Game Fuel is arguably one of the most popular energy drinks for gamers in the market. This is probably because its widely available in convenience stores, and because it’s a spin-off of an already established brand.
You may be wondering if Game Fuel is bad for you, since energy drinks are often notorious for causing a deluge of medical issues, especially in cases where the person has taken one too many swigs.
Like most energy drinks, Game Fuel comes with its own set of problems, and I’m here today to spill the tea.
So, is Game Fuel Bad For You?
Yes, it is, but only if you don’t control your intake or slack off on exercise when you make it a part of your regular diet. While the risk of caffeine overdose is low, you can still gain weight if you drink too much of it, especially if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.
For more information, read on to find out more about why I think Game Fuel is bad for you and what you can do to minimize the risks of consuming all that caffeine and sugar.
What’s Inside a Can of Game Fuel
Before I proceed with the intricate details of Game Fuel, you may want to skim the ingredients list below.
The fact that high fructose corn syrup is number 2 on that list is already raising some red flags, but more on that later.
- Carbonated Water
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Phosphates
- Natural Flavor
- L-Theanine
- Sodium Benzoate
- Caffeine (90mg per can)
- Gum Arabic
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Sucralose
- Calcium Disodium Edta
- Glycerol
- Ester of Rosin
- Niacinamide
- Panax Ginseng Root Extract
- Calcium Pantothenate
- Yerba Mate Extract
- Beta Carotene
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Game Fuel Pros
Before we put Game Fuel on the chopping block, let’s explore the reasons why I think Game Fuel is a good energy drink despite all the criticism I’m about to throw its way.
Unlike most energy drinks, Game Fuel has a safe amount of caffeine and also a safe amount of vitamins without any of them going over the percent daily value. It also has zero fat.
Safe Amount of Vitamins
Although vitamins help your body function and offer a lot of benefits, taking too much of them is not a good idea. Fortunately, Game Fuel has a risk-free amount of vitamins since it doesn’t exceed the recommended intake per day of vitamins.
For you to know that Game Fuel is safe, you can look at the back of Game Fuel’s can and read the nutrition facts. The threshold of vitamins is 100% and as you can see, all the vitamins listed in Game Fuel are below that percentage.
To be more specific, Game Fuel’s vitamins only ranges from 20% to 40% of vitamins — not even half of the recommended intake!
Zero Total Fats
Game Fuel has zero fat content.
This doesn’t necessarily mean it has zero fats since food or beverage is considered “free-fat” if it has less than 0.5 grams per serving.
As you may know, most foods/beverages you consume have fat. This means that since Game Fuel has little to no zero fats, it doesn’t add up to the calories you put in your body.
Safe Amount of Caffeine
Unlike some energy drinks that may have over 200 to 300 mg of caffeine per serving, Game Fuel has a measly 90 mg, which is well below the danger zone.
While the daily caffeine limit is 400 mg, you can easily go over that limit because other foods and beverages that you consume throughout the day can easily add up to the total.
Coffee, black tea, matcha and yes, even chocolate, contain caffeine. So the caffeine content in Game Fuel so long as you don’t consume inordinate amounts of it, because if you do you may experience some nasty side effects:
Sufficient Amount of Carbohydrates
Game Fuel only has 24g of carbohydrates, giving you ample space to enjoy other carb-rich foods and beverages throughout the day.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories.
So, if you get 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates. That translates to between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates a day.
Mayo Clinic
However, there are a few caveats. The carb content may seem ideal because its under a certain number, but those aren’t good carbs. They’re added sugars and you’ll see in a minute why I think 24 g of carbs isn’t as innocent as it looks.
But because your sugar limit will already be so close to the tipping point, you should consume only complex carbs in order to ensure that you don’t accumulate more glucose in your system than you need to.
So for this, I would say the carbohydrates content is neither a pro nor a con.
Game Fuel Cons
Now comes the part that you’re probably waiting for. I’ve given Game Fuel a fighting chance by highlighting all its strong points and upsides, now it’s time to tip the balance with some of the major disadvantages that comes with drinking too much Game Fuel.
Contains a Lot of Sugar
The recommended sugar intake for women is 24 g and 36 g for men. Sadly, Game Fuel has 23 g of total sugars, which comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup.
You might think that Game Fuel is okay since it’s below 23 g, but that amount is very close to the daily sugar limit of most people, especially women.
Too much sugar can cause:
According to Medical News Today, to reduce sugar intake you should check food labels for sweeteners, reduce food with added sugars, and avoid processed foods.
Lack of Protein
There is zero protein in Game Fuel. This might not be a con if you’re on a low-protein diet, but for most of us protein is important.
If you’re wondering why other people opt for a low-protein diet, it’s because doing so will reduce stress on the liver and kidneys. However, foods and beverages that are high in protein should be replaced with the same equivalent that those high-protein foods/drinks give to your body.
Game Fuel has 0g of protein, this means that people who don’t eat healthily and drink Game Fuel cannot get even a small amount of protein. Signs of protein deficiency are:
- Swelling
- Mood changes
- Hair, nail, and skin problems
- Weakness and fatigue
- Hunger
- Slow-healing injuries
- Getting or staying sick
Too Many Calories
I know what you’re thinking, “90 calories isn’t that much to be honest.” Well in the grand scheme of things, it is especially since those numbers can up add pretty quick.
Healthy full grown adults should not consume more than 2400 calories in a day, but it’s actually pretty easy to go over that number. Factors like age, weight, and level of physical activity also plays a huge role in determining your calorie needs.
If you want to drink Game Fuel or any other energy drink, then you need to burn off those calories every time you finish a can. For example, in order to burn off approximately 100 calories, you need to go for a 16 minute jog.
But that’s just one way of doing it. I’ll let you pick your poison.
Is Game Fuel Healthy?
No it’s not, not the way freshly squeezed fruit juices are, or a bowl of kale salad. The B vitamins are there apparently to aid in your body’s energy regulation system, they don’t supply the energy themselves.
Energy drinks, as a whole, only do one thing despite all the marketing gimmicks certain brands use to stand out: they keep you from feeling tired. But caffeine also has other benefits such improving cognitive performance, increasing reaction time, and enhancing alertness: all the things that a gamer needs.
Game Fuel isn’t healthy purely for one reason, and one reason only, it has too much added sugar. They fill your body up with empty calories and also makes you gain weight.
If you’re want a healthy energy drink, you might want to look for natural alternatives. However, to say that Game Fuel is healthy may seem like an overstatement.
What Makes an Energy Drink Less Harmful?
Energy drinks are a controversial product. For the past few years, news about the beverage has stormed the internet and the media about people going to the emergency room due to energy drinks.
Does this mean every energy drink out there will land you in the hospital? Not necessarily. The only reason why people end up requiring immediate medical attentions is when they drink too much at one time.
But did you know that there are energy drinks which are better than the popular ones? To know if an energy drink is less harmful it should contain:
- Less sugar
- Vitamins that are below 100%
- Below 200 mg of caffeine
- Has proteins
What does G Fuel do to your body?
In the gaming community, G Fuel is promoted as a nootropic that improves concentration and response speed. To begin with, G Fuel was available as a caffeinated powder that could be dissolved in water.
On the other hand, G Fuel is different from other before-exercise supplements in that it won’t provide you with an enhanced muscle pump. Instead, the G Fuel energy drink uses a proprietary blend of all-natural ingredients to increase stamina, concentration, and performance.
Why do gamers drink G Fuel?
G FUEL is the Official Energy Drink of Electronic Sports, and it’s packed with ingredients that have been shown to improve performance in competitive video gaming. Gamma Labs developed G FUEL as a healthier alternative to traditional energy drinks.
Additionally, G FUEL seems to be safe for normal adults when taken at the suggested daily dose. Because it has no sugar, it’s a better choice than sugary alternatives.
Safety Measures
If you want to drink energy drinks, you have to be healthy. That way you minimize the risks that energy drinks bring and still enjoy the energy that it gives you.
There are a lot of ways to be healthy and I’ll quickly show a table of examples along with their benefits:
| What You Should Do to Be Healthy | Benefits |
| Exercise | Controls your weight, reduces risk of heart disease, helps you quit smoking, improves thinking and learning skills, improves sleep, and makes you live longer. |
| Get More Sleep | Sharper brain, mood boost, healthier heart, steadier blood sugar, and make you taller. |
| Have a Meal Plan | Save money, portion control, reduce food waste, avoid unhealthy options, and enjoy more variety. |
| Reduce Alcohol Intake | Weight loss, lower blood pressure, less heartburn, less headache, increased energy, and improved brain function. |
| Meditation | Reduces stress, controls anxiety, promotes emotional health, prevents memory loss, and helps fight addictions. |
Conclusion: Is Game Fuel Bad for You?
So the pros and cons cancel each other out, but does that mean that Game Fuel is ok to drink? Maybe, maybe not.
One thing’s for sure, children under eighteen years old and pregnant women should definitely stay away from it. So must diabetics, heart attack sufferers, and other people who have preexisting medical conditions that can be aggravated by the consumption of caffeine and/or sugar.
I personally don’t see Game Fuel being taken off the shelves any time soon, nor will any other energy drink for that matter. I mentioned that children under 18 years old should not go anywhere near Game Fuel because of the caffeine, but really who’s stopping them
This is why the FDA should start regulating the use of caffeine in commercial soft drinks because the risk of overdose is so high for those who don’t know the dangers of consuming too much caffeine at once.
Game Fuel should be enjoyed as an occasional beverage, it should not stand in as a meal replacement or a supplement. An energy drink won’t suddenly make you level-up in matter of minutes, or help you earn points, your skills and experience do.
So don’t rely on energy drinks to help you maintain your winning streak, they might just do the complete opposite. Caffeine, while it does bestow energy and alertness, also has a nasty habit of making you want to go number 1 more frequently than you normally would.
So keep that in mind the next time you reach for a can of Game Fuel because someone might just take your place as the top player while you’re busy relieving yourself.