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How Many Energy Drinks are Too Much? (Full Guide)

Energy drinks are such great companions for all kinds of activities! Need something to get you through your workouts? Have an electrolyte-filled energy drink for an energy boost. Got to pull an all-nighter? A cold can of Red Bull is your best friend.

Energy drinks come with all sorts of ingredients. Some include green tea extracts, taurine, amino acid, sucralose, herbal extracts, etc. while other energy drinks contain a balanced amount of caffeine and other products, but some energy drinks contain too much caffeine.

Enough ingredients to make your head spin, right? Well, that’s why I’m here. I’ll be giving you some suggestions on how many energy drinks per day you can drink, depending on some factors of course!

But the general rule of thumb is that you should keep it to one can a day only. It is not recommended that you take two cans of energy drink per day because it will be too much for you, considering that caffeine can cause some serious side effects.

Read on for more information!

Average Caffeine Content in Energy Drinks

Nowadays, energy drinks are everywhere, helping you be more energized and focused. Caffeine included in energy drinks assists you to be more alert, boosting your physical and mental performance.

Every energy drink contains a lot of caffeine or an average amount of caffeine, although it is essential. But it also has some risks such as rapid pulse and high blood pressure.

The maximum daily amount of caffeine for children/youth:

4–6 years old 45 mg/day
7–9 years old62.5 mg/day
10–12 years old85 mg/day
13 years and older 2.5 mg/kg body weight/day

However, despite these recommendations, caffeine should not be a habit for those under the age of 18. Plus, you can also get caffeine from other sources like soda and chocolate as well so much better to just avoid energy drinks in general.

Most people don’t think that drinking them regularly can be harmful. It is suggested that many healthy adults can consume energy drinks up to 400 mg in a single day, according to the FDA.

The average caffeine content in most energy drinks (250 ml) is 80 mg-150 mg. Many energy drinks contain the same caffeine amount as included in a cup of coffee. But some of them do knock it out of the ballpark and go up to 300 mg!

In my opinion, just 50-100 mg of caffeine is already enough for a substantial energy boost. Going with highly-caffeinated drinks can cause you to experience some side effects.

Sugar Content in Energy Drinks

a glass jar of sugar cubes

It is not harmful to you to consume a small amount of sugar. But some energy drinks contain far more sugar than you should take per day.

A single can of energy drinks contains 24 to 29 grams of sugar. However, some most popular energy drinks contain about 40 to 55 grams of sugar, equal to 8 to 11 teaspoons of sugar.

A survey shows that sugar in energy drinks has been reduced in addition to the sugar tax. But some still use 14 to 17 teaspoons of sugar.

Maximum sugar intake according to AHA is as follows:

  • Males 36g/150 calories
  • Female 25g/100 calories

If you use sugar excessively, then it may direct you to some problems, including:

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Obesity
  • Tooth Problems
  • Diabetes

Is Taurine Used in Energy Drinks or Not?

Taurine aids in improving exercise activities; hence it is used in many energy drinks to meet people’s daily exercise goals.

Amino sulfonic acid, also known as taurine, calms the nervous system down and lowers blood pressure. It plays a crucial role in the metabolic process and is a beneficial ingredient in energy drinks.

What is taurine, and Why is it in my energy drink?

Taurine gives many health benefits, such as boosting athletic and sports performance. You can read about the energy drinks best for athletes to boost their performance.

It has less harmful effects but will surely damage if taken in high doses throughout energy drinks. A high dosage of taurine will cause specific kidney problems such as:

  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Diabetic nephropathy
  • Chronic renal failure
  • Acute kidney injury

Worst case scenario is that if you take taurine supplements and energy drinks inclusively two or three times a day, then it will make you feel tired.

Do Energy Drinks Include Gluten?

Gluten is also a protein found in rye, triticale, and barley. In some people, enzymes do not work correctly in breaking down gluten.

So when this gluten is not dissolved in the intestine, it will cause a severe autoimmune response. This autoimmune response can also be known as celiac disease.

People who are sensitive to gluten may experience:

That’s why many people check out the label before buying any energy drink.

Can You Die after Consuming Too Many Energy Drinks?

Yes! Consuming energy drinks that contain high alcohol and caffeine levels is highly dangerous.

In 2017 a teenage boy died due to caffeine toxicity. Many people also face sugar crashes, cardiac problems after drinking too many energy drinks.

Energy drinks are highly restricted to toddlers, teenagers, and pregnant women.

Are Calories and Sucralose Used in Energy Drinks?

Yes! Calories and Sucralose are used in energy drinks.

Too much sugar can be harmful to your health and metabolism. Due to this, many people now use artificial sweeteners (sucralose). Authorities declare that sucralose is safe, but some studies show that it is related to health problems.

Sucralose, also known as Splenda, is a favorite artificial sweetener used in sugar-free energy drinks like Bang, Monster, and Rockstar.

On the other hand, calories are the main component in energy drinks because their amount can affect how much energy you will have after consuming them.

ENERGY DRINKSERVING SIZE CALORIES
AMP Energy Boost Sugar-Free 16 oz10
Full Throttle16 oz220
Monster Energy Drink (Low Carb)16 oz10
Monster Energy Drink16 oz 220
Red Bull Energy Drink16 oz212
Red Bull Energy Drink (Red, Silver, and Blue)16 oz226

Calories’ primary source is sugar. You can find how many calories an energy drink contains by checking on its label.

Do Energy Drinks have Alcohol in Them?

Some energy drinks contain alcohol in them, and some don’t.

Energy drinks such as Tilt, Sparks, Hyphy Joose contain alcohol that promises to provide you with feelings of relaxation. Still, alcohol is also known for making its drinkers dizzy and less focused, so I don’t really recommend drinking energy drinks with alcohol.

On the other hand, energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, V energy have no alcohol. However, they have a massive stimulant (caffeine and sugar) and often include taurine to enhance performance.

What are the Energy Drink Limits that Adults Can Consume?

Consuming one can of energy drinks a day is not harmful to you. However, it might be wise if you avoid consuming energy drinks as part of your daily routine.

However, if you decide to drink energy drinks, try limiting your intake and consuming about 16 ounces (473 ml) in a single day, according to Healthline.

Most of the health suspicions on energy drinks center on their caffeine content. However, the FDA recommends that healthy adults consume a maximum of400 mg of caffeine per day.

Energy drinks contain 80 mg of caffeine per 8 ounces, but the only problem is that energy drinks are now sold in large cans (larger than 8 ounces) containing more caffeine.

Energy Drink Recommendations

a girl drinking an energy drink

Other Noteworthy Mentions

Conclusion

Drinking more than one energy drink can per day will be harmful to your health. So it is better that you limit yourself to only one can.

It includes many ingredients most of them are caffeine, sugar, gluten, taurine, sucralose, etc. Caffeine and taurine are used in energy drinks so to help us achieve the level best possible.

Gluten on the other hand can cause some issues, but there are many gluten-free drinks that are available in the market and are liked by everyone. Some gluten-free energy drinks include Full Throttle, NOS, Adrenaline Shoc.

If you have more questions regarding energy drinks, you can read more energy drink FAQs to get your answers!

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