Spike Hardcore falls in the category where energy drinks come with a high dose of caffeine and other stimulants. However, it doesn’t have a long list of ingredients and chemicals that might affect your health adversely.
The zero sugar and zero carb content of the drink is also what makes it the perfect choice for athletes and eSports enthusiasts having sugar sensitivity. In case you have low caffeine tolerance, I’d recommend consuming only half of the can in a day.
This article intends to give you an in-depth review of caffeine and other ingredients of Spike Hardcore. Also, I’ll let you know how many cans of Spike Hardcore you should consume in a day.
Let’s dive into it…
Contents
Ingredients
Following are the ingredients in Spike Hardcore;
- Carbonated water
- Citric acid
- N-acetyl-L-Tyrosine
- Beta-Alanine (800 mg)
- Sodium citrate
- Natural flavors
- Caffeine (350 mg)
- Sucralose
- Sodium benzoate
- Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12)
As you can see, it’s not loaded with chemicals and additives. If you prefer natural flavors over artificial ones, it is definitely worth considering.
Nutritional Facts
| Ingredients | Amount Per Serving (16 fl.oz) | Daily Value |
| Calories | 10 | |
| Total fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Sodium | 150 mg | 7% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0 g | 0% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1000 mcg | 41670% |
This low-calorie drink won’t add much to your daily calorie intake. Zero carbs and sugar also make it an ideal choice for many.
Caffeine Levels of Spike Hardcore
Each 16 fl. oz can of Spike Hardcore comes along with 350 mg of caffeine. For those with low caffeine tolerance, this amount of caffeine might cause negative symptoms. Therefore, you should keep your intake to half of the can in a day just to be on the safe side.
If you’re used to taking high caffeine doses, it’s not a good idea to finish the energy drink in a few gulps. You should rather finish it in two to three sittings.
As per FDA recommendations, you need to keep your daily caffeine intake below 400 mg.
With too much caffeine in a day, you might face the following symptoms;
- Headache
- Dependence
- Anxiety
- Sleeplessness
- Dehydration
- Foggy brain
When taking 350 mg of caffeine present in Spike Hardcore, you should consume more water to not face dehydration.
Is Spike Hardcore Energy Drink Sugar-Free?
Spike Hardcore energy drink doesn’t contain any added sugar or carbs. You probably have seen sugar-free energy drinks loaded with a higher amount of carbs. But that’s not the case with this energy drink.
If you’ve diabetes or sugar sensitivity, it might be worth considering Spike Hardcore. Let me tell you that health authorities recommend keeping daily sugar intake to 36 grams (men) and 24 grams (women). If you exceed this limit, you might end up having these health problems;
- High sugar level
- Acne
- Cravings for more sugary items
- Weight gain
Interestingly, you will not face any of these issues with Spike Hardcore.
Artificial Sweetener
Honestly, no one likes to add unsweetened energy drinks to their daily diet. Therefore, energy brands add artificial sweeteners such as sucralose to make their beverages taste sweet and less bitter.
Like other energy beverages, Spike Hardcore also contains a calorie-free artificial sweetener; sucralose. Since sucralose is FDA approved, it’ll be less harmful than the added sugar. Because these sweeteners are six hundred times sweeter than sugar, Spike energy drink may seem sweeter to you.
If you want to know whether or not this artificial sweetener is safe and healthy, you should watch this video.
Beta-Alanine in Spike Hardcore Energy Drink
Spike Hardcore contains a high dose of Beta-Alanine of 800 mg. With its antioxidant properties, beta-alanine is an amino acid that boosts sports performance.
Here’s what beta-alanine is possibly effective for;
- Reduce muscle fatigue
- Increase reaction time
- Enhance immune function
- Increase carnosine levels
Considering the safe dose of beta-alanine, which is 2 to 5 grams, the amount present in Spike is safe. But you should never go beyond this dose otherwise, you may face tingling in some areas of your body known as paresthesia.
If you encounter any such issue after consuming Spike Hardcore and you feel uncomfortable with it, I’d recommend discontinuing using it but if you can put up with this little discomfort then the benefits you get with beta-alanine are definitely worth it.
Sodium Levels of Spike Hardcore
There are 150 milligrams of sodium which is an electrolyte and a mineral. The functions this electrolyte performs include;
- Relaxes your muscles
- Balance fluids in your body
- Good for low blood pressure
As per Harvard, you need 500 mg of sodium for these functions. As you know that athletes sweat and lose electrolytes after gym sessions and this is the prime reason they need to take an adequate dose of sodium and other electrolytes. However, you shouldn’t go beyond 2300 mg of sodium from all sources.
Amino Acid: N-acetyl L-Tyrosine
Another amino acid in Spike Hardcore is L-Tyrosine. Let me tell you that there’s an unknown amount of this amino acid in this beverage. The safe dosage of Tyrosine is anywhere between 200-300 mg per kg.
Following are the benefits of this amino acid;
- Enhanced focus
- Improved mental performance
- Alertness
- Elevated mood
- Helps in depression
It has been shown to improve mental performance when taken in stressful situations. It’s not recommended to take it while you’re on some medication as it might interact with it.
Vitamin B12 in Spike Hardcore
In most energy drinks, there are two to five B vitamins. But with Spike Hardcore, you get only vitamin B12 in a high dose of 1000 mcg. If you look at the recommended dose (2.4 mcg) of this vitamin, you may find 1000 mcg excessively high.
But it’s worth noting that there’s no UL (upper limit) determined for this vitamin, which shows that it doesn’t cause any adverse effects.
The benefits of Vitamin B12 include;
- An energy boost
- Reduced anxiety
- Better mood
Taking 1000 milligrams of vitamin B12 might not cause any adverse effects on those who are deficient in this vitamin.
How Many Spike Hardcore You Should Drink In A Day?
Keeping the high dose of beta-alanine, vitamin B12, and caffeine in view, sticking to one serving of Spike Hardcore might be an ideal choice. Additionally, the label clearly states to restrict your intake to two servings in a day.
In my perspective, 350 mg in one serving is already more than what most individuals can tolerate. Taking two servings would mean pouring 700 milligrams into your system, which is not safe as per FDA recommendations.
Furthermore, taking an excessive dose of beta-alanine can cause a sensation in your body that may stay for a few minutes. For all these reasons, I’d advise not to go beyond one serving a day.
Is Spike Hardcore Bad For You?
Spike Hardcore isn’t a bad choice as long as you’re not going overboard with it. There are no artificial flavors or unnecessary ingredients.
The label advertises that you shouldn’t have this drink with caffeine or other stimulants. The reason might be its excessive caffeine amount.
If you’re an avid energy beverage drinker, you might have built a high tolerance to caffeine. In any case, drinking a whole serving in one sitting may cause crashes and jitters.
If you feel anxiety, sleeplessness, headache, or tingling, you should stop consuming it. Let me tell you that there are energy drinks on the market with different levels of caffeine. So, it’d be better to choose the one that may suit you.
Can You Take Spike Hardcore as a Pre-workout?
The ingredients in Spike Hardcore make it an excellent pre-workout beverage. Caffeine and other stimulants provide you with energy and endurance.
Beta-alanine increases your reaction time and improves your immune function. If working out makes you sweat, there’s an adequate dose of sodium to balance the fluids in your body.
It’s worth noting that this energy drink not only helps with physical activities but also improves your mood and reduces fatigue. So, if you’re looking for an eSports companion, you may not find a better option.
Flavors
As for the flavors of Spike Hardcore, you won’t see a variety like other renowned energy brands. Currently, the brand has three flavors to offer;
- Original
- Blue Raz
- Strawberry lemonade
The best thing about these drinks is they don’t taste like chemicals. Also, they’re lightly carbonated with no bitter taste. You may find these beverages a bit pricey, however, the taste justifies the price.
Conclusion
The caffeine content of this sugar-free drink makes it a perfect go-to drink for avid caffeine consumers. The effects will kick in after 15 minutes and might last for 3 to 5 hours.
But I wouldn’t recommend this drink to those with low caffeine tolerance due to high doses of stimulants. And in order to avoid crashes, it is advised to take this drink in two settings instead of one.
Since there’s no artificial flavor in the energy drink, it won’t taste like chemicals. I enjoyed the natural flavored taste of Spike Hardcore. I’d recommend giving a try to three unique flavors to see how they work for you.