Energy drinks are a touchy subject. They carry with them the air of a mountain-dew’d teenager.
However, caffeine is not inherently bad for you and many of the other ingredients in energy drinks aren’t either. The two primary things in energy drink sthat make them unhealthy for you are:
- Sugar
- Artificial Sweetenrs
- Other Junk Fillers
So. We’re not going to lecture you and tell you to never touch an energy drink again – but if you do – you should try to avoid ones that have these types of things in it.
So – let’s not waste any more time. Let’s get to it.
The Best Healthy Energy Drinks – Ranked
Here’s our picks of the healthiest energy drinks on the market.
1 – Impossible Energy
Impossible Energy is the healthiest energy drink on the market. With zero sugar or artificial sweeteners, this steers clear of most of our concerns about fillers in energy drinks.
With l-theanine and tyrosine in the mix – even with 200mg of caffeine – you won’t feel a crash and should have a long-sustained feeling of energy throughout it’s use.
LMNT
LMTN is not a caffeineated product, but it will keep you more hydrated. One of the primary feelings of lethargy is just simple dehydration.
While LMNT has a wide array of flavors – we highly recommend sticking to the fruit ones. These taste amazing without any after taste – and will do a ton to get you rehydrated – especially after a hot-summer day.
LMNT is the best electrolyte product on the market. Packed with salt so you can replenish what you lose during a workout - it's also great if you're keto, fasting or just need something tasty to drink - without the calories.
Caveman Coffee
Not a standard energy drink – Caveman Coffee does contain 200mg of caffeine adn zero sugar. If you’re looking for a boost and love your coffee, take a look at Caveman. They have the best cold brew on the market and if you’re down to ditch the artificial sweeteners, this is one of the best options you can have.
Pro tip: add whey protein to the mix for even better macros.
Runa
Runs is clean . Their flavors have fluctuated a lot over the years, but the low-sugar options are healthy (but taste markedly worse). That said, if you just need a caffeine hit – there are worse options.
Jocko Fuel
Honestly, we put this here because Jocko scares us.
Nocco
Nocco stands for the “no carbs company” and while we like some of their products (primarily from a concept for the keto or low carb lifestyles – the main issue with NOCCO (in our opinion) is the flavoring – but that’s a subjective thing and one of the tradeoffs for them not using sucarlose. You win some, you lose some I guess.
Not Healthy or Not Good Energy Drinks
- PRIME Energy – Not worth the hype.
- Celsius
- C4 Energy
- Red Bull –
- Bang
- Monster
- 5 Hour Energy
- Up Time
- Reign
- 3D Energy Drinks