Mountain Dew Kickstart is marketed as a caffeinated drink that will give you a boost of energy while still maintaining the classic citrusy and tangy taste of the original soda.
However, because caffeinated beverages can lead to health risks, in general, how many cans of Mountain Dew Kickstart can you drink in a day?
Quick answer: One can of Mountain Dew Kickstart in a day is enough. Despite its moderate amount of caffeine, it has 20g of sugar, which will exceed the daily sugar limit if you have multiple cans. In fact, you should also limit yourself to just drinking one can occasionally for the sake of your health.
I’ll explain more about it down below.
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Is Mountain Dew Kickstart An Energy Drink?
According to Pepsico, Mountain Dew Kickstart is an enhanced soft drink. However, its ingredients are highly similar to those in other energy drinks.
It’s also worth noting that the brand’s marketing focuses on selling it as a soda you can drink in the morning to ‘kickstart’ your day.
In my opinion, the same applies to energy drinks provided you have a proper meal first, of course. So whether Mountain Dew Kickstart is an energy drink or just a soda boils down to how you make of it.
I personally consider Mountain Dew Kickstart as an energy drink simply because it contains the same ingredients as any other energy drinks.
Here’s an interesting take on the whole debate whether Mountain Dew Kickstart is an energy drink or not:
Now that we’ve got that covered. Let’s focus back on just how many cans of Mountain Dew Kickstart can you drink in a day if you do plan on including it into your diet.
Keep on reading for the nitty-gritty of it all!
Mountain Dew Kickstart’s Nutritional Facts
Let’s begin by taking a quick look at the nutritional value of Mountain Dew Kickstart:
| Typical Value (Standard Serving) | Mountain Dew Kickstart (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 80 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Fat (Of which Saturated) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of which Sugars) | 21g (20g) |
| Sodium | 170mg |
| Caffeine | 90mg |
How Many Calories Does Mountain Dew Kickstart Have?
There are only 80 calories in a 16 fl.oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart, which is quite a low amount for an energy drink considering that the similar size of Monster Energy contains 190 calories.
For guidance, the recommended calories you can consume range from 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day.
With just 80 calories in one can, I think you don’t have to worry much about it affecting your health risk if consumed moderately.
So, if you’re looking for something that won’t leave a huge dent in your daily calorific intake, Mountain Dew Kickstart makes a pretty good choice.
While it has a modest amount of calories, it’s always a good idea to keep fit and not use it, or any other energy drink for that matter, as a meal replacement. Remember, your body still needs proper nutrition from foods.
Also, I don’t recommend having multiple cans of Mountain Dew Kickstart in one go due to its high sugar content, which I’ll be explaining in further detail below.
Mountain Dew Kickstart’s Ingredients
Now, let’s see the type of ingredients that goes inside a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart:
- Carbonated Water
- High fructose corn syrup
- White grape juice concentrate
- Citric acid
- Sodium polyphosphates (Preservative)
- Natural flavor
- Potassium sorbate (Preservative)
- Caffeine (90mg)
- Potassium citrate
- Potassium chloride
- Gum Arabic
- Acesulfame potassium (Artificial Sweetener)
- Sucralose (artificial sweetener)
- Red 40 (Coloring)
- Calcium disodium EDTA
- Sucrose acetate isobutyrate
- Salt
- Blue 1 (Coloring)
How Much Caffeine Is There In A Can Of Mountain Dew Kickstart?
A 16 fl oz. can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 90mg of caffeine, which is fairly enough for a standard consumption.
For a clearer picture, energy drinks usually consist of around 50mg to as much as 300mg of caffeine per serving. So, a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart has just the right amount that will give you an energy boost without leaving you with unnecessary side effects.
I prefer my caffeinated beverages to contain between 50mg – 100mg of caffeine only because going over that limit will make me feel jittery and have cold sweats. Hence, I personally enjoy Kicktstart’s caffeine content.
But, you may find that one can of Mountain Dew Kickstart won’t be as helpful to you if you’re someone who has a high caffeine metabolism.
Though I would still suggest you keep your daily intake to just one can as regularly having multiple cans of this drink can lead to overconsumption of caffeine.
When this happens, you may experience possible side effects such as:
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
- Increased thirst
- Fever
- Irritability
- Headache
- Breathing troubles
- Vomiting
- Hallucinations
- Chest pain
- Confusion
- Irregular/fast heartbeat
- Convulsions
Plus, the FDA recommends a caffeine intake of a maximum of 400mg caffeine per day.
While even four cans of Mountain Dew Kickstart won’t have you exceeding the daily limit, it’s still best to control your intake, especially if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
How Much Sugar Is There In A Can Of Mountain Dew Kickstart?
While a 16 fl.oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains a moderate amount of caffeine, it also comes with an unhealthy amount of 20g of sugar.
Let me explain why that’s an insane amount of sugar in one drink.
The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that women shouldn’t have more than 25g of sugar while men should keep their limit to a maximum of 36g of sugar in a day.
Regardless of whether you’re a woman or man, consuming only one can of Mountain Dew Kickstart already wipes out more than half of your recommended daily limit.
Just like caffeine, too much of a good thing can be bad. Hence, a high sugar diet can lead to some major health problems such as:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Kidney disease
That said, I highly recommend you to stick to energy drinks that have lower sugar content or even sugar-free ones for the sake of your health.
But if you’re still keen on including Mountain Dew Kickstart into your diet, it’s best to control your intake and only have one can when you really need an energy booster. You should also space out your consumption and have a maximum of three cans a week.
Are There Artificial Sweeteners In Mountain Dew Kickstart?
The artificial sweeteners present in a 16 fl.oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart are sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Yes, these calorie-free sweeteners are approved by the FDA as safe to use. That explains why you can find both Sucralose and Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) in many foods and drinks calorie-free.
Another reason why sweeteners make a great sugar substitute is Sucralose is known to be 600 times sweeter than regular sugar itself. As for Ace-K, it’s actually 200 times sweeter but with a slightly bitter after-taste.
That’s an interesting combo because Mountain Dew Kickstart already contains sugar.
While you get to enjoy all that sweetness without feeling guilty, it’s best to be cautious as there’s still plenty that we have yet to discover about them and their long-term effects.
To add on, some researchers say that Ace-K is one of the main causes of weight gain. Most processed food and drinks such as sodas, fruit juices, condiments, dairy products, ice cream, and jam actually contain high levels of Ace-K.
Thus, you should probably control your consumption to keep safe as overconsumption of these sweeteners may trigger adverse side effects in those who are sensitive to them.
So, How Many Cans Mountain Dew Kickstart Can I Drink In A Day?
In my opinion, the healthiest way to consume Mountain Dew Kickstart is by limiting yourself to only one can per day due to its high sugar content.
While you could say that Mountain Dew Kickstart’s caffeine and overall calorie content are at a healthy dose, you should still be aware that 20g of sugar in just one can is damaging to your health.
It’s even more dangerous if you’re someone with a sedentary lifestyle because all that added sugar will eventually make you gain weight.
You’ll have a higher chance of being obese if you have a high sugar diet without practicing an active lifestyle. Not to mention, you may end up diagnosed with diabetes.
As for its short them effect, I can guarantee that having multiple cans of Mountain Dew Kickstart in a day will leave you with hypoglycemia or popularly known as a sugar crash.
The reason being, whenever you consume more sugar than you’re supposed to, your body will produce insulin to regulate your body’s sugar levels. With this comes the drop of blood glucose, your body’s source of fuel.
Once there’s a sudden drop in your energy levels, you’ll most likely feel slow and sluggish afterward.
All in all, I strongly advise you to have only one can of Mountain Dew Kickstart in a day for the sake of your health. If you feel like you still need an extra dose of caffeine after, you can go for ones that have lesser sugar, such as herbal teas or regular coffee.
How Long Does Mountain Dew Kickstart Last?
Based on my experience, the energy boost from a 16 fl.oz can of Mountain Dew Kickstart will last for about 40 – 45 minutes. Though, this also boils down to your own caffeine metabolism.
According to experts, caffeine has a half-life of up to 5 hours. After drinking 10mg of caffeine, 5 hours later, you’ll have 5mg of caffeine left in your system.
Since Mountain Dew Kickstart has 90mg of caffeine, it should last you around 40 – 45 minutes to still have a significant amount of caffeine left in your body.
However, the sugars added could affect its “energy booster” component. With that much sugar in a single serving, it can easily affect your cognition, making it harder for you to stay focus.
But still, the effectiveness of Mountain Dew Kickstart depends on your personal caffeine tolerance.
Final Thoughts
Just like any other sugary energy drink, moderating yourself to only one can of Mountain Dew Kickstart a day is always the smarter choice.
Though it may not be the healthiest option out there, there’s no denying that it indeed works pretty well for an energy drink. This drink can help increase your energy without the need to provide you with large amounts of caffeine and calories.
So, drink it responsibly and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the benefits of the Mountain Dew Kickstart!
