Usually, energy drinks come with a shelf life of 16 to 24 months. So, make sure you buy them after checking their manufacturing date along with the expiry date. If you ask about how long energy drink effects will last in your system. Here’s a quick answer!
Depending on the number of stimulants in the energy drink, they provide you with an energy boost that can last from 3 to 8 hours.
When someone asks how long an energy drink would last. There can be various meanings to this. For instance how long their effects last in your body. Or maybe you want to know how long an opened or unopened energy drink can go without losing its effectiveness.
To get a detailed answer to all your queries, you should further read this article. I’ll be explaining everything in depth.
If you are ready let’s get into it…
Contents
What Ingredients In Drinks Give You Energy?
The most common ingredients in energy drinks that provide energy include;
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Taurine
How Long Do The Effects Of Caffeine Last?
Caffeine, apparently, is one ingredient that you’ll find common in every energy beverage. With its stimulant effects, caffeine is known to help you get through the day. First, it was popular only among athletes. Now, you’ll see that eSports enthusiasts and college students take this energizer avidly.
Keep in mind that taking too much caffeine can make you tired and crash. The FDA recommends that healthy adults keep their caffeine intake below 400 milligrams.
How long caffeine will last somewhat depends on the amount you’re taking. The higher the amount you take, the longer the effects will last.
Another factor is the amount of time you finish an energy drink containing caffeine. Those who drink caffeine slowly will see short-term and subtle effects than those who consume their drink fast.
It’s been found that caffeine effects last as short as 1 minute and as long as 2 hours.
If you want to know more about it, watch this video.
Does Sugar Provide Energy?
There are a few misconceptions about sugar that it gives you an instant energy boost. You can say it’s true to some extent.
However, research shows that snacking on sugar does provide endurance which doesn’t stay more than an hour. After an hour it causes you tiredness and drains your energy.
Taking energy drinks containing sugar will make you sleepy and the energy effects will not last long. Additionally, it can negatively impact your blood sugar levels. So, it’s better to avoid sugar-based energy beverages as much as you can.
Energy Drinks With Taurine
After caffeine, taurine appears frequently in energy beverages. Some experts associate it with building new memory cells and improving your overall mental function. Moreover, it supports metabolism and is reported to fight brain aging too.
When it’s combined with caffeine, it positively impacts your mood and well-being.
However, studies have shown that if there’s a larger dose of taurine than caffeine in drinks, you’re more likely to feel sleepy. It’s evident from the research that caffeine alone makes you alert by shortening your sleep. On the other hand, taurine increases your sleep.
There are mixed reviews on how long taurine effects last without making you sleepy.
How Long Are Unopened Energy Drinks Still Good?
Energy drinks come with a shelf life of 16 to 24 months. It’s interesting to note that some folks even have energy drinks even after they expire. Here it’s worth noting that the expiry date is on the label for a reason. Taking expired products can upset your stomach.
It’s also true that stimulants such as caffeine don’t lose their efficacy even after they’ve expired. However, there can be other ingredients that may go bad after expiry. Therefore, you should check if there are any perishable ingredients in energy drinks.
Due to all the artificial preservatives in them, they won’t go bad as long as you keep them in a dark cool place. Additionally, it is important to consider whether their appearance and smell are tolerable.
How Long Opened Energy Drinks Last?
If you look at the caffeine content, it will be more than 3 cups of coffee in most cases. Honestly, it won’t be safe to pour this much caffeine into a few swigs. So, you may want to keep it for a few hours to finish it in two to three sittings.
The ingredients in opened energy drinks are effective as long as they don’t reach their expiry date. However, the energy beverages will definitely lose their carbonation.
In terms of taste, you might experience a slight difference. The best way to test them is to take a few sips. When they don’t taste strange you can take them. However, I wouldn’t recommend having an open energy drink after two days.
Can You Leave Powdered Supplements in the Fridge Overnight?
If it’s a powdered supplement that you intend to keep in the fridge overnight, I recommend not doing that. Instead, you can keep water in your shaker in the refrigerator and mix the powder whenever you need energy. Adding ice also seems a valid option.
When you leave powdered supplements in the refrigerator or at room temperature overnight, the powder settles to the bottom. Therefore, I’d recommend giving it a good shake before consumption. But, you may experience a different taste.
However, there’s nothing wrong with keeping powdered drinks in the refrigerator overnight.
How Long Can Energy Drinks Keep You Awake?
What I’ve experienced with energy drinks so far is that if there’s a large amount of caffeine, the effects will last for 3 to 5 hours. Interestingly, it takes caffeinated beverages 15 minutes to kick in on average. Some energy brands even claim that their products will keep you awake for 8 hours.
In the case of small caffeine doses, the effects will last for 1 to 3 hours. Another factor involved in this is how much time you take an energy drink in.
If you drink slowly, the stimulation will not last long. But interestingly, if you finish an energy drink in one sitting, the effects will last in your stomach for longer. But bear this in your mind when you finish energy beverages in one go, they may raise your heartbeat.
Energy drinks have a number of cons that outweigh their benefits. Therefore, you should never consume more than one serving per day.
Positive Effects Of Energy Drinks
Here are some pros of energy drinks.
- Provide you with energy and alertness that may last for 3 to 5 hours and sometimes extend to 8 hours.
- Help you get through the day and night shifts.
- May improve cognitive function and help you in college tests.
- Might help finish gaming sessions with the same level of stimulation.
Negative Effects Of Energy Drinks
Let’s have a look at possible downsides of energy drinks;
- Often loaded with chemicals and artificial sweeteners.
- May raise your sugar level due to large sugar and carb doses.
- May cause sugar and caffeine crashes.
- May increase your heartbeat.
- Could cause tiredness.
- A large intake of caffeine makes you anxious.
Energy Drinks With Long-Lasting Effects
| Energy Drinks | Caffeine | Will Last For |
| Alani Nu | 200 mg | 2 to 5 hours |
| Bang | 300 mg | 3 to 6 hours |
| G Fuel | 300 mg | 3 to 6 hours |
| Redline Xtreme | 316 mg | 3 to 6 hours |
| Red Bull | 80 mg | 2 to 3 hours |
This is exactly what I’ve experienced with these energy drinks. They might work differently in your case. So, it’s better to try them yourself to see how long they’ll last.
You should never consume more than one serving of energy drinks with high caffeine amounts. In some cases, you may feel jittery when the effects of the beverage wear off.
Final Thoughts
To some it all up, before buying any energy beverage, the first thing you need to do is check its expiry date. Taking expired products can leave adverse effects on your health.
If you ask how long an opened energy drink will stay good. Let me tell you from personal experience you should never take an energy drink older than two days.
Firstly, you’ll have to consider the taste of the beverage. As long as energy drinks taste great, there’s nothing to worry about.
You’re probably wondering how long the effects of energy drinks will last. In case there’s a large dose of caffeine and other stimulants, an average-sized energy drink will last in your body for 3 to 5 hours.