addition of sucralose into NOS Energy was pretty redundant given that it already contains high fructose corn syrup, which is sweet in itself.
If you’re worried about the safety of sucralose, you’ve got nothing to worry about as it’s approved by the FDA for general use and consumption.
However, it’s advisable to consume sucralose in moderation since its long-term side effects still remain inconclusive until now.
Taurine
Taurine is one of the amino acids naturally produced in our bodies that help to create proteins.
A few of the functions of taurine in our bodies include protecting certain organs like the muscles and eyes, promoting healthy metabolism, and enhancing exercise performance.
Inositol
Often mistaken as vitamin B8, inositol in actual fact is a kind of sugar that plays a role in controlling insulin and brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
Some of the benefits of inositol include aiding in blood sugar control, reducing symptoms of mood disorders, and maintaining normal blood pressure.
For a more in-depth discussion on the benefits of inositol, head over to my Incredible Inositol article, which you may find informative.
Is NOS Energy Drink Bad For You?
NOS Energy drinks can be good or bad for you depending on your consumption, but it definitely isn’t the healthiest energy drink given their ingredients.
First off, let’s go over the pros of the NOS Energy drink.
Thanks to its high-calorie content, NOS Energy can provide you with an adequate supply of energy for your workouts and daily activities.
Besides, NOS also contains a few beneficial ingredients like taurine and guarana extract that would give you an added advantage whether you’re out on the field or at work.
NOS Energy also comes with a reasonable caffeine content, though you might find it high if you have a low tolerance. Caffeine works well as a performance booster, especially in physical performance, based on many studies in the past.
Once you combine these aspects of NOS with its good taste, you get a pretty decent energy drink.
However, NOS Energy has a fair few cons as well.
NOS Energy’s high-calorie content isn’t recommended for everyone, as it could lead to weight gain and other health issues if you happen to lead a more sedentary lifestyle.
As for its caffeine content, you may experience negative side effects if you have a low caffeine metabolism.
Moreover, NOS Energy contains an unhealthy amount of sugar, which isn’t suitable if you happen to have diabetes or other health conditions.
In short, it all comes down to the number of cans of NOS Energy you consume. If you stick to a limit of one can of NOS Energy per day and limit your intake to certain occasions like exercise sessions, then NOS would be beneficial for you.
If you want to know whether it’s okay to have NOS daily or not, check out my Can You Drink NOS Energy Everyday article, which may give you the answers you’re looking for.
How Many Cans Of NOS Energy Drink Can I Have In A Day?
You can have a maximum of one can of NOS Energy in a day.
By looking through its caffeine and sugar content, NOS Energy is pretty moderate with its caffeine, and shouldn’t be much of a problem unless you’re caffeine-sensitive.
But NOS contains a high sugar content that exceeds the daily limit and would put you at risk for a potential sugar crash.
While sugar can give you a temporary boost and sugar rush, it’s never a good idea to have large quantities of sugar in one sitting. Plus, you also have to take into account the other sugary foods and drinks you may be having on the same day aside from NOS Energy.
I’d advise sticking to only one can of NOS Energy per day, and regularly moderating your daily sugar intake too.
Is There Alcohol In NOS Energy Drink?
NOS Energy drink doesn’t contain alcohol.
If you look through NOS Energy’s ingredient list, alcohol isn’t stated in it, so NOS Energy drinks are definitely alcohol-free.
NOS Energy Drink Flavors
Here’s a list of the flavors under NOS Energy:
- Original
- GT Grape
- Nitro Mango
- Sonic Sour
- Power Punch
- Turbo
Alternatives To NOS Energy Drink
If you aren’t completely sold on NOS Energy, here’s a list of some great options that might tickle your fancy:
- Red Bull
- Monster
- Rockstar
- C4 Energy
- Raze
- Bang
- Reign
- 3D Energy
- Full Throttle
- Bing
- Guru
- Adrenaline Shoc
- 5 Hour Energy
Why not give powdered energy drinks a try as well? They’re more affordable, easier to bring around, and can be customized any way you want it:
- Zipfizz
- G Fuel
- Advocare Spark
- REIZE (my fave)
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
If you’re looking for something lighter with less sugar, how about trying the REIZE Energy drink?
REIZE is an awesome powdered energy drink that comes in light 4g sachets. With a reasonable 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is sugar-free and has just 11 calories for every serving.
REIZE is packed with a special blend of beneficial ingredients like taurine, ginseng, and B-group vitamins that work together to provide you with the perfect energy boost – no crashes involved.
The best part is that REIZE ships to your home for only $1 per serving, which is exceptional value for money.
Give REIZE a try, and you might find that it’s a smarter choice than NOS Energy.