NOS is an awesome energy drink that can help fuel your workouts, gaming sessions, and even studying sessions.
NOS is quite the hit, but despite its reputation and apparent benefits, how does NOS really measure up to other energy drinks on the market?
The short answer: I give NOS an 8 out of 10. It gives you a good amount of energy and increases your cognitive performance, although you may find that the sugar and calorie content may be a little on the high side.
Stick around for a more detailed look into everything you need to know about NOS Energy, from its ingredients to how well it rates as an energy drink.
Let’s get started…
NOS Nutrition Facts
First up, let’s take a look at the nutritional facts of NOS Energy to get an idea of what we’re working with:
| Typical Values | NOS Energy Drink (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 210 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Fat (Saturated) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrates (Sugars) | 54g (54g) |
| Caffeine | 160mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 3.4mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.8μg |
NOS Energy Ingredients
Before we cover several important aspects of NOS Energy, let’s first go through the ingredients in NOS:
- 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?
Each 16 fl.oz can of NOS energy drink contains 160mg of caffeine, which is a fairly average amount for an energy drink of its size, especially when compared to other stronger energy drinks.
It’s on par with other popular energy drinks like Rockstar and Monster which both contain 160mg of caffeine per 16 fl.oz.
Science shows that moderate doses of caffeine yield more beneficial effects as compared to high doses of caffeine. Some of the benefits of caffeine consumption include reduced fatigue, enhanced physical performance, and improved cognitive functions.
However, whether you experience these benefits or not after consuming NOS depends a lot on your caffeine metabolism. This is because if it turns out that your tolerance for caffeine is low, you could end up with side effects instead of benefits as 160mg of caffeine is no small amount either.
According to the FDA, the recommended maximum daily caffeine intake is no more than 400mg of caffeine for healthy adults.
Excessive intake of caffeine may lead to adverse effects like:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Restlessness and shakiness
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
With NOS Energy’s moderate caffeine content, drinking one can of NOS won’t put you over the daily limit, but consuming two cans will put you pretty close to the maximum daily limit. Thus, you should stick to having only one can of NOS in a day to avoid experiencing any potential negative effects.
How Much Sugar Is In NOS Energy?
A 16 fl.oz can of NOS Energy contains 54g of sugar. However, different flavors of NOS Energy seem to have varying amounts of sugar though the difference isn’t significant from one flavor to another.
The sugar level in NOS is definitely concerning as it far exceeds the AHA’s daily recommended sugar limit which is a maximum of 25g and 36g of sugar in a day for women and men respectively.
This makes NOS Energy one of the less healthy energy drinks on the market due to its high sugar content. It also means you’ll be more prone to a sugar crash due to the sudden spike and fall in your blood sugar levels.
Consuming too much sugar over time may also lead to health problems like:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Acne
- Tooth decay
- High blood pressure
Therefore, you should always consume NOS Energy in moderation if you want to avoid these potential issues in the future. You could also complement it with a balanced and healthy lifestyle at the same time to make sure you’re getting all of the essential nutrients and enough exercise to stay as healthy as possible.
Does NOS Contain Artificial Sweeteners?
NOS Energy contains sucralose, which is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener.
Sucralose is one of the non-nutritive sweeteners that’s been approved by the FDA and is safe for consumption. Basically, sucralose improves the taste of foods and drinks since it’s sweeter than sugar without extra calories or carbs.
So NOS has a double serving of sweetness in its drinks as both sugar and artificial sweetener are included in its ingredients, which isn’t very common among energy drinks.
Although they may sound beneficial, some studies have found that artificial sweeteners like sucralose can still lead to future health issues. However, these results aren’t conclusive, so as long as you aren’t including these sweeteners in all of your meals, you should be perfectly fine.
How Long Does NOS Energy Last?
From my experience, NOS Energy (GT Grape) definitely provides you with a smooth energy boost that seems to last for about 2-3 hours.
Within 30 minutes after drinking NOS, you’ll experience a focus boost that will probably last for several hours before you feel the effects wear off. NOS does a decent job of keeping you awake and helping you through an afternoon slump.
Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours.
This means that it takes about 5 hours for half of the caffeine that you consumed to leave your system. The remaining caffeine will stay in your system for longer before it’s completely eliminated, but the effects won’t be as noticeable anymore.
Just a note of caution: if you happen to be sensitive to caffeine or can’t tolerate much caffeine, you might experience some side effects from the high caffeine content of NOS.
So my advice is to go slow and know your body’s limits. You can always start with half a can of NOS first before going all in and chugging an entire can.
NOS Energy Drink Flavors
NOS Energy has six flavors you can try:
- Original
- GT Grape
- Nitro Mango
- Sonic Sour
- Power Punch
- Turbo
What Does NOS Taste Like?
I was only able to get a hold of the NOS Original and NOS GT Grape flavors so I can only comment on those two particular flavors.
In my opinion, NOS GT Grape is quite good. It has a mild and sweet grape-like taste, but it’s better than most grape-flavored drinks out there which can sometimes taste too chemical-like.
However, personally, I feel that the taste isn’t as impressive as the original NOS Energy. Maybe it’s because it has less sugar or because of its odd undertones. But if I had to choose between the original NOS and NOS GT Grape, I’d usually go for the Original.
However, this is only my opinion. NOS GT Grape may be better in your opinion, especially if you’re a fan of grape-flavored drinks.
NOS Energy Drink Price
Based on my search, the price of a 6-pack of 16 fl. oz cans of NOS Energy Drink (GT Grape) costs about $17. Hence, one can of NOS Energy Drink (GT Grape) costs around $3.
However, the prices will vary depending on the flavors that you want and where you get them. These prices exclude shipping charges, so be prepared to fork out for that too.
I think that the price of a can of NOS is a touch on the expensive side compared to some of its main rivals like Red Bull and Monster. However, it’s certainly not the most expensive energy drink out there, so if you like the taste and the effects, the price might seem justifiable for you.
NOS Energy seems fine if you plan to make it an occasional drink. But if you want to drink NOS regularly, the cost will definitely stack up quickly. In my opinion, there are more affordable energy drinks out there that provide the same (or better) energy boost and taste.
You can buy NOS Energy from their official website. NOS is also available on websites like Amazon and eBay. You might also be able to find NOS at stores and gas stations near you.
NOS Energy Drink Review (8/10)
Overall, I would give NOS Energy Drink a solid 8 out of 10.
NOS delivers a good energy boost with a good taste, but it falls short on sugar and price in my opinion.
As good as NOS is, there are some downsides. Aside from its limited selection of flavors, it also has a massive sugar content which might lead to a sugar crash and other health issues if you do not consume NOS in moderation.
Also, the price is a touch high compared to a lot of its main competitors, which makes it a little harder to justify than something more affordable.
All in all, I think NOS is pretty good if you like the taste of it, don’t mind all the sugar, and just want a quick boost here and there. However, it may not be suitable for you if you’re trying to cut down on sugar or shed a couple of pounds.
Is NOS or Monster Better?
In terms of ingredients, NOS and Monster are very similar as both have a substantial amount of caffeine, calories, and sugar.
From a health perspective, both NOS and Monster aren’t considered healthy energy drinks as the sugar in each drink far exceeds the AHA’s recommended daily sugar intake limit.
Both brands contain 54g of sugar per 16 fl.oz can, which is far too much in my opinion.
With NOS and Monster both having 160mg of caffeine, they will both work well in providing you with a much-needed energy boost.
Now where NOS and Monster differ is taste, and which one tastes better is very subjective.
Personally, I prefer Monster’s selection of flavors because it feels like you’re drinking a combination of different flavors, which is quite refreshing. On the other hand, if you prefer simple juice flavors, NOS is perfect for you.
Try them both for yourself and see which one you prefer.
If you’re interested to find out more about Monster energy drinks, check out my other article where I cover all of Monster’s ingredients and nutrition facts in more detail.
Is NOS Energy Drink a good pre-workout?
NOS can be a decent pre-workout drink if you take into consideration its content. Additionally, the type of workout you will engage in should also be considered.
The drink contains 160mg of caffeine, 54g of sugar, and 210g of calories. Taking that into consideration, those ingredients may be difficult to burn during the process of working out.
Nevertheless, if you will engage in an extensive workout then the NOS energy drink should be a decent choice. It will surely give you the energy boost you need.
Just keep in mind the sugar content and drink moderately NOS energy drinks as this can cause a sugar crash after a workout. As well as keep in mind the additional calories needed to be burned from drinking.
NOS Energy Drink Alternatives
NOS is a good energy drink, but if you’re looking for some great alternatives, here are some other brands that you should check out:
- Bang
- Monster
- Amino
- Raze
- AMP
- Reign
- Game Fuel
- C4 Energy
- Rockstar
- Red Bull
- Uptime
- Xtend
- Adrenaline Shoc
- Celsius
- 3D Energy
If canned energy drinks aren’t really your thing, give powdered energy drinks a try. You might prefer how much more cost-effective and versatile they are.
- Zipfizz
- Advocare Spark
- G Fuel
- REIZE (my favorite)
REIZE (10 Out Of 10)
REIZE is an excellent powdered energy drink that comes in light and convenient 4g sachets which you can customize as you like.
With a sensible 50mg of caffeine, REIZE is also sugar-free and contains just 11 calories per serving.
REIZE also contains a smart blend of great ingredients like ginseng, taurine, and, B vitamins that work together to give you the perfect energy boost without the dreaded crash later.
Best of all, REIZE costs only about $1 per drink, shipped right to your door.
Talk about amazing value for money.
Try REIZE today and I’m sure you’ll agree that REIZE is a smarter option than NOS Energy Drink.