Energy drinks claim to give you the boost you need to wake up for your morning workout or stay focused throughout a long afternoon. If these promises are attractive to you, you might be wondering whether Monster Energy drinks are a good choice. When you evaluate an energy supplement, consider the ingredients, safety of the supplement and talk to your doctor if you are unsure what to choose.
Background Information
Monster Energy makes Java Monster drinks in coffee flavors, Nitrous, a concentrated X-Presso drink and the line of Monster Energy Drinks. The regular Monster Energy drink claims to be twice as effective as other energy drinks. Other Monster Energy drinks include Khaos and Assault, with juice blends such as apple, peach and tangerine, Absolutely Zero and Lo-Carb. Sweeteners in the different drinks include sucrose, glucose, erythritol and non-nutritive sugar substitutes such as sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Nutrition
The serving size for Monster Energy is 8 fl. oz., and each can has 2 servings. Some types, such as the regular and Assault, have 100 calories and 25 g carbohydrates per serving, while Lo-Carb has 10 calories and 3 g carbohydrates and Absolutely Zero is calorie-free. They have 100 percent of the daily value for vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, and Khaos has 40 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, and 20 percent of the daily value for vitamin C.
Energy Blend
All varieties of Monster Energy drinks contain a proprietary Energy Blend with ingredients that target your central nervous system. They have caffeine to keep you feeling awake, but the Mayo Clinic states, dependence can lead to insomnia or nervousness. They also have panax ginseng, or Asian Ginseng, and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine notes, that people use it to feel stronger. The blend contains guarana, as well as the amino acids taurine and carnitine.
Weight Considerations
When you drink Monster Energy drinks, remember to count their calories to avoid gaining weight. The Mayo Clinic website states, there are about 3,500 calories in 1 lb. of body fat. If you add in 3-200 calorie cans of Monster Energy per week, you can gain about 1 lb. per month. To prevent weight gain when you use Monster Energy, choose a lower calorie version, such as Absolutely Zero, or compensate by cutting back your daily calories from other sources.
References
- Monster Energy: Monster Energy Drinks: Monster Energy
- Monster Energy: Monster Energy Drinks: Absolutely Zero
- Monster Energy: Monster Energy Drinks: Khaos
- Monster Energy: Monster Energy Drinks: Lo-Carb
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Asian Ginseng
- Mayo Clinic: Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much?
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