The berry is rich in antioxidants, but not as many as a concord grape or a wild blueberry. Acai BerryĪcai (pronounced ah-sah-ee) is finding its way into more and more energy drinks.Īcai berry comes from the Acai Palm tree which is found in South America. Too much creatine could possibly lead to kidney damage, but the scientific evidence of this is conflicting. CreatineĬreatine is naturally created by the body but can also be obtained by eating meat.Ĭreatine helps with supplying energy to the muscles and is usually found in energy drinks that are marketed to bodybuilders. Yerba mate has the same dangers as caffeine. Yerba Mate is becoming more popular in energy drinks, especially the ones that are marketed as “all-natural”. It is a natural source of caffeine, but some believe that the form of caffeine in Yerba Mate doesn’t produce the negative side-effects like the caffeine in coffee and guarana. Yerba Mate is derived from leaves of a shrub in the Holly family. It is placed in energy drinks because it is believed to help prevent glycogen depletion by preventing other substances from depleting glycogen supplies in the muscles.Ī complete list of Glucuronolactone side effects is found here. DGL is believed to aid in detoxification, freeing hormones and other chemicals, and the biosynthesis of vitamin C. Glucuronolactone (DGL) occurs naturally in the human body when glucose is broken down by the liver.Īll connective tissue contains this compound. Most are flushed from the body when taken in excess, but Vitamin A can build up in body tissues and cause liver damage when too much is consumed. However, a person wouldn’t want to depend on energy drinks for a healthy dose as they usually contain just small amounts.

Vitamins C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A (aka retinol, beta-carotene), and selenium are all antioxidants with Vitamin C probably being the most popular in energy drinks.Īntioxidants help fend off illness and prevent cellular damage. AntioxidantsĪntioxidants are molecules that help the body gracefully recover and prevent damage from free radicals. See the sugar in energy drinks database for a sortable table of beverage sugar content.Ī complete list of sugar side effects is found here. One Rockstar energy drink can have 63 grams of sugar which is the same amount in two regular size Snickers candy bars! However, too much sugar intake has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and can spike insulin levels, which often leads to a “crash-like” feeling after about an hour or so. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and many exercise regimens suggest a good dose of carbs for workouts lasting more than an hour. Standard energy drinks contain a lot of sugar, and therefore, energy. Make sure the supplement contains L-carnitine and not D-carnitine, which is “inactive” and may actually hurt endurance levels.Ī complete list of L-carnitine side effects is found here. Most people can take 2-6 grams without worry. The jury’s still out on whether or not you need to supplement L-carnitine. It may act as a thermogenic to help increase endurance during exercise. This amino acid helps speed up the metabolism and increase energy levels. L-carnitine is an amino acid created naturally by the liver and kidneys.

Most energy drinks that contain Ginseng have such small amounts that most will experience little if any, benefit.Ī complete list of caffeine side effects is found here.

Potassium taurine vitamin e