The Truth About Energy Drinks: Are They Worth the Hype?
Energy drinks are often advertised as special blends that boost mental and physical performance. But are all the extra ingredients really worth the price compared to a simple cup of coffee?
A new study suggests that you might be spending extra money on energy drinks for ingredients that don't provide any additional benefits. Researchers compared two drinks: one loaded with 200 mg of caffeine plus other ingredients like L-tyrosine, Alpha GPC, L-theanine, and Huperzine-A, and another with just 200 mg of caffeine. They measured the impact on attention, mood, handgrip strength, and pushup performance.
The result? There were no differences between the fancy energy drink and plain caffeine. The boost in performance came solely from the caffeine, which is the same amount found in about two cups of coffee.
This doesn’t mean all performance supplements are ineffective, but many of the extra ingredients in energy drinks don’t provide extra value. If you need a quick mental or physical boost, plain caffeine—whether from coffee or tea—is just as effective as pricey energy drinks.
