As a product formulator for GNC, we have a “toolbox” of ingredients when creating the perfect product. In the case of energy drinks, there are many key factors for consumers to consider. Let’s dig in.
What is an Energy Drink?
Picture this. It’s a Thursday morning and you’re getting ready for work. You’ve been putting in extra hours all week. You stayed out late with friends last night to relieve some stress, but now it’s today and you’ve got to be back on your game. What do you do?
For millions (perhaps billions) of people, the answer is a simple one. You grab an energy drink! Caffeine is the most popular supplement on the planet and for good reason: it works! Energy drinks are a core part of the adult experience but understanding what makes them tick may help you find a more perfect solution to providing your body with the “get up” it needs to get you through your day.
Caffeine
At the heart of every great energy drink is caffeine. Coming in both natural and synthetic variants, caffeine does one job, and it does it well. The right amount of caffeine can help sharpen your mind and make you feel alert when sleep has been hard to come by.
Caffeine works as an adenosine receptor antagonist. Put simply, when adenosine receptors are normally activated, your body is trying to tell you that it’s time to rest. This leads to your body feeling tired and drowsy. Caffeine blocks these receptors making you feel more awake and focused than you would on your own.
One factor to be aware of with caffeine, though, is sensitization. If you have a little bit of caffeine today and you feel better because of it, tomorrow you might need just a little bit more in order to feel the same degree of better. Your body learns that caffeine is blocking the normal pathways, and then makes more receptors to compensate. This means that more caffeine is required in order to achieve the same feeling of energy. Moderating your caffeine intake and taking purposefully scheduled breaks from caffeine can help reduce your body’s adaptation to caffeine and keep your required levels low.
One other thing to consider is that caffeine is one of a few supplement ingredients that is very easily over-consumed. Everyone responds to caffeine differently, making specific recommendations for amounts much more challenging. The best way to approach caffeine is conservatively. Start with light-roast coffee or low-caff energy drinks to start and then work up to find that goldilocks zone that works best for you.
READ MORE: A Workout Powerhouse: Caffeine
Sugar
While easily the best tasting ingredient discussed here today, understanding sugar’s role in energy is important to approaching it strategically. Sugar is not the inherent evil that many might consider it, but it can also be abused to the point that it is actively working against your goals.
For starters, unless you’re following a very strict ketogenic diet (and big shout out to those that do, I love my carbs), your body uses sugar and other carbohydrates for energy. Interestingly, your brain consumes a massive amount of energy compared to other parts of the body relative to its weight. Drinking an energy drink with a bit of sugar is merely feeding the fire of cognition and giving your brain a little pop of energy could be helpful.
On the other hand, many energy drinks out there contain 40-50g of sugar per can. Consistent consumption of drinks with this many grams of carbs can lead your body to store that excess energy as fat. Regular excessive intake of high-sugar drinks can lead to weight gain and potential health issues down the road. Moderation is pivotal here and understanding what your energy drink is providing is key to success!
Nootropics
One of the primary differentiators of energy drinks from coffee is the inclusion of ingredients specifically to help boost your brain’s ability to function at optimum capacity. Typically, this comes in the form of ingredients that help support or even boost levels of specific neurotransmitters. In an effort to not get too far down the rabbit hole, here are a few common nootropics and how they work to make your energy drink more functional:
- Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine (Alpha GPC): Works as a prerequisite for the creation Acetylcholine, one of your body’s main neurotransmitters.
- Choline Bitartrate: Choline was recently determined an essential nutrient with a defined daily value. While it does get turned into Acetylcholine as well, Choline plays a pivotal role in cognitive health and wide range of other bodily functions.
- Huperzine A: Generally extracted from Toothed Clubmoss, Huperzine A is an Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor. This means that it reduces the activity of the enzyme normally responsible for breaking down Acetylcholine, thus increasing the neurotransmitter’s activity and supports health memory function.
- L-Tyrosine: Tyrosine is an amino acid that acts as a precursor to other catecholamines such as norepinephrine and dopamine. Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid meaning that your body does make some on its own, but supplementing can help provide an important nutrient precursor to neurotransmitters.
Amino Acids
Speaking of amino acids, this category of ingredients has become much more popular in the energy drink space over the last few years. With a wide range of different benefits and low contribution to calorie counts, amino acids are a great way to make your energy drink do more for you.
A popular inclusion in energy drinks are the Branched Chain Amino Acids: Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. BCAAs, particularly Leucine, act as signaling molecules for muscle protein synthesis and can help play a role in keeping you in an anabolic state during and after your workout.
Other amino acids like L-Arginine and L-Citrulline play a very different role. These aminos function more in the production of nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide is a signaling molecule used in your blood vessels to enhance vasodilation and blood flow.
Additionally, there are amino acids like L-Tyrosine discussed above as well as L-Theanine (and many others) that function to improve your cognitive health. Theanine, for example, can help promote a sense of relaxed tranquility that can smooth out the rough edges caffeine can sometimes provide.
Other Ingredients
Outside of these main categories, you may see a plethora of other different ingredients all working to improve the function of your energy drink.
Vitamins and minerals are a great component to consider. The B Vitamins especially are key for energy production and many metabolic pathways used in your body. Electrolytes such as Potassium, Magnesium, and Sodium are all typically lost through sweat during physical activity, so replenishing these through your energy drink can also help keep you hydrated.
In recent years, adaptogens have become increasingly popular. Mushrooms such as Lion’s Mane, Reishi, and Cordyceps have all been shown to help the body cope with stress and support overall wellbeing.
Finally, many botanical ingredients can be used to make your energy drink do more for you. Ingredients such as fruit and vegetable extracts can be used to provide antioxidant properties. Botanicals like Guarana and Green Tea can be used as a natural source of caffeine while other teas can act as sources for some of the great ingredients we’ve already reviewed above.
Take Home Message About Energy Drinks
In a market that used to be totally dominated by coffee, functional energy drinks are on the rise. Understanding the different components in a formulator’s toolbox can help you make smarter decisions about what type of energy drink may be right for you. There are so many different ways to approach your health and wellbeing, with energy being just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully this guide will aid in your journey to finding that one perfect energy drink for you.
