Types of energy drinks

Energy drinks have come a long way since the first few hit the mainstream. Have you looked at the wide variety of energy drinks available lately? The vast array is eye-popping.

Part of the reason why there are so many different options is because energy drinks are a popular alternative to coffee or tea for those seeking a pick-me-up. They typically feature caffeine along with B vitamins to provide an energy boost.

But another reason there are so many types of energy drinks on the market is because many are offering more than a simple energy support. They have become functional energy drinks, beverages that are formulated to support energy as well as other benefits.

Potential benefits of energy drinks

The range of energy drink benefits offered includes hydration energy drinks, energy drinks with vitamins, energy drinks to fuel metabolism, energy drinks for mental alertness and energy drinks to support your workout, among many other features and combinations. Let’s look at some of the energy drink benefits available.

Energy drinks for mental alertness

Getting rid of the mental fog that many people experience when they first wake up or in those post-lunch hours when your eyes can’t seem to stay open is why coffee and tea and the caffeine they contain are regular parts of many people’s daily routines. Caffeine’s ability to increase alertness, mental sharpness and focus has been well documented.

Energy drinks can also be a source of caffeine – some more than others – especially when they say they support mental alertness. Just make sure to read the labels so you know how much caffeine you’re actually consuming.

Energy drinks for exercise support

Caffeine is also what many companies turn to when they are formulating an energy drink to support people’s workouts. Research has continually shown that caffeine in certain doses can enhance exercise performance, including prolonged aerobic workouts, shorter workouts and high intensity training.

Energy drinks with EGCG to support metabolism

What is EGCG? EGCG is short for epigallocatechin-3-gallate and it’s a major plant compound found in green tea. It’s also been shown to have a positive effect on people’s metabolism.

That’s why many energy drinks that target fueling metabolism in addition to boosting energy contain EGCG. Studies have shown that consuming 100mg of EGCG daily has been shown to support metabolism and help improve calorie expenditure. XS™ Energy + Burn contains green tea extract with 50mg of EGCG per can in addition to 114mg of caffeine and a mega-dose of B vitamins to support natural energy production.

Energy drinks with real juice

Some energy drinks can be made with a significant amount of real juice and vitamins as an additional energy drink benefit. The formula for XS Sparkling Juiced Energy Drink includes 25% real fruit juice and 280% of your daily vitamin C intake in addition to the energy-boosting ingredients.

Hydration and energy drinks

As we said, caffeine is a popular ingredient in energy drinks, but caffeine can affect your hydration levels. It’s important to keep that in mind if an energy drink also advertises that it supports hydration.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that average, healthy adults have no more than 400mg of caffeine each day. And experts suggest that men should drink 125 oz. or 3.7 liters of water each day, while women should drink 92 oz or 2.7 liters to replace fluids normally lost throughout the day – more if you’re exercising.

Which energy drink is for you?

Chances are there’s a functional energy drink offering whatever extra benefit you’re looking for. Regardless of what the drink aims to do, it’s important to look at the ingredients list closely. They may have the active ingredients you want, but they may also have large amounts of added sugars, carbs, calories or artificial flavors and colors.

Make sure you’re looking at the whole picture before you decide. XS Energy Drinks contain only natural flavors and use natural ingredients for coloring. They are also sugar-free, have only 15 calories and 1g of carbs or less, depending on the flavor.

Learn more about XS Energy Drinks and other XS product offerings here.