Do Sugar-Free Energy Drink Powders Cause Weight Gain?(Real answers)
You all must be aware of energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar, etc because these are the top-selling energy drink brands.
However, some energy beverages are present in powdered form which can be kept safe without the fear of spilling anywhere. Moreover, the best benefit of powder form energy drinks is that they are way cheaper than liquid ones.
The reason is that the shipment of liquid products is higher than the non-liquid products. Well, whether the product is liquid or not, the main question that people are conscious about is if energy drinks can make you fat.
The quick and short answer to your query is “no”. Energy drinks do not really cause weight gain. However, the most important thing is to choose the right kind of energy drink and drink it in moderation.
Still confused? Do not worry! Let’s discuss all the reasons related to why or why not energy drinks make you fat.
Let’s dive deeper and unveil all the truths!
Contents
What are Energy Drink Powders?
As the name predicts, energy drink powders are simply the non-liquid or powdered form of energy drinks.
These types of drinks require a small amount of effort which is simply mixing the drink with water, and there you go.
An additional benefit of energy drinks present in powder is that they are cheaper than liquid energy drinks. So if you are someone who wants to save his/her money, then get your hands over powdered drinks.
What are the main Ingredients of energy drink powders?
Almost all powder energy drinks contain the same ingredients. However, there are drinks that are not only safe but comparatively healthier than other energy drinks due to the ingredients they have.
Following are the common or main ingredients of energy drinks:
Caffeine
Caffeine, a psychotic drug, is consumed the most in the world.
It is proven to improve mental alertness and energy without any doubt. A low intake of 50-70 mg of caffeine can have positive effects on a person.
However, a few people need more caffeine to feel the effects, such people can consume caffeine up to 400 mg, which is a safe dosage according to FDA.
This is the reason that energy drinks contain caffeine. This is the key ingredient of many energy powders or beverages.
Vitamins
Many vitamins such as vitamin B Complex can work towards improving physical and mental health. Vitamins are vital micronutrients that our body requires in low amounts.
There are vitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E that are also antioxidants and they eliminate the traces of oxidative stress. This oxidative stress is usually responsible for severe health issues like memory loss, fatigue, stress, etc.
So vitamins are a part of energy drinks due to their obvious benefits.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic substances that occur naturally and are present inside our bodies as well. The roles of minerals are of extreme importance.
Minerals such as Sodium, Chloride, Calcium, and Potassium hold great importance to run many functions of the human body.
These are the most essential electrolytes and their deficiency can lead to serious health issues.
The volume of body fluid and blood is regulated by the presence of these minerals.
In the case of performing high-intensity workouts or activities, you lose a lot of salts and fluids of the body. In such cases, compensation of lost minerals is necessary; energy drinks come in handy in such situations. Even our brain needs minerals to work properly.
Sugar Inside Energy Powder Drinks
Sugar should be consumed within the range of 24-36 g.
Typical energy drinks usually contain sugar. As it is a carbohydrate, it provides energy as well. However, the side effects of sugar outweigh the benefits.
Side Effects of Sugar
Sucrose or table sugar is a non-nutritive sweetener. Which has a lot of side effects and it harms different organs of the body such as the Liver, heart, skin, brain, etc.
Sugar can cause diabetes type 2. It increases the risk of other diseases too.
It can make an individual look old as the person who consumes too much sugar loses skin elasticity.
Consumption of sugar in high amounts can lead to mental issues like dementia.
Does Sugar Make You Gain Weight?
Yes. Eating sugar (Sucrose) more than it is recommended can make you obese. First of all, it provides you with mere empty calories; this means that they do not contain any nutrients.
These additional and unnecessary calories are not really beneficial for the human body at all. Glucose is the only necessary sugar that our body needs.
Sucrose raises blood sugar levels as a result pancreas starts producing higher levels of insulin. In case of high consumption of sugar, insulin is produced more rapidly due to which blood sugar drops down quickly. As blood sugar drops, an individual starts craving sugary items again. When this cycle keeps taking place, a person becomes obese.
Caffeine Inside Energy Drink Powder
The safe content of caffeine is 400 mg.
Caffeine is present inside energy drinks to provide you the activeness (be it physical or mental) that you want. As we have discussed above.
However, the side effects of caffeine are discussed below:
Side Effects of Caffeine
Following are the most common negative effects of consumption of caffeine:
Does Caffeine in Energy Drinks Cause Weight Gain?
Caffeine is not directly linked with weight gain, even it suppresses appetite. However, caffeine is linked with insomnia or lack of sleep.
Insomnia can lead to weight gain because when you do not sleep enough, a hormone named leptin is not produced enough. Instead of Leptin, ghrelin produces more. Leptin is responsible for decreasing your appetite or balancing it. However, ghrelin does the opposite, it increases your appetite. As a result of this, you eat more and gain weight.
Caffeine directly does not increase weight, even it is linked with the calorie-burning process of the body.
The two things seem to contradict and you are not able to decide whether to stop caffeine intake or not?
Do not worry, let me make it simpler for you. It is better to drink caffeine in the morning either on empty stomach or along with your breakfast instead of drinking at night before sleeping.
If you wonder which energy drinks contain the most caffeine and want to learn about these drinks in detail then you can read my discussion. This information will cover everything that you need to know.
Do Energy Drinks Increase Metabolism?
Yes, energy drinks increase metabolism. Energy drinks contain ingredients such as Taurine, Vitamins, and Caffeine. These ingredients provide energy.
Taurine regulates metabolism and so does caffeine. Both of them in turn promotes weight loss.
So energy drinks containing caffeine without the presence of sugar do not really increase weight, it increases metabolic rate and burns fat at a quicker rate.
Do 0 calorie Drinks Make You Fat?
Some people think that 0 calorie drink does not make you fat. However, according to a study, it is not true.
When you drink too many Sweet beverages, even when they are almost 0 calories, your brain still produces insulin to the taste of high sweetness the artificial sweeteners contain.
When insulin does not find any sugar in the bloodstream, the body gets confused and the metabolic processes are disrupted. This results in obesity or larger waist and belly fat.
Do Energy Drinks Make You Fat?
Anything in excess is bad, even your regular energy drinks. However, when you take these stuff at a moderate limit, then they can be good for you and serve the right purpose for you.
Energy drinks contain artificial sweeteners and these artificial sweeteners can sometimes confuse your brain to produce insulin and interrupt the metabolic processes and lead you to gain weight.
So make sure to drink your energy drinks within the recommended percentage or amount.
If you consume energy drinks in moderate amounts, then they do not make you fat at all. Even the caffeine presence can increase your metabolic rate.
Are Sugar-free Energy Drinks Bad For You?
Sugar-free or Unsweetened energy drink is not bad for an individual. However, if one thinks that by replacing sugar beverages with sugar-free beverages, they can consume as many drinks as they want, then that is not really the case.
Zero sugar drinks can sometimes be harmful as they confuse the brain in producing insulin due to artificial sweeteners’ presence and this can lead to weight gain.
However, sugar-free energy drinks and diabetes do not have a link. Sugar-free drinks do not contribute to increased blood sugar levels.
Do energy drinks make you lose your appetite?
Yes. Energy drinks contain caffeine, it is a natural hunger suppressor. So if you take energy drinks in moderation, it can work really well for you.
A Few Low Calorie Energy Drinks
Some of the low-calorie energy drink powders are mentioned below:
- Rogue Energy
- GLYTCH Energy
- Celsius On-The-Go
- Sneak Energy
- Advocare Spark Energy
- Ghost Gamer
- Razorwire
Bottomline
Energy drinks are a good source of energy and activeness.
Many energy drinks offer 0 calories and zero sugar content. However, there are energy drinks that contain sugar and can make a person obese.
Not only sugar-containing drinks, but sugar-free drinks also cause weight gain by the production of insulin from the pancreas and interrupting natural metabolic pathways. As a result, a person can gain weight and have prominent belly fat.
Other ingredients of energy drinks do not cause weight gain. Therefore even energy drinks should be consumed within a limit, too much of them can be harmful.
