Find out why combining sugar and caffeine is not the best choice for chronic fatigue and why it might even make the problem worse.
Rockstar energy drinks contain 16 teaspoons of synthetic industrial sugar, which is terrible for your liver. Monster energy drinks contain 14 ½ teaspoons of sugar, and Nos energy drinks have 13 ½ teaspoons. All three of these energy drinks have more sugar than Coca-Cola, paired with 160 mg of caffeine.
Gatorade and Powerade also contain more sugar than Coca-Cola. Celsius energy drinks don't contain sugar, but contain sucralose, which causes similar damage in the body. They also contain a whopping 270 mg of caffeine!
Sugar combined with caffeine creates a ticking time bomb in the body. If you have low blood sugar, sugar will give you a temporary mental boost in energy, followed by a crash. Symptoms of low blood sugar include irritability, brain fog, weakness, and fatigue, but you wouldn’t have low blood sugar if you didn’t consume sugar in the first place.
Real energy in the body comes from the mitochondria in the form of ATP. The food you eat is converted into energy with the help of important cofactors such as B vitamins, CoQ10, magnesium, iron, sulfur, and lipoic acid. Sugar from energy drinks contains no cofactors, so you deplete your nutrient reserves when you consume them.
Caffeine doesn’t give you energy—it blocks the chemical compound that makes you sleepy. The problem with energy drinks is that they contain too much caffeine.
Too much caffeine increases adrenaline, which increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiovascular stress. Caffeine is a diuretic, so it can cause dehydration. It can also cause adrenal fatigue and sleep problems over time.
The better solution is to correct the diet for sustained energy. Proper nutrition, electrolytes, and salt should give you plenty of energy.
