Whether you’re an athlete who engages in high-intensity workouts or a student who stays up all night reading, C4 Energy includes ingredients that will surely keep you up and running.
But, is it a vegan drink?
Short answer: Yes. According to its official website, the C4 Energy drink is vegan-friendly as it doesn’t include any animal parts. However, it does contain artificial sweeteners, which are said to be linked to animal testings. Thus, this depends on your standpoint of being a vegan.
With that, I’ll have to course you through the detailed analysis of its ingredients so you know how it goes with your vegan lifestyle. Read up!
Contents
Benefits Of A Vegan Diet
In brief, going on a vegan diet means you can’t consume any animal products. This type of diet offers plenty of benefits, from protecting animals to improving your overall health.
As we all know, animals like chicken and fish are killed for their meat. Although they give us protein and nutrients, this act is contributing to animal cruelty.
That said, vegans are automatically advocating for animal rights, and some are even against animal testing.
To add on, by practicing a vegan diet, you’ll be supplying your body with healthy nutrients from whole foods such as fruits and vegetables.
Additional health benefits of a vegan diet also include:
- Weight loss
- Lower blood sugar levels
- Improvement of kidneys
- Lower risk towards heart disease
- Reduce pain from arthritis
That said, read on to find out if C4 Energy drink is suitable for your vegan diet.
Nutrition Facts Of C4 Energy
First, let’s have a closer look at the nutritional values of C4 Energy:
| Standard Values | C4 “Original” Carbonated (16 fl.oz) |
| Energy | 0 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Fat (Of Which Saturated) | 0g (0g) |
| Carbohydrate (Of which Sugars) | 0g (0g) |
| Sodium | Unspecified |
| Caffeine | 200mg |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 30mg |
Does C4 Energy Contain Calories?
C4 Energy drink is completely calorie-free, which is why it’s a popular drink for those who are trying to lose extra pounds.
According to health experts, the daily calorie limit a person can take should only be around 2,000 – 2,500 calories a day.
Although this still depends on your gender, weight, height, and age, it’s crucial to stay mindful of your caloric intake by not going over the daily limit.
Thus, you won’t need to worry about any additional calories in your diet when you have a can of C4 Energy.
Does C4 Energy Contain Sugar?
Besides being calorie-free, a 16 fl.oz can of C4 Energy Drink also has no sugars.
For reference, the AHA’s recommended daily sugar intake is only 25g for women and 36g for men.
Considering that it’s easy to wipe out your sugar intake for the day due to the amount of sugar present in regular foods and drinks, I think including a sugar-free energy drink in your diet is the right choice.
Plus, regularly consuming sugary energy drinks can contribute to a high-sugar diet, which will lead to health risks such as obesity, heart disease, and even cancer.
Not to mention the nasty sugar crash (hypoglycemia) you’ll get when you drink an energy drink with high sugar levels like Monster Energy (54g per 16 fl.oz).
Overconsuming sugar will disrupt your body’s regulation of glucose which is your brain’s source of energy. Thus, causing your blood glucose to decrease, which drains your energy instead.
Thankfully, you can have C4 Energy without any worries!
Ingredients Of C4 Energy
C4 Energy contains 6.73g of Explosive Performance Energy Blend per 16 fl.oz can:
- Caffeine anhydrous (200mg)
- CarnoSyn Beta-alanine
- Beta power Betaine Anhydrous
- N-acetyl-l-tyrosine
- Citrulline malate
The drink also includes some quantities of these ingredients:
- Carbonated water
- Citric Acid
- Natural flavors
- Artificial flavors
- Potassium sorbate
- Sucralose
- Acesulfame potassium
Artificial Sweeteners In C4 Energy
There are two types of artificial sweeteners present in a 16 fl.oz can of C4 Energy, namely sucralose and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K).
Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) are both non-caloric artificial sweeteners. They’re also about 200 – 600 times sweeter than regular sugar.
However, if you’re thinking of substituting sugar with sucralose to your diet, do keep in mind that there is no evidence that sucralose is helpful for weight loss.
Furthermore, health experts also claim that Ace-K is associated with health risks that could lead to obesity and chronic inflammation.
But I think as long as you consume them in moderation and keep your health in check, you should be safe.
Are The Artificial Sweeteners In C4 Energy Vegan-Friendly?
While most artificial sweeteners are produced in labs and with no animal derivatives, there are concerns about Sucralose being tested on animals. In my opinion, the decision is entirely up to you and your views on veganism.
If you aren’t already familiar with Sucralose, this sweetener is mainly sold in yellow packets, called Splenda.
In 2000, researchers found that its production includes animal testing. That said, if you’re more of a health-conscious vegan, the sweeteners in C4 Energy are safe for consumption.
Caffeine Content In C4 Energy
A 16 fl.oz can of C4 Energy contains 200mg of caffeine, which is still below the recommended 400mg daily caffeine limit set by the FDA.
Provided you stay below the daily limit, caffeine can offer plenty of benefits, including increasing your energy levels.
However, overconsumption can lead to adverse side effects such as:
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Palpitations
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Dependency
That said, headaches, excessive tiredness, and irritability are common characteristics of a caffeine crash. It happens when you consume too much caffeine that your body can no longer handle it.
With 200mg of caffeine in a can of C4 Energy, I highly don’t recommend taking this drink if you have a low caffeine tolerance as your body may not respond well to it.
Is C4 Energy Vegan-Friendly?
Based on their official website, C4 Energy drink is vegan. Have a look at the breakdown of its ingredients in the table below:
| Ingredients | Purpose | Commercial Source | Is it vegan? |
| Citric Acid | Flavoring, preservative | Vegetable, bacterial, fungal, or mold | Yes |
| N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine | Enhances concentration, improves memory, aids learning | Animals or plants | Possibly not |
| Potassium sorbate | Prevention of yeast and mold | Synthetic (from minerals) | Yes |
| Acesulfame K | Artificial sweetener | Synthetic | Yes |
| Vitamin B12 | Aids formation of red blood cells and ensures a healthy nervous system | Synthetic, bacterial or fungal | Yes |
| Niacin | Supports nervous system functions | Synthetic | Yes |
| L-Tartaric Acid | Flavoring and antioxidant | Vegetable | Yes |
| Folic Acid | Enhances metabolism and the formation of red blood cells | Typically fungal or synthetic, but can also be derived from vegetables and even animals | Possibly not |
| Arginine Nitrate | Enhances blood flow | Typically from vegetables | Yes |
| Malic Acid | Acidifier, flavoring | Typically synthetic | Yes |
Based on my findings, a majority of the ingredients in C4 Energy are vegan except for some that may have animal derivatives. Thus, it depends on whether you’re a vegan for its health purposes only or if you’re an ethical one.
Since the C4 Energy drink brand themselves have stated that they’re vegan-friendly, I highly doubt they include any animals in the process of making these drinks.
But of course, you can always do your own research or even contact their manufacturer for a more conclusive answer.
Is C4 Energy Keto-Friendly?
C4 Energy drink is very much suitable for a keto diet because this drink is completely sugar-free.
With its zero calories and sugar-free content, the C4 Energy drink is definitely good for your keto diet. Plus, even its artificial sweeteners are non-caloric.
A Keto diet is a low-carb and high-fat diet, which involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat.
Basically, this diet lets you cut down on your sugar intake. Thus, making it suitable for weight loss or if you have a pre-existing medical condition like diabetes.
Even if you aren’t on a keto diet, I think C4 Energy is still worth consuming for the sake of your health. Again, a high sugar diet can be detrimental to your health in the long run.
Is C4 Energy Gluten-Free?
A gluten-free diet is a diet plan that excludes gluten products such as wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Based on its ingredients label, C4 Energy drink doesn’t contain any gluten-based ingredients. Thus, this drink is gluten-friendly.
Gluten-free diets are great for people with celiac disease or those who are sensitive to gluten ingredients. Although, there are people who go on a gluten-free diet who do it to help in weight loss.
However, the company also stated that there might be traces of gluten in the C4 Energy drink.
While it isn’t stated in its ingredients label as there aren’t any active ingredients made out of gluten, there’s still a chance that the manufacturing of the drink may include using the same equipment that handles other gluten products.
So, it all boils down to whether you think C4 Energy is suitable for your gluten-free diet.
Does A Vegan Diet Affect Your Gym Results?
Contrary to popular belief, it’s a common misconception that you can only get protein from meat. However, vegans are fully capable of body-building as long as they consume enough amounts of plant protein.
Some high-protein plant-based food includes:
- Lentils and beans
- Tofu
- Seeds
- Whole grains
- Nuts
That said, going vegan doesn’t mean you lack energy or body strength. It simply means you’ll be getting your gains from other sources instead of meat.
If you want to learn more about a vegan diet, check out the video below:
Can C4 Energy Burn Fat?
Generally speaking, energy drinks don’t help you lose fat by simply drinking them. However, a 16 fl.oz can of C4 Energy has 200mg of caffeine and its unique performance-boosting blend, which can help increase your physical performance.
It’s important to note that energy drinks can only supply you with energy that’ll make it easier for you to carry out your workout routines.
Although the high amount of caffeine in C4 Energy is beneficial for weight loss as it helps suppress your appetite, I wouldn’t rely on energy drinks alone.
Research finds that caffeine may boost your metabolism by less than 100 calories per day. Again, this won’t do much unless you put in the work in the gym.
My advice is, have a can of C4 Energy at least 15 minutes before your workout to get you pumped and energized for your high-intensity training.
That said, whether or not you’re vegan, it’s still important to eat a properly balanced meal and not depend on energy drinks to supply your body with the nutrient it needs to keep going.
Thus, with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle, I’m sure C4 Energy is beneficial for your weight loss journey.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis, the ingredients of C4 Energy are vegan-friendly. Moreover, companies are required by law to state if their product consists of animal derivatives, so as stated on their official website, this drink is indeed vegan.
But of course, it’s always a good idea to conduct your own research and ask vegan verified sources for a more detailed answer. In terms of its nutritional perspective, the C4 Energy drink makes a great and healthy choice for an energy drink as it doesn’t contain any sugar nor calories.
Thus, I hope you find this article useful and enjoy your C4 Energy.