MAW Energy is a relatively new competitor in the market for gaming energy drinks.
Designed by gamers, for gamers, MAW Energy cuts off all the extra and unneeded ingredients and gives you simple, clean, crash-free energy at a very affordable price.
It comes in powder form, but it doesn’t have the chalky texture that some peers have. A scoop of MAW Energy has 140mg of its Energy and Focus proprietary blend that comprises mainly of caffeine but also has other stimulants in it.
Not to mention it is diet-friendly, as it has a mere 5 calories per serving and is free of any sugar. But the real question, the question that matters, and the question we’re here for are this:
“Is MAW Energy gluten-free?”
In short, Maw Energy doesn’t contain anything that might have gluten or traces of gluten in it, so it can be considered gluten-free. But the company hasn’t officially stated it to be gluten-free, so there’s a slight chance of it having cross-contaminated ingredients in it.
As for more details, I’m afraid they will have to come later on in this article, so be sure to read this through to the end.
Interested? I’m sure you are.
So, let us begin…
Contents
Gluten: An Overview
Before we get to the nitty-gritty of MAW Energy’s gluten-free status, let’s do a quick overview of gluten and why it’s bad for some people.
Gluten is a family of proteins found mainly in wheat, barley, and rye grains. The chewy texture of the bread is because of the presence of gluten.
Now, some people have unique constitutions that make them unable to tolerate gluten, not even traces of it. If they ingest it, they might suffer from severe immune or allergic reactions.
Therefore, such people must lead a life of gluten avoidance and follow a gluten-free diet. Some examples of gluten-related medical conditions are:
- Celiac Disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
- Wheat Allergy
But apart from people who are sensitive to it, many other people are also taking up a gluten-free diet because of its implied health benefits. And because of this, the importance of having many gluten-free food and beverage options is at an all-time high.
For more comprehensive information about gluten, check out this awesome Ted-Ed video:
Now that that’s out of the way let’s talk about MAW Energy.
MAW Energy’s Ingredients
MAW Energy contains a proprietary Energy and Focus blend that increases your reaction time and focus, thereby improving your gaming performance and helping you stack up those W’s.
Here are the ingredients that go into this blend:
- Natural Caffeine
- L-Tyrosine
- Astaxanthin
- Lycium Berry
- L-Theanine
Apart from these, MAW Energy also contains the following ingredients:
- Sucralose
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B12
- Citric acid
- Malic acid
- Fruit and Vegetable juice (Color)
- Natural and artificial flavors
MAW Energy’s Nutrition Facts
Here are the nutritional facts of a serving of MAW Energy:
| Nutrient (s) | Amount | % of Daily Value |
| Caffeine | ~130-140mg | 32.5-35% |
| Calories | 5 | 0.25% |
| Vitamin C | 100mg | 111% |
| Vitamin B6 | 5mg | 294% |
| Vitamin B12 | 200mcg | 8333% |
| Carbohydrates Of which sugar | 0g 0g | – |
Caffeine In MAW Energy
MAW Energy contains approximately 140mg of natural caffeine per serving.
Natural caffeine is extracted from plants like cocoa beans, coffee beans, tea leaves, kola nuts, etc., and is gluten-free.
The caffeine in MAW Energy is just about average for gaming energy drinks but above average for casual energy drinks like Red Bull and 28 Black.
Caffeine is used in energy drinks as the main component because of its many performance-enhancing properties. Some of the advantages of consuming caffeine are:
- Caffeine improves your focus
- It reduces fatigue, though it isn’t a substitute for sleeping
- It makes you more alert
- It increases physical performance
- It might help with weight loss
- It may have a role in preventing Type 2 Diabetes
- Caffeine could help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and more,
Therefore, ingesting moderate amounts of caffeine every day can be good for you both in the short-term and long term, and MAW Energy happens to be an excellent source of the drug.
What’s more, you can adjust the intensity of your MAW Energy mix by adding more scoops of the powder, up to three scoops, since more than three scoops would give you way too much caffeine.
You see, the FDA has stated that 400mg of caffeine is the optimum amount of caffeine per day for most individuals, and putting more than that in your body will not be suitable for you and your games.
Caffeine overdose can cause you to experience the following negative effects:
- Vomiting and nausea
- Diarrhea
- Abnormal heart rate
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Jitters
- Restlessness
- Dehydration
- Caffeine dependence or addiction
Therefore, you must keep your limits in mind and stick to three or fewer servings in a day. If you like coffee or tea, then just one serving should be enough for you, as the caffeine from two or three cups of coffee along with MAW Energy will put you close to the limit.
Does MAW Energy Have Sugar In It?
MAW Energy is sugar-free.
Large amounts of sugar are one of the biggest problems when it comes to most energy drinks. Not only is too much sugar bad for your health, but it can also cause you to experience a sugar crash, which is something you don’t want to happen in the middle of a boss battle.
Energy drinks like Monster Energy, Rockstar, and Full Throttle have similar caffeine levels to MAW Energy but contain astonishing amounts of sugar, much more than the recommended sugar intake.
The AHA recommends a sugar intake limit of 36 grams for men and 24 grams for women, and consuming more than that might cause you some side effects, especially in the long run:
- Hunger
- Bloating
- Difficulty concentrating
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Cognitive Problems
- Colon Cancer
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Kidney Disease
- Liver Disease
- Obesity
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Retina Damage
- Muscle and Nerve Damage
Many of us get more than enough sugar from our diets alone, so adding a sugary energy drink isn’t a good idea. Thankfully MAW Energy is sugar-free, so you don’t have to worry about everything.
If you want a diet-friendly energy drink like MAW, you can also check my article about The Best Sugar-Free Energy Drinks.
Artificial Sweeteners In MAW Energy
MAW Energy contains Sucralose instead of sugar, making it great for diabetic people and people on a diet.
Sucralose is a zero-calorie sweetener that is several hundred times sweeter than sugar, and it is certified to be safe for consumption by the FDA.
It’s usually an alternative for sugar in many items, including:
- packaged foods
- ready-made meals
- desserts
- chewing gum
- toothpaste
- drinks
- cakes
Even though it’s considered safe for general consumption by health authorities, you should be mindful of any potential risks if consumed excessively.
How Many Calories Does MAW Energy Have In It?
MAW Energy contains only 5 calories per serving.
On average, men need around 2500 calories, and women need 2000 calories in a day, but this may vary depending on your height, age, level of activity, etc.
If you consume more calories than what you use, the extras get stored as fats, causing weight gain. And if you spend a lot of time sitting down, like when you’re gaming, then it’s better to have an energy drink that doesn’t add many calories to your diet.
That is where MAW Energy comes in. It contains only merely 0.2% of your required calories and is great for fit lifestyles.
Is MAW Energy Gluten-free?
Finally, we’ve come to the question at hand: Is MAW Energy gluten-free?
To answer this, I’ve prepared a chart of the ingredients in the energy drink mix, along with a yes/no answer as to whether it is gluten-free or not.
Here it is:
| Ingredients | Is it gluten-free? |
| Natural caffeine | Yes |
| Sucralose | Yes* |
| L-Tyrosine | Yes |
| L-Theanine | Yes |
| Astaxanthin | Yes |
| Lycium Berry | Yes |
| Citric acid | Yes |
| Malic acid | Yes |
| Fruit and Vegetable juice (s) | Yes |
| Silica (Used in the Mythic Melon flavor) | Yes |
| FD&C Red #40 (a color used in the Mythic Melon flavor) | Yes |
| FD&C Blue #1 (a color used in the Blue Buzz flavor) | Yes |
| FD&C Yellow #5 | Yes |
| Natural and Artificial flavors | Yes** |
Sucralose is considered gluten-free, but artificial sweeteners aren’t tested for cross-contamination. Also, some components found in artificial sweeteners can worsen already existing digestive problems, so it is best for people with Celiac disease to consult a physician in this case.
Artificial sweeteners are chemically made, so they are gluten-free. As for natural flavors, most of them are gluten-free, but some of them might not be. However, in the case of the latter, wheat, barley, or rye is listed among the product’s ingredients under consideration.
Nothing in MAW Energy shows any signs of having gluten in it, so it can definitely be considered gluten-free.
There is one thing that concerns me. The manufacturers of MAW Energy haven’t officially stated that their product is gluten-free, nor have they said that their production facilities are free of cross contaminants.
Therefore, I suggest that people with severe gluten sensitivity consult their physician before using MAW Energy. Another thing you could do is you could try drinking a minimal amount of it first to see if your body reacts negatively towards it.
Well, it could very well be that I’m over-analyzing this entire matter. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Anyways, people who follow gluten-free diets, not because of a medical condition but rather as a lifestyle choice, can indeed drink MAW Energy without any worries.
Flavors of MAW Energy
MAW Energy comes in four flavors, and they are:
- MAW Energy RIP Harambe (Said to be a mix of Mango, Guava, Tangerine, and Strawberry flavors)
- MAW Energy Blue Buzz (Blue Raspberry flavored)
- MAW Energy Mythic Melon (Watermelon flavored)
- MAW Energy Jungle Berry (Fruit punch flavored)
- MAW Energy Green Growl (Cherry lemonade esque flavor)
A great thing about MAW Energy, or powdered energy drinks in general, is that you can adjust the intensity of the taste to your liking, making it as concentrated or as dilute as you would prefer.
Another great thing is that MAW Energy also separately sells a Sour Powder, which you can add to MAW Energy to make it sour if you like that kind of taste. What’s more, the powder only comes at a fraction of the price of the already affordable tub of MAW Energy.
Where to buy MAW Energy?
You can get a tub of MAW Energy that makes 60 servings for only 34.95$ from their official website.
That is seriously affordable! The company even claims that one of their tubs is worth 150$ worth of Red Bull cans, and it seems that isn’t just a claim, but the truth. I even did the math.
Also, if you go to their website, you can get one tub for free, and you’ll only have to pay for shipping. Plus, if you get a monthly subscription, you get great discounts!
MAW Energy Alternatives
Here are some energy drinks that are similar to MAW Energy and can be used as alternatives to it:
Final Thoughts
MAW Energy is a good-tasting, sugar-free, and diet-friendly energy drink that is also very affordable. It doesn’t have anything extra but gets the job done regardless.
What’s more, it doesn’t have anything that contains gluten, so it is gluten-free. But, since it hasn’t been confirmed that MAW Energy is free of cross-contamination, it is best to take its gluten-free status with a grain of salt.
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