Energy drinks are all the rage. There are so many different energy drinks to choose from and each one has its own unique benefits. A lot of people find a favorite energy drink and stick to it, drinking it religiously every day.
Other people like to branch out, testing new energy drinks and bouncing from brand to brand.
No matter if you are devoted to one energy drink or like to try them all, it can also be fun to try to make your own energy drinks. We have quite a few homemade energy drink recipes that are both energizing and fun to make.
Some of our recipes are designed to taste just like some of your favorite brands. We have a homemade Monster energy drink, a recipe for Alani Nu and even a delicious Reign energy drink that will make you ditch the canned version forever.
Making your own energy drinks has so many benefits. It allows you to customize the drink to suit your personal preferences, adding extra caffeine or skipping the lemon juice if you don’t like all that tang. It is also a great way to save money. Making your own drinks is a whole lot more economical than buying overpriced can after can.
Let us tell you all about the world of energy drinks and a few of our favorites. You are sure to learn a lot including how to make some of the most delicious energy drink recipes you have ever tried.
What is in an Energy Drink?
An energy drink is a beverage that is considered a source of energy. This can be anything from a soft drink loaded with sugar and a stimulant to a cup of coffee.
The energy drinks you find in the grocery store most often contain added caffeine. The caffeine can come from various sources from guarana to green coffee extract to other types of energy boosting chemicals.
Many energy drinks also have lots of sugar or sweetener which boosts energy levels. Between caffeine and sugar, energy drinks sure will perk you up!
Is it Healthy to Drink Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks are typically considered safe to drink. Any energy drink sold in stores needs to be approved by several agencies which declare it fit for consumption. That being said, you still should drink energy drinks within moderation.
You may have heard that energy drinks are not okay to drink all the time. Why energy drink is harmful? Well, the amount of caffeine and sugar that goes into each can is very high.
You don’t want to overdo it with the caffeine or you may have anxiety issues, insomnia, digestive issues or even heart problems. Of course, it would take a lot of caffeine to cause these negative symptoms and people with preexisting health issues will be more at risk.
Too much sugar is also not good for your body. It can cause weight gain, increase the risk of diabetes, cause skin issues and even boost your risk for heart disease. Many energy drinks are made with artificial sweeteners however the long term effects of many artificial sweeteners is still up for debate.
Some artificial sweeteners will still raise your glucose levels, making your body process it just like regular sugar. So, while a label may say “sugar free” you still want to be wary of what's inside.
So, is one energy drink a day OK? Yes! It definitely is. Energy drinks are safe to drink in moderation and can be a tasty boost to get you through the day.
What’s in Energy Drinks?
Many energy drinks on the market are made from the same ingredients. While each drink may have its own perks and benefits, there are a few ingredients that you will see time and time again on the labels.
Here are a few of the most common energy drink ingredients and a little bit about what they do.
- Caffeine- Caffeine will boost energy levels, alertness and also improve athletic performance.
- Ginseng- Ginseng has not been shown to have any direct effect on energy levels. It has been shown to help improve brain function.
- B vitamins- Experts have found that B vitamins may do little to boost your energy levels however the jury is still out on this one. B vitamins do work as an antioxidant and are required for carbohydrate metabolism.
- Sugar- Most energy drinks are packed with sugar which will definitely give you energy.
- Taurine- This amino acid will increase athletic performance and metabolism.
- Green Tea Extract- This ingredient will give you a little energy boost but also cancer fighting antioxidants.
- Green Coffee Extract- This adds caffeine without the strong taste of roasted coffee.
- Guarana- The extract gives twice as much caffeine as coffee and claims to stimulate weight loss.
- Carnitine- This is an amino acid that helps burn fats. Be sure to consume less that 3 grams a day as your body already makes carnitine naturally and you do not typically need more. Excess can lead to upset stomach or seizures.
Most energy drinks are also full of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives that may not be the most healthy for you. This is one reason why we love drinking our own, homemade energy drink recipes which we will tell you all about in just a minute.
Which is the Best Energy Drink?
There are so many energy drinks on the market that it can be almost impossible to decide which one is best. Your personal drink preferences will also have a huge impact on which energy drinks you prefer.
Some people love drinks with some fizz while others may want a non carbonated energy drink. You may love a fruity drink while your friend wants something more earthy. This all makes the questions of which energy drink is best almost impossible to answer.
We can look at which drink gives you energy fast to help decide which energy drink is best. After all, that is the goal of drinking an energy drink- to get energy!
- Reign- Reign energy drink has about 300mg of caffeine. It also has branch chain amino acids which can increase your athletic performance. A sip of Reign will really get you going!
- Red Bull- Red Bull is one of the top selling energy drinks in the world. Red bull is packed with caffeine and real sugar to give you an intense boost of energy.
- Spike Hardcore- One can of Spike Hardcore has about 350mg of caffeine. With so much caffeine, you should be wary of drinking an entire can. You may get a little shaky with that much energy pulsing through your body.
- Redline Xtreme Energy Drink- With 316 mg of caffeine, this drink is definitely one of the highest in caffeine
Keep in mind that all of these top selling energy drinks only give temporary energy. There is often a crash that comes along afterwards so be aware.
Also, be sure to drink canned energy drinks in moderation. More than one can give you too much caffeine and have negative side effects, both long and short term.
Can I Make Energy Drinks at Home?
You can definitely make your own energy drinks at home. We have actually come up with tons of different homemade energy drink recipes that taste just like your favorite canned energy drinks.
Well, our recipes are probably a little better than the canned versions because they are fresh and made with real ingredients. No artificial stuff here!
Here are a few of our favorite homemade energy drink recipes that are easy to make and super delicious:
Homemade Reign Energy Drink Recipe
Reign is one of the most popular energy drinks on the market. Lots of people love it since it has COQ10, a vitamin like substance that is naturally found in the body that helps organs function and energize your cells. A little extra CoQ10 is always a good idea.
Reign also has branch chain amino acids (BCAA) which help increase muscle growth and also reduce muscle soreness. Not only is this drink giving you energy, but it is also helping keep you healthy.
Reign drink comes in a whole bunch of delicious flavors but we modeled our recipe after the Mang-o-matic. We use coconut water, mango juice and lemon juice as the main juices and flavor boosters.
We add green coffee extract to make the drink super energizing. Then, we add BCAA powder to be just like the real Reign in a can. Give our recipe a try and you will never need to buy real Reign again.
Alani Energy Drink
Alani is a tasty energy drink that is completely sugar free and only has 10 calories. While we appreciate how little this drink will effect our daily macros, we are also wary about the artificial ingredients that go into the can.
We opted for the more natural approach in our recipe while still trying to stick to the things that make Alani great.
Alani energy drink is made with biotin, a specific mix of B vitamins that help you maintain a healthy nervous system, liver, hair and eyes. Biotin will also give you a glowing complexion and improve your skin.
We add sunflower seeds to our Alani Nu energy drink recipe, boosting the natural amount of B vitamins. We use sugar free cherry syrup to get the same great taste as Alani Cherry Slush.
Guarana powder adds natural caffeine and blends right into our tasty drink mix.
Homemade Blue Raspberry Prime Energy Drink
Prime is the new hydration energy drink on the market. It is slowly pushing the classic Gatorade out of the way. Prime even has a lot of the same flavors as gatorade. We love the blue raspberry Prime so that is the one we tried to recreate with our recipe here.
One key ingredient in our blue raspberry Prime recipe is the blue raspberry BCAA powder. This amino acid powder adds lots of flavor to the drink along with electrolytes. It helps boost the hydration levels of the drink and also will help you build muscles.
B vitamins are another special part of Prime energy drinks so we used all natural spinach to get the B vitamins we wanted. Spinach has such a mild taste that the blue raspberry syrup, blueberries, and blue raspberry BCAA powder completely mask the taste of any “real” veggie.
All you will taste is pure, energizing, blue raspberry goodness.
Homemade Original Monster Drink
Monster is one of the original energy drinks. Everyone recognizes that black can with the bright green lightening bolt down the side! A homemade monster energy drink is something we absolutely had to make.
In fact, we ended up making more than one! We started by making the original monster drink using apple, green tea, honey, raspberries, lime juice and sparkling water. Then, we tried our hand at making the Pink Monster Drink and the White Monster drink. They are all so good in their own way!
Lots of people love Monster Energy Drinks because they are not quite as sweet as other canned energy drinks. They also have a nice fizz which makes them easy to drink.
Monster has lots of caffeine as well as multiple B vitamins. We tried to get all of this into our copycat Monster energy drinks as well!
C4 Energy Drink
C4 Energy is all the rage right now. They are quickly becoming one of the most popular energy drinks on the market! We are seeing them everywhere so why not try your hand at making your own?
One thing that makes C4 energy drink unique is the betaine, which comes from beets. This ingredient supports hydration and helps naturally boost athletic performance. We use real beets in our homemade C4 recipe to get all that goodness into our glass. C4 also has beta alanine to help improve muscle size. We use beta alanine powder to get this important C4 ingredient, making our homemade drink just like the real thing.
Recipe coming soon.
Energy drinks are a fantastic way to increase your energy levels, boost performance and also stay hydrated. Drinking homemade energy drinks will also help curb any food cravings in a healthier, more beneficial way.
Don’t reach for that bag of candy when you need an energy boost! Give one of our homemade energy drink recipes a try instead. You will be happy with your choice when you have sustained energy for the rest of the day.
Which drink will you try first? Which will be your favorite? You will have to let us know!
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