Best Energy Drink Powders (Top Ranked)
Powdered energy drinks are quite similar to ready-to-drink energy drinks. The minor change in them is that these drinks come in powder form, so you can choose if you like the taste sweeter or stronger.
These drinks are very convenient to carry around and can be mixed with almost every other favorite drink of yours to enhance the flavor.
All you have to do is add these powders to water, juice, or drink of any kind and voila, you have a good energy drink in your hand. Besides this, the rest of the ingredients are the same in these drinks.
The best energy drink powders that I recommend to you are Advocare Spark, Zipfizz Energy, Celsius On-the-Go, G-Fuel, and Ghost Gamer.
Let’s dive into more detail on what are the ingredients in powdered drinks, if they are safe and how do they work.
Contents
Powder vs Liquid
There are a few differences between powdered and liquid energy drinks, the most significant being the fact the powdered ones are cheaper than the ready to drink ones. This is because of the less volume of water in them.
The liquid is slightly more expensive due to the cost of shipping as it has more volume and weight.
Another difference between powder and liquid is that the powder might cause some inconvenience in the instance you have no access to water or you’re in the middle of your workout session.
In terms of inconvenience, the powder is more convenient to carry than the liquid, as you might fear it leaking in your backpack or if you’re on a hike and wouldn’t want to carry some more weight, the powdered energy drinks come in handy.
So, there’s an argument for ready-to-drink energy drinks being more convenient and there’s also an argument on powdered energy drinks being more convenient, both of the options are helpful in certain situations.
The bottom line is it’s your call. You can weigh in which benefit you want, and which disadvantage you’re willing to take on.
Do energy drink powders work?
Yes! Powdered energy drinks work as fine as other canned energy drinks, and sometimes even better when you can measure the dosage that your body requires to fuel up.
The core ingredient that the powder and liquids drink contains are caffeine and sugar. Caffeine can not only keep you awake but can also improve your working memory and reaction time.
Sugar is often included but has recently been replaced by sweeteners which are preferable alternatives as they do not induce health risks such as diabetes and high blood sugar often involved with excess sugar consumption.
With these two, energy drinks give you the boost you need while also caring for your body’s overall benefit.
Why should you choose powdered energy drinks?
Seeing it from a health perspective, powdered energy drinks are better as you can customize your serving according to your preferences and not like canned energy drinks fueled up with sugar.
Most powdered energy drinks often don’t contain sugar which means they are relatively sugar-free and are not excessively carbonated, which can be good if you’re avoiding sugar crashes.
Moreover, powdered energy drinks are more affordable, as they take up less space but give a good amount of serving once dissolved in preferable liquid.
These powdered sachets are also easier to carry around. If you’re on a hike and want to avoid extra weight, or you prefer to be subtle, these sachets might be the best for you.
However, you should know that every brand has its own customized packaging for these powdered energy drinks. They can come in big tubs only, which are difficult to carry, while most have sachet alternatives.
As some brands also offer single-serving sachets only or ones that come in tubes, which you can rip open and use one or two at a time depending upon your preference.
Are powdered energy drinks bad for your health?
No, they’re not.
Powdered energy drinks are no different than ready-to-drink energy drinks. The main difference between powdered energy drinks and regular drinks is that you mix water with the powdered ones while regular ones are already mixed.
In most cases, the ingredients between these two are the same, which makes the powder ones neither healthy nor unhealthy.
The sole purpose of energy drinks is to provide you with a mechanism boost so your performance can improve both mentally and physically.
These are often formulated with a single daily serving in mind, all of which its ingredients follow a daily limit. You should go through the nutritional label before you choose your drink just to be wary of what you’re consuming.
Like any other drink, powdered energy drinks also contain caffeine and sugar, and overdosing on these ingredients can cause you serious health hazards.
Therefore the goodness of the drink is still reliant on your ability to consume it within limitations.
High Blood Pressure
Too many energy drinks can cause a spike in blood sugar levels, be it children or adults. Both sugar and caffeine increase blood sugar levels. When the blood sugar is constantly high, It increases their chance of having a heart attack.
Headaches
It is common to have headaches if you have consumed a lot of drinks. It can occur due to caffeine withdrawal effects or sugar crashes. These energy drinks can leave you feeling drained and exhausted if consumed over the limits, hence moderation is the key.
Weight Gain
Most energy drinks market themselves as the best sports drink during workout sessions. The irony is that consuming too many energy drinks can lead to weight gain.
Here’s an example, When you’re working out you’re burning calories and so drinking energy drinks won’t increase your weight. But if you’re on your couch binge-watching Game of Thrones, consuming energy drinks will lead to weight gain.
In my opinion, what you can do is opt for drinks that are sugar-free to avoid excessive weight gain and sugar crashes.
If your mind is still not around if energy drinks are bad for you or not, check out this video:
What to Look for in Powdered Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are all about providing you with a boost of energy whenever you want it. However, there are certain things that you need to take into consideration before selecting an energy drink such as:
- Caffeine content
- Sugar content
- Price
Let’s check them out one by one.
Caffeine Content
Caffeine is a core ingredient in any energy drink powder because it helps keep you awake. It’s also beneficial for cognitive function, making you a lot more alert and concentrated.
It is found in cocoa beans, coffee, and tea leaves. It works as a stimulant of the brain and central nervous system.
It works by blocking the adenosine receptors so that you don’t feel sluggish or fatigued. However, the daily limit recommended by the FDA for healthy adults is no more than 400mg of caffeine. This limit is for both males and females.
It is important to keep a tab on your daily intake of caffeine so that you might not face any potential health effects if overdosed, such as insomnia, headaches, lack of concentration.
However, you should keep in mind that caffeine effects wear off at about 5 to 6 hours and that’s when you will feel the effects of withdrawal.
Sugar Content
Sugar is found in most energy drink powders and is often acquainted with drinks like these. Similar to caffeine, if consumed excessively, it can cause serious health problems.
According to the American Health Association, the daily limit of sugar for men is 36g, for women, is 25g, and for children under 6 years is 19g. This is an important distinction that, with the growing case of diabetes, should strongly be considered.
This study shows that overconsumption of sugar can lead to heart disease and diabetes.
It is important to keep your sugar intake to this limit to avoid sugar crashes and side effects such as:
- Fatigue
- Hunger
- Cravings
- Bloating
- Jitters
Price
Pricing is quite complicated and overwhelming when it comes to energy drink powders.
When it comes down to energy drinks, you may want something worth investing in that you can continue to purchase. Powdered energy drinks are way cheaper than canned energy drinks, since most people are on a budget it’s a good option.
Although some of the powdered energy drinks can be quite expensive, most times they are inexpensive and a lifesaver in the pockets.
They usually fall within the average price of $30-$40, some going as far as $50 for more servings.
Benefits of Energy Drinks Powders
Powdered energy has quite some benefits if opted for. Check out the list below.
- It reduces mental fatigue
- Improves measures of brain functions
- The memory and reaction time is increased
- Helps in functioning when sleep-deprived
- Enhances alertness and mental performance
- Better concentration
Other benefits are that these drinks are convenient to carry around, they can be quite affordable, and give you the ability to control taste, whether you want it stronger or lighter.
Best Energy Drink Powders
Best energy drinks powders are the ones with a suitable amount of caffeine, sugar, and other nitrifying ingredients. Here are my recommendations of the best energy drinks powders that you can opt from.
| BRANDS | CAFFEINE | SUGAR | PRICE |
| Advocare Spark | 120mg | zero | $54.99 |
| Zipfizz | 100mg | zero | $37.99 |
| Celsius On-the-Go | 200mg | zero | $16.63 |
| G-Fuel | 150mg | zero | $35.99 |
| Ghost Gamer | 150mg | zero | $39.99 |
Advocare Spark
Advocare Spark is also termed as a supplement powder and claims to reduce weight. It has 120mg of caffeine per serving and is available in sachets and tubs. It is sugar-free.
But the downfall is that this drink contains 45 calories in a single serving, so if you’re someone who doesn’t really mind getting some weight on, reach out for this drink.
If you’re physically active, then this calorie count will be easily burned accompanied by its caffeine content that’ll give you the boost you need.
It comes in 10 flavors which is a limiting option than other brands.
Its single serving sachet costs around $2 and its tub of 42 servings is $54.99, that can look daunting but is a little over $1 per serving.
If you want to know more about the drink, check out this article.
Zipfizz Energy
Zipfizz is a sugar-free energy drink powder that has about 100mg of caffeine per serving. It uses Xylitol and Sucralose as artificial sweeteners.
It comes in small tubes with a fruity theme of flavors and about 14 different flavors that you can choose from. However, there is a minor hiccup. Zipfizz has about 20 calories, if you’re not conscious about gaining weight you can opt for this drink.
At the end of the day, 20 calories will be turned into fuel which will boost you into proactivity.
It comes in a pack of tubes ranging from $37.99, which is $2 per serving a little over the $1.
Here’s more about Zipfizz that might intrigue you.
Celsius On-the-Go
Celsius is the most caffeinated powdered energy drink on this list with about 200mg of caffeine per serving. It’s quite a boost if you’re extremely down and need to get your work done ASAP.
But keeping the limit given by FDA, I don’t recommend you double the intake of this drink.
Celsius has a total of 9 flavors and 10 calories but is sugar-free just like the rest of the drinks on the list. It is available in stick pouches and comes in a pack of 14 serving for $16.63, which makes single-serving a little over $1.
This article tells you more about Celsius On-the-Go.
G-Fuel Energy
G-Fuel is a great energy drink with a moderate amount of caffeine up to 150mg per serving. It is sugar-free, as well as calorie-free, and uses sucralose and acesulfame k as artificial sweeteners.
This leaves you with no sugar crashes and the perfect amount of boost for every day.
It is available in tubs and sachets, starting from $35.99 for a tub and $2 per sachet, which somewhat falls on the expensive side.
The plus point is G-fuel has about 40 different flavors that you can choose from!
If you’re eager to know more about G-fuel, look into this article.
Ghost Gamer
Ghost Gamer is another powdered drink, one that’s marketed especially to gamers. This powerful drink has 150mg of caffeine per serving.
This drink is available in sachets and tubs and you won’t be having any sugar crashes because it’s sugar-free and uses sucralose as its artificial sweetener.
At the moment it has 7 different flavors, which can be quite problematic if you’re picky. Otherwise, it’s quite the boost for this amount of caffeine.
It comes in sachets and tubs, $39.99 for tubs, and $1 for a single-serving sachet, making it the cheapest drink on this list.
Check this out for more on Ghost Gamer.
Summary
Energy drink powders are fueled up with caffeine and sugar nowadays. It is important to know which energy drink is suitable with a good amount of caffeine, sugar and works for you in pricing too.
Opting for sugar-free drinks can help you avoid sugar crashes and won’t leave you feeling fatigued if that’s what you want. However, before picking up a drink read the nutritional label so you can be wary of what you’re consuming.
The best energy drink powders are Celsius On-the-Go, Zipfizz Energy, G-Fuel Energy, Advocare Spark, and Ghost Gamer.
With this, I hope all your queries are answered and you can pick the best powders for yourself!
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