Popular articles
Recent discussions on forum
How Much Caffeine in 5 Hour Energy Shots
About 5 Hour Energy shots caffeine, ingredients, benefits, and side effects.
Published March 10, 2022
Chandra Melo
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
Many people need an extra boost in the morning to help get their day started. Coffee is great and a popular choice, but it can sometimes take a while to make, doesn’t always kick in straight away, and sometimes just isn’t strong enough for what we need. A five-hour energy shot can be an ideal alternative to get you going when you’re feeling really tired. But how much caffeine is actually packed into these small beverages? A 2oz bottle of 5-Hour Energy contains 200mg of caffeine. Keep reading to find out more about 5-Hour Energy vs coffee and how the ingredients in this drink turn it into an energizing boost.
5-Hour Energy Caffeine
As mentioned above, a 5-Hour Energy caffeine amount is around 200mg of caffeine per serving, which is quite high compared to the majority of full-size caffeinated drinks. While it can vary quite a lot, a typical cup of coffee will usually contain around 95mg of caffeine. Tea, on the other hand, usually has around 40-60mg of caffeine in a standard cup, while a can of Coca-Cola contains around 37mg of caffeine. To put this in perspective, you’d need to drink just over two cups of coffee or more than six cans of Coke to get the same caffeine levels compared to just one of these 5-hour energy drinks.
Is 5-Hour Energy Beneficial?
If you’re feeling tired and need an energy boost, you might be wondering if Five-Hour Energy is safe to drink. Along with waking you up and offering a pick-me-up when you need one, are there any other benefits of drinking Five-Hour Energy compared to other caffeinated drinks?
1. Low in Calories
Many caffeinated drinks like soda and energy drinks are also high in sugar and therefore quite high in calories. On the other hand, Five-Hour Energy uses sucralose rather than sugar to sweeten the drink, which leaves it tasting great but also a very low-calorie option. There are barely any 5 hour energy drink calories - in fact, there is only four calories per serving, making it the perfect choice for anybody as it won’t interfere with any diet you might be sticking to.
2. Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an important amino acid that you will find in Five-Hour Energy. This is one of the most important 5 hour energy drinks ingredients. It is an amino acid that helps in the creation of chemical messengers that help your brain communicate with various parts of your body. It is also thought to play a part in improving memory retention and alertness.
3. Taurine
Taurine is another of the 5 hour energy ingredients; also an amino acid. It is only found in animal protein, and it is known for being important to heart health. It helps to regulate minerals such as calcium contained in your body’s cells along with cell hydration. Taurine is important to the healthy operation of the nervous system and is an important antioxidant that helps to boost your immune system and make it easier for you to fight disease.
How Much Caffeine Should You Have?
Health experts typically agree that adults should limit themselves to no more than 400mg of caffeine per day. However, it is important to bear in mind that some people may be easily able to handle more while others will notice some adverse side effects after consuming less since everybody has a different tolerance to caffeine based on several factors such as age, weight, and how much they consume each day. Some people might have a negative reaction to just the smallest amount of caffeine, so it’s a good idea to start out with a small amount and pay attention to how you react before you start drinking caffeine more regularly or in larger amounts. For the majority of people, it’s safe to consume two 5-Hour Energy Shots per day without any health risks as long as they avoid other caffeinated beverages. 5 hour energy caffeine mg is 200mg, which is around half of the daily recommended amount for adults.
How to Know if You’ve Had Too Much
While drinks like 5 hour energy can be an ideal way to get a quick pick-me-up as they do not take a long time to drink and are very high in caffeine, the main drawback is that it can be easy to overdo it. Although having too much caffeine does not lead to serious health issues in most people, it can cause a range of unwanted and uncomfortable symptoms. To avoid this, it’s best to stick to no more than two 5 hour energy drink shots per day and to be careful about anything else you consume that might contain caffeine including coffee, tea, soda, and even chocolate. If you have a 5 hour energy drink shot, you should adjust the amount of other caffeinated drinks that you have for that day accordingly. Some of the main symptoms to look out for that could be a sign that you have had too much caffeine include:
1. Anxiety
Caffeine is known for increasing your focus and alertness which can be great for helping you to push through and get things done if you’re feeling more tired than usual. It does this by blocking the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical that makes you feel tired. However, at the same time, it triggers adrenaline to be released – the ‘fight or flight’ hormone that will lead to increased energy. At higher doses, more adrenalin can cause you to feel nervous and anxious, and even lead to more serious conditions like caffeine-induced anxiety disorder.
2. Insomnia
It’s not a secret that drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages like 5-hour energy drinks can keep you up at night. Caffeine is known and loved for its ability to keep people awake when we need to be, but on the other hand, it could also cause you to be tossing and turning awake when you want to be asleep. Studies have found that higher intake of caffeine can increase the amount of time that it takes you to fall asleep.
3. Digestive Issues
Most people find that having a cup of coffee in the morning can contribute to healthy bowel movements. Coffee has a laxative effect that is a result of the release of gastrin, a hormone that the stomach produces which will speed up colon activity. This happens whether you drink caffeinated or decaf coffee. However, caffeine itself cam also stimulate bowel movements by increasing contractions that move through the digestive tract known as peristalsis. So, it’s no surprise that large caffeine intake can lead to digestive issues.
4. Addiction
Despite the fact that caffeine does have quite a few benefits for your health, it’s hard to deny that getting into the habit of drinking caffeine daily can become a tough one to break. Reviews have found that caffeine can trigger brain chemicals in a similar way to drugs like amphetamines and cocaine; however, it will not lead to classic addiction in the same way. What it can do, is lead to physical or psychological dependency, especially in people who are used to high doses of caffeine.
5. High Blood Pressure
Overall, most people are not at an increased risk of stroke or heart attack from drinking caffeine. However, this ingredient has been shown to raise blood pressure due to the fact that it has a stimulatory effect on the nervous system. Over time, elevated blood pressure can be a risk factor for stroke and heart attack and can damage arteries. The good news is that the effect caffeine has on blood pressure does appear to be temporary.
6. Increased Heart Rate
When you drink a high amount of caffeine, the stimulatory effect that it has on your nervous system can lead to an increased heart rate. In some cases, it can also cause an altered heartbeat rhythm known as atrial fibrillation. This has been reported in young people who consume a lot of energy drinks that have a high caffeine content.
7. Fatigue
While coffee and other caffeinated beverages are best known for their ability to boost your energy levels, they can also end up having the opposite effect. ‘Rebound fatigue’ is something that can occur once the caffeine has left your system. Studies have found that while caffeine can provide energy, improve alertness, and even boost your mood for several hours, participants were more tired than usual the next day.
8. Frequent Urination
Increased urination is another common side effect of drinking a lot of caffeine. This is because the compound has a stimulatory effect on the bladder. If you drink more coffee or tea than usual, you may notice that you need to pee more often. Along with this, some studies have found that a high intake of caffeine may increase the risk of developing incontinence in people with otherwise healthy bladders.
Overall, a light to moderate caffeine intake seems to be beneficial for most, so no more than two shots of 5-Hour energy per day will be sufficient to give you the energy you need without side effects.
About the author
Chandra Melo
Marketing as job, barista as passion. An authentic coffee lover, looking for the next fantastic cup of coffee that I will fall in love with. Coffee, for me, is more than a beverage. It's about community and connection - how can all the world consume the same fruit? And differently? How can we have so many different tastes? I also don't know. And because of this, I feel in love each day more for this world. Happy to share and make a change in the coffee community.
Add comment
More on the coffee lab
Sign up and contribute now