How much caffeine and sugar do energy drinks contain?
The amount of caffeine varies but is typically 70–140 milligrams (mg) per 8 oz (Malinauskas et al. 2007). For reference, one cup (6 oz) of coffee contains about 100 mg. In general, most energy drinks contain 25–35 g of sugar per 8 oz. This equates to 6–9 teaspoons of sugar (4 g per teaspoon). However, many manufacturers do offer consumers sugar-free alternatives (Malinauskas et al. 2007). One additional point to note is that a majority of energy drinks consist of two or more servings per container. Why are energy drinks so popular? Malinauskas et al. (2007) examined the energy drink consumption patterns of nearly 500 college students and found that over half (51%) of those surveyed consumed more than one energy drink per month. Interestingly, the three primary reasons given for consumption were to remedy insufficient sleep (67%), to increase general feelings of energy (65%) and to imbibe the drink with alcohol while partying (54%). Do energy drinks actually improve energy? Caffeine, th
