Q&A

Energy Drink Powders: Can It Make You Go To The Bathroom? (Explained in Detail)

Energy drinks may help you get out of bed and move, but have you ever wondered how often they made you go to the bathroom?

Caffeine caused 29 percent of subjects in a small 1990 trial to have a bowel movement. However, no one knows precisely what it is about caffeine that causes it to have a laxative effect.

In recent years, powdered energy drinks have become increasingly popular. Powdered energy drinks, like ready-to-drink energy drinks, help you keep hydrated and maintain your energy levels throughout the day by replenishing depleted critical electrolytes in your body.

Caffeine affects bowel movement, but it is more pronounced in persons with a low tolerance. Caffeine has been demonstrated to stimulate the muscles in the colon and intestines, making persons who are caffeine sensitive feel compelled to excrete.

Sugars encourage the intestines to release water and electrolytes, which lighten bowel movements, so try sugar-free energy drink powders. You may encounter diarrhea if you consume a lot of sweets.

Energy powder drinks like Glitch and MAW don’t usually make you defecate, but if you have a sensitive stomach, you may need to use the restroom frequently. If you’re keen on caffeine or other components in energy drinks, read the label carefully and pay attention to how your body reacts.

Continue reading to learn more about how coffee and sugar affect our bodies, including how they cause you to go to the bathroom more frequently and other health issues.

What Is Diarrhea?

Your bowel motions (or stools) are loose and watery when you have diarrhea.

Diarrhea is caused by a virus that enters your gut. It’s also known as “intestinal flu” or “stomach flu.” Diarrhea might cause dehydration, which is a severe side effect.

Bloating in the stomach, cramps, thin or loose stools, nausea, watery feces, and an urgent desire to go to the bathroom are all symptoms of diarrhea.

Other causes of diarrhea are:

  1. Allergies to certain food items
  2. Alcohol Abuse
  3. Diabetes
  4. Medications
  5. Infections
  6. Thyroid
  7. Radiation Therapy
  8. Cancers

In most cases, diarrhea is self-limiting and resolves without treatment. You may risk problems if your diarrhea does not improve and resolve entirely (dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, kidney failure, and organ damage).

You won’t need medical help for most mild diarrhea cases. These conditions are self-limited (they only last a certain period) and improve on their own without medical intervention.

Supportive therapy — staying hydrated and eating a bland diet – is the key to moderate diarrhea.

Information related to diarrhea

What Causes You To Excrete Often?

Stress
Stress is a common cause of frequent excreting

The way one’s bowels move differs from one person to the next. Pooping might occur numerous times per week or multiple times per day.

Stress, a change in food or activity, or an underlying ailment can cause a rapid shift in bowel movement frequency. Pooping substantially more than usual regularly could indicate an underlying medical condition that requires care.

The following are some of the factors that contribute to this issue:

  1. Dietary Changes
  2. Alcohol Consumption
  3. Exercise
  4. Stress
  5. Diarrhea
  6. Menstruation
  7. Irritable Bowel Syndrome 
  8. Food Intolerance

The underlying cause of more frequent defecation determines the treatment. A doctor will need to treat an underlying medical disease to ease symptoms.

To manage this, you can take over-the-counter (OTC) anti-diarrheal drugs, sports drinks, or rehydration solutions to help prevent dehydration, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sweets, and avoid fatty, spicy, or dairy foods.

If you feel your diet is causing you to poop more frequently, you should keep a food diary. This can assist you in identifying foods that may have an impact on their bowel movements.

Ingredients In An Energy Drink

The main ingredients of energy powdered drinks are caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, B vitamins, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo Biloba, l-carnitine, carbs, antioxidants, and trace minerals.

To assist neutralise the bitter taste of caffeine, sweeteners are added to energy powder drinks. There are energy drinks with and without sugar and calories.

Green Tea ExtractWeight loss, blood sugar regulation, disease prevention, and workout recovery can all be aided. It can also help maintain healthy skin and liver and reduce fat blood levels, blood pressure regulation, and brain health.
Citric AcidIt’s an antioxidant that’s found in nature. It’s a culinary flavoring, preservative, cosmetic ingredient, and cleaning product component.
B-VitaminsThey aid in converting food into energy (metabolism), the formation of new blood cells, and maintaining healthy skin, brain, and other bodily structures.
Guarana ExtractGuarana is said to increase both physical and mental performance.
Ginseng ExtractPanax ginseng treats memory and cognitive problems, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and other ailments.
SucraloseIt’s a calorie-free sweetener that can reduce added sugar intake while still allowing you to enjoy the taste of something sweet.
Ingredients in the energy drink powder and its uses

Citrus fruits, processed meals, pharmaceuticals, and even cleaning products contain citric acid. Because commercially produced citric acid comes from Aspergillus niger, a recognized allergy, its safety is questioned. It’s regarded as a safe food preservative with potential health advantages.

According to Cleveland Clinic, citric acid can be used orally to balance urine pH, prevent kidney stones, and treat symptoms connected to kidney disorders. In contrast, its use in pharmaceuticals has been linked to diarrhea.

Ginseng in Energy Drink Powder: Does It Make You Go to the Bathroom?

In general, ginseng is generally tolerated. However, it can cause adverse effects in some persons.

Nervousness, insomnia, blood pressure fluctuations, breast pain, vaginal bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, and mania are among the side effects of Asian and American ginseng.

The amino acid in energy powder drinks: Does It makes you go to the bathroom?

The safety of taurine in energy drinks was investigated in a study published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

Even though the taurine levels in these energy drinks were too low to have many therapeutic effects, some individuals complained of moderate diarrhea and constipation.

Sucralose and other artificial sweeteners cause laxative effects in some snackers, such as bloating, diarrhea, and gas.

This could be because specific components of sucralose are metabolized by microorganisms in our stomach, resulting in a delightful byproduct: nitrogen gas.

Does Caffeine Make You Go To The Bathroom?

An image of Coffee Beans.
Coffee Beans are a significant source of caffeine

The answer is yes, if you are not addicted to caffeine, it might make you go to the bathroom often.

The majority of people believe that caffeine is to blame for their bowel motions being irregular. Decaffeinated drinks can also promote bowel movements, even though caffeine has been demonstrated to cause an early need to defecate and is a known stimulant.

Caffeine is one of the most essential chemicals in energy drinks and is responsible for increasing alertness, physical performance, and cognition.

However, the amount of caffeine you get from energy drinks will be determined by your caffeine metabolism and your sensitivity to caffeine.

For healthy adults, the FDA recommends a daily consumption limit of 400mg.

Caffeine promotes the production of the hormones gastrin and cholecystokinin when you drink an energy drink with caffeine. The gastrocolic reflex is triggered by both cholecystokinin and gastrin, and it facilitates your body to have a bowel movement.

This is common among those who are caffeine intolerant or don’t consume it regularly.

Sugar And Irregular Bowel Syndrome

An image of cakes: A food with high sugar content.
Nothing as tasty as sweets

Yes, sugar can cause irregular bowel syndrome as well as diarrhea.

Sugars are also a common element in energy drink powders. Sugars cause the colon to secrete water and electrolytes, therefore causing bowel motions to loosen. You may experience diarrhea if you drink it excessively.

Fructose, which is naturally found in fruits (such as peaches, pears, and apples) or added to foods and drinks (such as applesauce, soda, and juice beverages), is one of the worst offenders.

Diarrhea is common in one who consumes more than 40 to 80 grams of fructose each day. Artificial sweeteners like sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are some other culprits (found in sugar-free gum, candy, and medications).

Most adult women should consume no more than 100 calories per day (about six teaspoons or 25 grams of sugar), whereas most males should consume no more than 150 calories per day (about nine teaspoons or 38 grams of sugar).

Energy Drink Powders: Does It Makes You Go To The Bathroom?

Yes, energy powder drinks can make you go to the bathroom, if they are consumed excessively,

It’s also because they’re high in caffeine and water. Caffeine gives the body energy while also stimulating bowel movements. Caffeine will make you poop if ingested in excess.

Furthermore, because water softens stools, it makes pooping simpler. If energy drinks cause you to defecate a lot, you might want to cut back on your intake.

Caffeine is a diuretic, and its high concentration in energy drinks can cause dehydration. Dehydration can cause constipation, so drink water instead of energy drinks to encourage bowel movements.

Famous Energy Powder Drinks

Sneak Energy

An image of Sneak energy powder.
A modest dose of caffeine can be obtained from Sneak Energy

One of the most popular energy drinks among gamers is Sneak. It comes in the shape of a powdered sachet that can boost your mental performance while also providing you with plenty of energy.

The caffeine content of the Sneak Energy drink is 150mg, a modest amount for a powdered energy drink. This amount of caffeine will help you perform at your best for the duration of your gaming session.

It has a sugar content of 0.5g or less. This is a minimal amount, and I would consider it sugar-free already.

Sucralose and acesulfame potassium are both calorie-free sweeteners, so if you’re on a diet, you won’t have to worry about cutting back on your energy drinks.

Each serving of Sneak Energy drink contains 12 calories. This is a relatively low-calorie intake, so you’ll be less likely to gain weight.

Razorwire Energy

An image of Rrazorwire energy powder.
Razorwire is an energy powder contributing mainly to the gamer’s needs

Razorwire is an energy drink created in the United Kingdom for the gaming community.

Razorwire contains 150 mg of caffeine, taurine, guarana, and other minerals, which provide immediate energy, improve concentration, and speed up response time for lengthy periods of gaming or other activities.

B-vitamins are also present, which are required to convert nutrients from food into energy.

It also has a good amount of protein, which not all energy drinks offer. Although, I believe the fiber content is low, not all energy drinks have fiber.

Furthermore, it includes no fat, no sugar, and only a tiny quantity of salt.

Conclusion

  • Energy powder drinks can upset your stomach’s balance for various reasons, not the least of which is their caffeine level.
  • They usually include a lot of vitamins and minerals that, if not consumed at the proper levels, might induce stomach trouble. To compensate, I recommend consuming energy powder drinks within your boundaries.
  • Excessive sugar consumption might cause diarrhea, requiring frequent bathroom visits.
  • If you don’t think you’re up to it, don’t drink the entire can; instead, enjoy it on your terms.

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