Full Throttle is an energy drink introduced by the Coca-Cola company in 2004 but was later on acquired by Monster Beverage Company, along with Coca-Cola’s other energy drink brands.
Full Throttle comes in 16 oz cans and has 160 mg of caffeine, and a bunch of B-Vitamins to keep you alert and focused. But it also has 230 calories and a tremendous amount of sugar i.e. 55 grams.
In this article, we will be taking a look at everything Full Throttle has to offer and after that, I’ll help you find the best and most efficient way to buy this energy drink.
Does that sound interesting? Let’s hop into it…
Full Throttle’s Ingredients
Full Throttle’s formula consists of the following ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)
- Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
- Pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)
- Citric acid
- Sodium citrate
- D-Ribose
- Caffeine
- Calcium D-Pantothenate
- High fructose corn syrup
- Natural & artificial flavors
- Blue #1
- Red #40
- Sodium benzoate (preservative)
Full Throttle’s most prominent ingredients are its caffeine, vitamins, and the copious amount of sugar in it. We’ll address these later on.
Full Throttle Nutritional Facts
Here are nutrition facts for a 16 ounce Full Throttle:
| Nutrients | Amount |
| Energy | 230 calories |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Fat (Of which saturated) | 0 g (0 g) |
| Carbohydrate (of which sugars) | 57 g (55 g) |
| Sodium | 160 mg |
| Magnesium | – |
| Calcium | – |
| Caffeine | 160 mg |
Vitamins:
Full Throttle has three B-vitamins. Here is a table showing their amounts and benefits
| Vitamins | Amount | Benefits |
| B3 | 40 mg | Improves fat levels in the blood, and helps control blood pressure, etc. |
| B6 | 4.08 mg | Improves mood, helps with depression and aids hemoglobin production, etc. |
| B12 | 12 mcg | Helps with red blood cell production, prevents major birth defects in newly born children, etc. |
Caffeine In Full Throttle
A can of Full Throttle has 160 milligrams of caffeine.
The caffeine content of Full Throttle lies at the halfway point between moderate and high when it comes to energy drinks. It is the same as popular brands Monster and Rockstar, with the same amount per ounce as Red Bull.
This much caffeine is enough to give you a strong kick and help you push through the afternoon slump, or whenever you’re feeling lazy.
But while it is safe for most people, caffeine-sensitive people are going to feel jittery after drinking an entire can of Full Throttle. So I suggest that if you’re a little caffeine sensitive, then you should divide a single can into two 8-ounce servings.
While you generally don’t have anything to worry about from drinking just one can, drinking two is not a good idea. because the caffeine from two Full Throttles would amount to a whopping 360 mg.
The FDA recommends that you don’t consume any more than 400mg of caffeine in a day, and going over this limit might lead to the following side effects:
- Caffeine dependence, meaning that you’ll need more caffeine to get the same reesults
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Headahces
- Trouble falling asleep
- Difficulty in focusing
- Raised blood pressure and more.
So it is best if you watch your caffeine consumption and keep it well below the recommended amount.
It is also not safe for pregnant women and adolescents to consume high amounts of caffeine, so they should avoid ll Throttle or any energy drink, for the sake of their safety.
Calories In Full Throttle
A 16 ounce serving of Full Throttle gives you 230 calories.
The recommended daily intake for an average adult is 2000 calories. Although this number will vary from person to person, it still serves as a good benchmark to compare the calories in food with.
That said, a single Full Throttle will cover slightly more than 10% of your calorie requirement. What’s more, the calories in Full Throttle (and other sugary energy drinks) are mostly from sugar, and therefore add no real value to your diet.
Even if you eat just the right amount for your body, a Full Throttle will put you in a caloric surplus. So, you are going to have to burn off those extra calories, otherwise, you risk becoming overweight if this continues for a long period of time.
Overconsuming calories, by which I mean overeating, can have serious long term and short term side-effects, which are:
- Obesity
- Bloating and excessive gas
- Nausea
- Impaired brain function
- Disrupted huinger regulation
Thus, I would recommend you to cut down on your diet on the days you consume Full Throttle on, or you must do light exercise to avoid gaining weight.
Sugar In Full Throttle
Full Throttle is among the behemoths of sugary energy drinks, with a ridiculously high 55g of sugar per 16 ounces serving.
The AHA recommends no more than 25 grams and 36 grams of sugar in a day for women and men respectively.
Most of us eat or drink many sugar-containing foods and beverages in our normal diet, and drinking a Full Throttle on top of all that is just plain overkill.
Even if you abstain from consuming sugar from any other source, a Full Throttle would still have more sugar than you should consume in a day.
What’s more, sugary energy drinks, especially energy drinks that contain as much sugar as Full Throttle does, will almost definitely cause you a sugar crash after they leave your system, which will leave you feeling lazy and fatigued.
Here are some of the things you might experience during a sugar crash:
- Hunger
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Anxeity
- Difficulty concentrating
- Shakiness and dizziness
- Excessive sweating
- Jitters
So yeah, overeating sugar is bad, to say the least. But doing so over a long time can cause even bigger problems:
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Obesity
- Heart diseases
- Stroke
- Mood disorders and depression
- Increased risk of cancer
- Teeth decay
Therefore, I will recommend that you avoid drinking Full Throttle every day and instead drink it as an occasional treat, so you can keep yourself safe from harm.
If you’re looking for sugar-free alternatives to Full Throttle, here’s an article of mine that covers some of the best sugar-free energy drinks.
Can you drink Full Throttle every day?
Because of its delicious taste and the Taurine-free energy boost, Full Throttle has gained a lot of fans throughout the world, and some of them make it a point to drink Full Throttle every single day.
Now, you may be wondering if it’s safe to drink Full Throttle on a daily basis.
The answer to that question would be: You can’t drink Full Throttle every day without risking your health.
It simply has too much sugar in it for it to be safe for regular consumption. Full Throttle has much more sugar than the amount deemed safe, and consuming it regularly will put you in a state of constant sugar overdose.
The fact that there isn’t a sugar-free version of it is also a problem.
Also, the calories in the energy drink might be unsafe for people who are already getting their share of calories from their diet, as the extra 230 calories will keep stacking day after day, leading to significant weight gain.
Is Full Throttle bad for you?
Whether Full Throttle is bad for you or not depends a lot on how you’re consuming it.
If you’re drinking a can of Full Throttle every single day as a habit, then I regret to inform you that you’re not doing yourself much of a favor by doing so. In fact, you’re exposing yourself to many health problems due to the sugar and calories in it.
Also, it is absolutely not an option to drink this energy drink if you’re diabetic, have frequently high blood sugar, or are trying to lose weight.
However, if you consume Full Throttle every once in a while and not regularly, then it’s okay to drink it and enjoy the delicious taste, but keep in mind that you will have to cut back on sugar for a few days to balance things out.
Basically, Full Throttle is unsafe for daily consumption, but is relatively safe if consumed as a occational treat.
If you’re looking for a healthy energy drink for daily use, check out this article where I discuss some of the best options available.
Flavors Of Full Throttle
Full Throttle is currently available in two flavors:
- Original Citrus
- Blue Agave
They had many more flavors, but they’re now discontinued.
Original Citrus
This is the flagship Full Throttle flavor.
Original Citrus, like the name suggests, has a very citrusy taste with high carbonation. The sweetness is high, but not so high as some other drinks, and the aftertaste is quite pleasant, which is a very good thing.
One thing that confuses some people is the color of the original flavor. It is a shade of green, despite the flavor being citrus.
Blue Agave
Blue Agave is the 2nd flavor in the Full Throttle lineup.
There are debates about what the exact taste is supposed to be, but it tastes strongly of honey and is well-received by the fans of Full Throttle.
Blue Agave is a lot sweeter than Original Citrus though, so people who don’t like syrupy tastes might find the latter to be of their liking.
Here’s a YouTube review of Full Throttle, in case you’re interested:
Where to buy Full Throttle?
A 16 oz. can of Full Throttle costs around 1.7$ for a 16 ounce can on Walmart. An 8-pack costs around 11$ which is a steal, but is currently out of stock.
On Amazon, a 12-pack of the Original Citrus flavor costs around 30$, while a variety 12-pack with both flavors costs 37$.
There are also a bunch of other deals available, with varying prices, but one thing is clear after looking at all available options on Amazon and it is that Walmart is the best option for buying Full Throttle.
The reason is simple: The price is significantly lower. And they also offer day-one shipping in some parts of the United States, so there’s that.
But for international consumers, Amazon is the better option. Or you could find a local online store that sells it.
But you don’t have to buy Full Throttle online. Being a sub-company of Monster Energy, it is available throughout the United States in department stores.
Alternatives To Full Throttle
Full Throttle may be delicious, fizzy and a great energy booster, but it also has a ton of sugar in it, which makes it hard to safely consume it on a regular basis. Therefore, here is a list of some healthier energy drinks to drink as alternatives:
- Bang Energy
- Celsius
- Zipfizz
- Monster Ultra Zero
- Alani Nu
Conclusion
To sum it all up, Full Throttle is a great-tasting energy drink that does the job, but it does it at a cost, and should therefore be drunk only occasionally.
As for where to buy it, you can get it from Amazon, Walmart, or even your local department store if it has it. But Walmart is your best bet if you want to get it at a lower price.
You know, it’s a real shame that Full Throttle doesn’t come in a sugar-free version, otherwise I’d be down for it, and would have had an easier time recommending it.
Other Articles
Here are some other articles of mine that you will find to be super informative:
- Strongest Energy Drinks (In-Depth Analysis)
- Can You Drink Extra Joss Every Day? (Unveiled)
- Guru Energy: Is It Vegan? (Answered)