G Fuel might not be as old as NOS or Red Bull, but it has been around for a while and became an instant favorite to teens and athletes alike. G Fuel has expanded and has released merchandise that is available to everybody worldwide.
There’s so much praise to be said from an outsider’s point of view. However, most of what’s brought up has to do with the powder formula considering all its benefits.
So how does the can version fare as an energy drink?
Personally, I’d give G Fuel cans a 7 out of 10. It’s pretty good for what it’s meant to do — both as an energy booster and a sports drink, although, not quite as good as its powder formula when considering the flexibiltiy and ingredients used.
What do I have to back this opinion? Scroll down and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the G Fuel can.
First, let’s take a look at the nutritional facts of a G Fuel can.
Contents
G Fuel Cans Nutritional Facts
A brief look into the nutrition facts of G Fuel Cans, you can find a more detailed analysis in my G Fuel Cans Nutrition Facts article here.
| Nutrient | Amount per Serving (16 fl.oz) |
| Calories | 0 |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0g |
| Sugar | 0g |
| Sodium | 70mg |
| Protein | 0g |
| Potassium | 85mg (2%) |
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) | 4mg (25%) |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4mg (25%) |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.6mcg (25%) |
| Vitamin C | 45mg (50%) |
| Caffeine | 300mg |
How Many Calories in a G Fuel Can?
G Fuel Cans have zero calories but contains vitamins and other ingredients to give you the energy you need.
To give you a heads up, there’s no such thing as a food or drink you can consume that has no calories. Everything contributes to your caloric intake in some way, whether you know it or not.
So why the label? As it turns out, manufacturers are allowed to use the “zero calories” label when their product only has 5 calories overall.
It’s not as bad as it looks. After all, you actually need calories in your diet. You can’t avoid them if you want to be healthy, even when you are trying to lose weight.
Calories are a measure of the energy your body derives from food. That means maintaining a healthy diet is more about balancing what you get from your diet with how much you burn with the day’s activities.
As for how much you need to keep that balance, it actually depends. The general rule is that you need to consume around 2000 calories (women) or 2500 calories a day (men).
But in practice, how much anyone really needs is dependent on many factors. These factors are things like your body size, age, and lifestyle. So you’re better off figuring this out with a doctor if weight gain or weight loss is that much of a concern.
Is There Caffeine in a G Fuel Can?
G Fuel cans have 300mg of caffeine in them.
How much is that, exactly?
The FDA recommends not consuming more than 400mg a day. That’s the most a healthy adult can be expected to consume without fear of health repercussions.
We’ve all heard about caffeine through coffee, but most don’t know much outside of its side effects and benefits.
Caffeine is a stimulant that works by blocking adenosine. A stimulant is a type of drug that promotes alertness and makes your body work faster. Adenosine is a hormone your brain secretes to promote tiredness throughout the day. Outside of coffee and energy drinks, you can also find it in chocolate, tea, and soft drinks.
Whether or not this means G Fuel has too much caffeine for one drink is up to you. However, you should remember that there are a number of side effects you might experience such as:
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Frequent urination
- Foul mood
- Anxiety
Not to mention that if you overdose, you’re very much going to end up in the ER.
Is a G Fuel Can Sugar-Free?
G Fuel cans are sugar-free get their flavor from natural and artificial sweeteners instead.
Artificial sweeteners are a kind of sugar substitute used to reduce sugar content in food and beverages. Many of them are also zero-calorie products, so they’re also popular with people who’re dieting.
To be specific, the sweeteners you can find in G Fuel are Sucralose (Splenda), Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K), and Steviol Glycosides (Stevia).
Sucralose is the most commonly used artificial sweetener. It’s used in thousands of products worldwide; you’ve probably seen it under the brand name “Splenda”. It’s made in a lab by replacing a few hydrogen-oxygen groups with chlorine atoms.
This gives Sucralose a chemical structure that prevents it from being absorbed by the gastrointestinal system during digestion. Thanks to that, it doesn’t contribute many calories and is considered safe by the FDA.
Meanwhile, Acesulfame Potassium is slightly less known than sucralose but is still used a lot. It’s made by mixing Acetoacetic acid with Potassium in a lab. The result is a powder that’s 200 times sweeter than sugar, however, has a bitter aftertaste.
Don’t worry though. Acesulfame Potassium is usually mixed in with Sucralose since it’s sweeter (600 times sweeter than sugar) to hide the aftertaste.
Stevia, on the other hand, is a natural sweetener that’s made from the Steviol Glycosides in the Bertoni plant. Like the artificial sweeteners mentioned above, it’s also considered a zero-calorie product.
G Fuel Cans Ingredients
According to the back of the can, these are the ingredients you can find in a G Fuel can:
- Carbonated Water
- Natural Flavors
- Artificial Flavors
- Sodium Gluconate
- Malic Acid
- Caffeine
- Potassium Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
- Maltodextrin
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B3
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- L-Tyrosine
- Sucralose
- Potassium Citrate
- Citric Acid
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Green Coffee Bean Extract
- Green Tea Extract
- Turmeric Extract
- Tart Cherry
- Blueberry
- Broccoli
- Kale
- L-Theanine
- Steviol Glycosides
Are G Fuel Cans Vegan?
G Fuel cans are vegan. However, they may contain ingredients some vegans may want to avoid anyway.
Specifically, these are the artificial sweeteners and the food colorings. Those two have a history of being tested on animals to confirm their safety and what effects they might have on the body.
Since many people turn to veganism to avoid hurting animals, this goes against what they believe in. More so since the results of these tests aren’t necessarily accurate since animals and humans have different physiologies.
For a more in-depth look, have a look at my Are G Fuel Cans Vegan article, where I got into more of the nitty-gritty of vegan ingredients and the ethics behind certain ingredients.
Are G Fuel Cans Gluten-Free?
G Fuel cans are generally gluten-free. Although they don’t contain any gluten-based products in their formula, there’s a chance they were cross-contaminated.
Cross-contamination is always a risk when buying anything that isn’t explicitly made for a gluten-free diet. This happens when products that don’t normally have gluten end up with trace amounts because of shared handling spaces and storage areas. If you have something like Celiac disease, this could end disastrously.
Where to Buy G Fuel Cans?
The official site is the best place to buy G Fuel products of any kind.
Besides the usual store locator, the official G Fuel site gives you a complete list of everything.
Another benefit of buying from the official site is that it gives you points you can accumulate to get discounts on later purchases. Pretty great for when you need to budget if you ask me!
For more information, here are the standard prices you can find on the official G Fuel site.
| Pack | Price |
| 4 cans | Around $11 |
| 12 cans | Around $32 |
Note that these can change depending on shipping fees and discounts.
If there was any downside to the official site as a place to buy G Fuel, it’d be that they don’t ship outside North America. So overseas buyers will need to find another way to buy G Fuel cans at good prices.
For further details, have a look at the article I’ve written on Where To Buy G Fuel Cans, for a more in-depth guide on how you can get your hands on this energy drink.
Pros and Cons of a G Fuel Can
G Fuel cans are great for a quick surge in energy for tasks, but it can be a bit much. 300mg isn’t a big deal for people who’ve built up a high caffeine tolerance, but anyone else might struggle.
I wouldn’t even be surprised if the G Fuel can’s 300mg was too much for some people. I mean, the average cup of coffee has an average of 95mg of caffeine. And most coffee drinkers don’t get more than 2-3 cups a day. That means the average coffee drinker gets at least 190-285mg daily, spread throughout the day.
How you react to G Fuel and whether or not it’s right for you can vary a lot depending on how you consume it.
Besides that, I find that the 8 days needed to get it from the time I first make the order can be a bit slow. It’s workable with good planning, but not ideal for me.
Who shouldn’t buy G Fuel?
The labels at the back of the can and the official site both advise against minors consuming G fuel. This is true both with the powder formula and the can version.
Minors are more sensitive to caffeine than adults are. So they’re more likely to experience the side effects even when they haven’t consumed much. And since most of them are students who need sleep to function in school, possible insomnia can be very detrimental to both their physical and social life.
Also, the most caffeine a minor can safely consume in a day is only 100mg. G Fuel is 3 times that amount.
Pregnant women and people who are sensitive to caffeine should also stay clear of G Fuel cans for similar reasons.
G Fuel Cans vs G Fuel Powder
The first thing anyone would notice about G Fuel cans is that they have twice the amount of caffeine the powder formula does. G Fuel cans have 300mg whereas G Fuel powder formulas only have 140-150mg (depending on the flavor).
G Fuel powders also have more variety in flavor than the cans do.
This isn’t exactly a deal-breaker since most people just pick favorites then alternate between those instead of trying everything. But if you’re the type who likes having a lot of variety, then you might find G Fuel cans to be inferior when it comes to this.
However, you might find the G Fuel cans more convenient if you don’t like mixing drinks (or just go out a lot). Being able to just open the can and drink instead of having to manually make the drink can save a lot of time in some situations.
Final Thoughts
G Fuel cans are a solid choice of energy drink for busy people, but not ideal for anyone else.
I’d definitely consider this a more niche product compared to other G Fuel products, but a good idea. Its high caffeine content can be risky for some, but if you can stomach it then there’s no doubt it’ll be helpful.
It fits nicely into most diets too, so that’s one less thing to worry about if you buy it. Though I also think you should consult your physician before you buy or drink this. Just in case.