Summary: Each 16 fl. oz can of Rockstar contains 24 g of sugar and 160 mg of caffeine, along with a whole host of other ingredients like B Vitamins, Taurine, Guarana, and Ginseng Extract.
Want a deeper dive into the contents of Rockstar?
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients and what they do to understand how exactly the drink gives you the boost you need.
Let’s get started…
What Is Rockstar Energy Drink?
Rockstar is an energy drink brand hailing from the US. It’s described as a drink for “those who live active lifestyles, from athletes to rockstars”.
They come in a variety of flavors and lines, some notable examples include:
- Rockstar Sugar-Free (Orignal Sugar-Free Mix)
- Rockstar Recovery Series (Non-carbonated with only 10 calories)
- Rockstar Pure Zero (No Sugar)
- Rockstar Thermo (1000 mg of BCAA and 300 mg of caffeine)
- Rockstar Xdurance (300 mg of caffeine with various flavors)
- Rockstar Juiced ( 20 Calories)
That’s a lot of variety for one energy drink brand. So you will definitely not be short of options or flavors with Rockstar.
What are the ingredients of Rockstar Energy Drink?
Rockstar Energy Drink Nutritional Value
Below is a table of the nutritional value of a Rockstar Energy Drink.
| Typical Values | Per 16 fl oz Can |
| Energy | 122 Calories |
| Fat (Of which Saturated) | 0 g (0 g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of which Sugars) | 26 g (24 g) |
| Protein | 2.0 g |
| Salt | 0.82 g |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 16 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.4 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.5 µg |
Rockstar Energy Drink Ingredients List
Here are the ingredients listed below from a single 16 fl oz can of Rockstar:
- Carbonated Water
- Sugar (Sucrose)
- Acid (Citric Acid)
- Flavour Enhancer (Erythritol)
- Taurine (0.4%)
- Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrate)
- Flavoring
- Caffeine (0.04%)
- Sweeteners (Sucralose, Acesulfame K)
- Glucuronolactone
- Colours (Caramel E150c, Riboflavin E101)
- Guarana Extract (0.01%)
- Ginseng Extract (0.01%)
- Inositol
- Vitamins (Niacin, B6, B12)
Everything looks to be standard fare for an energy drink. The only ingredient that seems specific to Rockstar would be its inclusion of ginseng extract, which isn’t super common.
Guarana
Guarana is a native Brazillian fruit that contains numerous stimulants and antioxidant properties.
Even if this ingredient sounds alien to you, worry not ’cause guarana is common in many energy drinks and has been proposed to reduce fatigue, boost your energy, and improve your memory skills.
What’s even less known is that a major component of guarana happens to be caffeine, so it’s worth keeping that in mind when you’re watching your daily caffeine intake.
Ginseng
Ginseng is a natural herb that is often used in food and remedies in East Asia, which contains a host of potential benefits such as:
- increased energy
- sharper cognitive function
- anti-inflammatory effects and
- lowering blood sugar.
Apart from some fringe cases where it interacts with certain other drugs, ginseng is perfectly safe for general consumption. So don’t worry too much about it.
Vitamins (B3, B6, B12)
Vitamins are always helpful in small doses, and their inclusion in Rockstar shouldn’t turn too many heads.
Here’s a quick list of what each B-group Vitamin in a Rockstar does as well as its upper intake limit, but I’ve compiled this table below for your ease of reference.
| B-Vitamins | Purpose | Amount per 16 fl oz Rockstar Can | Tolerable Upper Intake Level |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | helps the body release energy keeps the skin healthy | 16 mg | 35 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | store energy from protein and carbohydrates, formation of red blood cells | 1.4 mg | 100 mg |
| Vitamin B12 | release energy from food forms red blood cells keeps the nervous system healthy | 2.5 µg | – |
How Much Sugar is in a Rockstar?
Each 16 fl oz can of Rockstar contains 24 g of sugar.
While 24 g of sugar doesn’t sound like much, it’s worth noting that the AHA recommends a maximum daily sugar intake for both men and women at 36g and 25g respectively.
Sugar tastes great, but having too much of it over time can lead to some side effects, such as:
- fatigue
- low energy levels
- hyperactivity
- bloating
Whilst long-term excessive consumption of sugar may lead to:
- tooth decay
- type II diabetes
- acne
- weight gain
- high blood pressure
- aging skin.
Even though a can of Rockstar might not put you over the sugar limit, two cans definitely will. So keep track of your Rockstar consumption so you don’t give your doctor an unexpected visit in the future.
If you’re looking for something with a little less sugar or sugar-free energy drinks, check out my other article on the best energy drinks without a sugar crash.
Are There Artificial Sweeteners in Rockstar Energy Drinks?
Besides sugar, Rockstar Energy Drinks contain artificial sweeteners, namely, sucralose and acesulfame K.
Sucralose is a zero-calorie artificial sweetener, and is 400 to 700 times sweeter than regular sugar (sucrose), without the calories that usually come with it.
Acesulfame K is another zero-calorie sweetener, having 200 times the sweetness of sugar.
While artificial sweeteners are generally accepted to be perfectly safe for human consumption, it’s also understandable why you might be aversed by their ‘synthetic’ nature.
Numerous papers have been written on the possible dangers of artificial sweeteners and their possible risks as well.
However, I personally think that the sweeteners in Rockstar shouldn’t worry you all that much.
Considering there’s actually scientific evidence of what too much sugar or caffeine will do to you, worrying about the potential side effects of artificial sweeteners might be missing the forest for the tree.
How Much Caffeine Does Rockstar Have?
A can of Original Rockstar contains 160 mg of caffeine per 16 fl oz can.
At 160 mg, the caffeine content of Rockstar makes it one of the stronger energy drinks available on the market.
The US FDA recommends that you have only up to 400mg of caffeine a day as a safe limit. Any more might lead to some noticeable side effects such as:
- insomnia
- shakiness
- anxiousness
- increased Heart Rate
- stomachaches
- nausea
- headaches
As seen on the warning label, it’s also worth laying off the energy drinks if you happen to be fairly young or are pregnant/breastfeeding, as you would be more sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
Personally, I prefer to have energy drinks with a caffeine content of less than 100mg per serving as I have a lower caffeine tolerance. So, the caffeine content in Rockstar is a tad higher than what I would like.
That said, everyone has a different tolerance to caffeine, so be sure to know your limits before opting for a bigger can.
Where does the caffeine in Rockstar come from?
The caffeine in Rockstar Energy is an organic caffeine source from green coffee beans.
Green coffee beans are raw seeds of coffee cherries that are processed and have yet to be roasted. Now we can assume that the caffeine used in Rockstar Energy is top quality and organic.
These are the benefits of green coffee beans:
- reduces the risks of serious diseases
- promotes weight loss
Still, you shouldn’t overindulge in green coffee as it may affect bone health and may also lead to symptoms like headaches, anxiety, and increased blood pressure.
What Is Taurine in Rockstar?
Taurine is a naturally occurring amino acid that is often added to energy drinks, such as Rockstar, to provide an energy and metabolism boost on top of other benefits.
While taurine can be derived from animal products, it’s a lot cheaper and easier for it to be made synthetically. So is the taurine in Rockstar. That said, its presence shouldn’t deter any vegetarians or vegans away from the drink.
Here’s a quick video on what Taurine does and why it’s a component in most energy drinks.
Do Rockstar Energy Drinks Have Alcohol?
Official Rockstar Energy Drinks don’t contain any traces of alcohol in them.
What you’re probably thinking of are mixed alcoholic drinks which combine energy drinks with alcoholic ones.
It’s often believed that this reduces the effect of purely drinking alcoholic beverages, which some studies have been trying to figure out.
However, I wouldn’t recommend mixing Rockstar with alcohol purely on the notion that you might feel soberer than you actually are, which could lead to disastrous results.
So stick with just having a Rockstar on its own, it’s got quite the kick as it is.
Many people wonder about the relationship between energy drinks and alcohol, if you want to learn more, check out my article where I cover all of the differences and what you need to know here.
How Many Rockstars Can You Drink A Day?
I would recommend that you only have one Rockstar a day. Two is reserved for situations where you really need the boost and three would be pretty bad for your health in the long run in my opinion.
It’s not so much the calorie or caffeine, but the sugar that will do you in. Drinking 2 cans of Rockstar puts you well over the recommended daily sugar limit, which obviously isn’t great for your health.
Add that to the number of days in a week, and your blood sugar might exponentially increase if you’re not too careful.
Be aware of how many Rockstars you have a day, and be sure not to combine energy drinks with strong coffee or tea, because your body might not react very well to having that much caffeine in it.
Rockstar vs Other Brands
Here’s a quick comparison of calorie, sugar, and caffeine content between Rockstar and other big-name competitors (namely Monster, Bang, and Red Bull).
| Rockstar | Monster | Bang | Red Bull | Daily Suggested Limit (Female/Male) | |
| Calories | 122 Cal | 237 Cal | 0 Cal | 210 Cal | 2400 kcal/3000 kcal |
| Sugar | 24 g | 55 g | 0 g | 52 g | 25 g / 36 g |
| Caffeine | 160 mg | 160 mg | 300 mg | 151 mg | 400 mg |
Alternatives to Rockstar
Rock and roll not quite your style? Or perhaps you’re looking for something with a similar taste? Either way, here are a few energy drinks I think you’ll enjoy that are similar to Rockstar:
- Monster
- Bang
- Red Bull
- Bing Energy Drink
- Celsius Energy Drink
- XS Drinks
- Guru
- Xyience Drink
- Emerge
- Amino Energy
REIZE (10 out of 10)
Tired of canned energy drinks with too much sugar in them? Why not try something new and give REIZE a shot?
REIZE is a powdered energy drink that you can mix with just about anything. Each 4g sachet has a sensible 50mg of caffeine and is completely sugar-free, having only 11 calories.
It also contains a whole host of beneficial nutrients such as taurine, ginseng, and B-group vitamins to give you that much-needed energy boost you need to get through the day.
Best of all, you can get it shipped straight to your doorstep for only around $1 per drink.
So try REIZE today, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me that it’s a smarter choice than Rockstar.