G Fuel Powder is praised for being a ‘healthier’ option because of its zero sugar content. Unlike Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar, it won’t cause you to crash. If a single tub worth 40 servings is anything to go by, it could even be seen as an alternative if you’re on a budget.
G Fuel isn’t perfect, but it won’t be bad for you as long as you care to read the warning labels.
Don’t get me wrong. The absence of sugar and its caffeine-free formula does sound too good to be true, but it does make a great choice for diabetics and people who are sensitive to caffeine.
So what exactly sets G Fuel Powder apart from other energy drinks? To understand that, we need to know what’s in the mix first.
Contents
G Fuel Nutrition Facts
First off, a quick look at G Fuel’s nutritional value to see just what exactly each 7g serving of the stuff gets you:
| Value (Standard Serving) | G Fuel Powder (7g Serving) |
| Energy | 25 calories |
| Protein | 0g |
| Carbohydrates (Of which Sugars) | 0g (0g) |
| Sodium | 79mg |
| Caffeine | 140-150mg |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | – |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 45mg |
| Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | – |
| Vitamin B6 | 10mg |
| Vitamin B12 | 425μg |
| Vitamin C | 250mg |
| Vitamin E | 15IU |
| Calcium | – |
This is more of a general overview of what you’re getting out of a serving of G Fuel, but for a more in-depth look at how everything actually comes together, have a read through the article I’ve written on Does G Fuel Actually Work, where I dive a lot deeper into the ingredient intricacies.
G Fuel Ingredients
Energy Complex
The energy complex is a collection of ingredients contained in G Fuel to help with your metabolism. This also plays a big part in the potency of energy drinks.
To enumerate, these are the main ingredients found in a tub of G Fuel:
- Taurine
- L-Citrulline Malate
- Caffeine
- Glucuronolactone
- N-Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl
- Velvet Bean Seed Extract
Antioxidants
Antioxidants help your body to recover and help reduce damage to the muscle cells. Since fruits are a good source of antioxidants, it’s no surprise that energy drink brands also include antioxidant properties in their drinks.
Here are some of the fruit extracts you can find in your standard serving of G Fuel:
- Cabbage Palm Berry Extract
- Pomegranate Fruit Extract
- Pineapple Fruit Powder
- Apple Fruit Powder
- Orange Fruit Powder
- Blueberry Fruit Powder
- Grape Seed Powder
- Grapefruit Fruit Powder
- Plum Fruit Powder
- Raspberry Fruit Powder
- Strawberry Fruit Powder
- Watermelon Fruit Powder
- Lemon Fruit Powder
- Lime Fruit Powder
- Melon Fruit Powder
- Sour Cherry Fruit Powder
- Papaya Fruit Powder
- Peach Fruit Powder
- Pyrus Communis Fruit Powder
Focus Complex
You can also find properties that help in improving one’s focus such as:
- L-Tyrosine
- N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine
- Adenosine-5′-Triphosphate Disodium Salt (ATP)
- Choline Bitartrate
- Toothed Clubmoss Aerial Parts Extract
- Bacopa Leaf Extract
Other Ingredients
Apart from the main ingredients are other properties that likewise provide an added flavor or punch in a tub of G Fuel Powder.
| Ingredient | Role |
| Maltodextrin | Preservative |
| Pineapple Fruit Powder | Flavoring |
| Citric Acid | Preservative |
| Natural Flavors | Flavor enhancement. Not necessarily of nutritional value |
| Artificial Flavors | Flavor enhancement. Not necessarily of nutritional value |
| Beta Carotene (color) | Natural food coloring |
| Sucralose | Artificial sweetener |
| Acesulfame Potassium | Artificial sweetener |
| Silicon Dioxide | Keeps powder from clumping up |
Silicon dioxide is a safe food additive that’s incorporated in G Fuel to keep the powder clumped together Gamma Labs uses to keep the powder from clumping together.
Beta Carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid. Provitamin A is a substance that the body readily converts to vitamin A. Meanwhile, a carotenoid is what gives fruits and vegetables their red, yellow, and orange colors. That makes it a natural color food coloring you can commonly see used in food and beverages.
Is G Fuel Powder Safe to Drink?
Given that it’s less in sugar and caffeine, it’s supposed to be a safe drink for everybody. It’s also another healthy alternative to Monster or Rockstar.
For a quick background, Gamma Labs was accused of having higher than acceptable levels of lead in their G Fuel formula. Besides that, it has also received criticism for not disclosing how much taurine its product has.
And because of that, G Fuel is still under scrutiny over its ingredients in the present.
Does G Fuel Powder Have Lead?
Back in 2017, Gamma Labs had a lawsuit filed against them by The Environment Research Center for failing to inform consumers about G Fuel’s lead content.
During the investigation, it was revealed that 18 G Fuel Energy supplements had more lead than the other brands.
A few months later, damages were paid and Gamma Labs was ordered to include the lead content in their label.
This new label includes the possibility of being put at risk for cancer and other life-threatening diseases because of the lead content.
As of the writing, the amount of lead that was tested in G Fuel hasn’t been disclosed.
It’s believed that the use of natural products is one reason why a high amount of lead was found in a single G Fuel tub.
How Safe is Taurine in G Fuel?
As the CEO of Gamma Labs said: “There is nothing wrong with taurine, especially in small amounts.”
Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid. It doesn’t build protein as an amino acid would.
In food, it’s often found in meat and fish. You can also find it in medications taken to improve your heart health.
And just so you know, your body produces taurine, too.
Taurine is essential for different bodily functions such as in the following:
- Maintaining hydration and electrolyte balance in cells
- Making bile salts for digestion
- Supporting the central nervous system and eyes
- Regulating immune system and antioxidants
Taurine is also believed to increase your mental performance when combined with caffeine. However, it’s worth noting that there’s insufficient evidence confirming that helps in a person’s mental and physical performance.
The health benefits of taking taurine include:
- Improved eyesight and hearing
- Reduced seizures
- Calming of the central nervous system via binding GABA (neurotransmitter tied to mood)
- Improved heart health
- Increased fat burning during exercise
So for the record, taurine is safe when taken in small and moderate doses.
What is Acesulfame Potassium?
Acesulfame Potassium, also known as Ace-K, is a common artificial sweetener found in sugar-free products. On its own, it appears to be a white crystal powder with a bitter aftertaste. It’s often blended with other artificial sweeteners like sucralose.
Like sucralose, it’s much sweeter than table sugar. Both substances are also controversial because they are thought to cause an imbalance in the gut’s bacteria. It is known that an imbalance in gut bacteria could result in weight gain.
Furthermore, it’s been noted by some that consuming artificial sweeteners like Ace-K and sucralose can put you at greater risk of diabetes, obesity, stroke, and dementia.
However, there is insufficient evidence that Ace-K actually does cause the change in gut bacteria profiles. That also means there’s little information on the supposed consequences that follow and how that would happen if it were true.
Is Sucralose Healthy?
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener similar to Ace-K, as such, while it’s not exactly the healthiest thing to be having consistently, it still might be slightly better for you than sugar.
Sucralose is also suspected to be linked to diabetes, disruption in the gut bacteria, and weight gain despite being considered safe by the FDA.
Likewise, some also believe that sucralose can’t be used as a baking ingredient because it might not be safe to use at high temperatures.
Is Maltodextrin Healthy?
Maltodextrin is a white, starchy powder used by manufacturers to enhance flavor, thickness, and shelf life. In short, it’s a kind of preservative found and used in products like candies and sodas, and is considered safe by the FDA as a food additive.
Quite frankly, it has no nutritional value. However, it’s easy for the stomach to digest and can give a quick rush of energy. That’s probably why you see it in G Fuel’s ingredient list.
Yet, some still believe that it can make a negative impact on your health. There are also reports that maltodextrin may cause allergies and intolerance.
That’s why it’s important that you consult your doctor before drinking anything that contains maltodextrin to prevent any allergic reactions.
If you do get any reaction to maltodextrin, you might experience some side effects like:
- Rash
- Skin irritation
- Asthma
- Cramping
- Difficulty Breathing
Interestingly, unlike Ace-K and sucralose, maltodextrin can be derived from some natural products such as:
- Corn
- Rice
- Potato
- Wheat
Since it gives you that burst of energy in a single serving, it can help you with your exercise for those of you who are looking to lose weight or gain muscle.
Can You Use G Fuel Powder as a Pre-Workout?
G Fuel is great for giving yourself the boost you need to complete your daily tasks. Despite not having sugar, it’s just as potent as other brands because of how loaded it is in flavor and formula. However, it’s been said that using G Fuel for a pre-workout might not be a good idea.
As it turns out, ATP, among others, may reduce muscle performance although it’s been used by some athletes for training.
Its antioxidant properties can also reduce the symptoms of oxidative stress. That means it may potentially be harder for you to tell when something’s wrong with your body.
There also seem to be more ingredients that aim to enhance your mental ability than your physical ability. Quite fitting for an energy drink that’s marketed towards gamers, in my opinion.
If you still have doubts about whether or not you can use this as a pre-workout, G Fuel said it themselves.
In a tweet, they shared that their products aren’t meant for heavy training and other vigorous activities because it lacks the necessary amino acids.
“G FUEL is not a pre-workout (it contains zero aminos). It’s a sugar-free energy formula that’s intended to be a healthier alternative to canned energy drinks and sodas. That is all.”
So no, I wouldn’t recommend using G Fuel Powder as a pre-workout.
Can you drink G Fuel every day?
In spite of their widespread appeal among young people, there is some concern that frequent use of G Fuel might be harmful to health. The pace at which you sweat, urinate, and feel jittery may all speed up. This is due to the fact that energy drinks could also contain substantial quantities of caffeine.
This means that consuming it daily might cause digestive and hormonal problems. Generally, the use of energy drinks has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension, heart arrhythmias, sleeplessness, and anxiety.
Is G Fuel Powder Bad For Your Health?
If used sparingly, G Fuel Powder has no health risks. As long as you don’t consume too much of it, it may even be used to your advantage to improve your stamina and cognitive abilities.
Caffeine levels in G Fuel Powder are rather high, so it can be relied on to provide a jolt of energy whenever you need it. But because G Fuel Powder is a blend for energy drinks, it’s easy to overdo it, particularly after two or more doses.
Is G Fuel Healthy?
I believe that G Fuel is generally healthy as long as you follow the recommended serving size and mind how much you drink. That, and don’t ignore the warning label. It’s there for a reason.
While the trace amounts of lead are derived from natural ingredients, it shouldn’t mean that you can be complacent about potential lead poisoning.
The thing to remember here is the side effects of G Fuel that you can experience if consumed in excess.
If you still have doubts about their ingredients and what consuming them could mean for you, you can visit your doctor or nutritionist for their expert advice.
Final Thoughts
G Fuel is a good drink altogether. It’s a smart choice for those who want to stay away from food supplements that contain high amounts of sugar and caffeine.
With its wide selection of flavors, you will surely enjoy your morning workout and accomplish other of your daily tasks with much desired ease. They also have a Hydration formula that you can buy in different flavors. It has no caffeine and is perfect for a gluten-free diet.
Of course, it’s important to remember that it has a lot of other ingredients that are as important as the sugar-free label.
That’s why it’s always best to know your body first before drinking any food supplements. Likewise, it can help if you consult with your doctor to know if you’re sensitive to certain ingredients that are commonly found in energy drinks like G Fuel.