Energy drink ingredients, explained
The performance ingredients you will see on an energy drink label, in plain language: what each one is, why it is in the can, and which drinks in our catalog list it.
A label lists what is in a drink but not how much of each active, so this describes what an ingredient is and what it is marketed for. It does not measure how strong any formula is, and it is general information, not medical advice.
Caffeine & caffeine sources
- Caffeine
A stimulant found naturally in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao and guarana.
- Guarana
A seed from an Amazon vine.
- Yerba mate
The dried leaves of a South American holly, brewed as a traditional tea.
- Guayusa
The leaves of an Amazon holly tree.
- Green coffee extract
An extract of coffee beans before they are roasted.
- Coffee fruit extract
An extract of the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean, which is normally discarded.
- Coffee
The brewed or extracted drink from roasted coffee beans.
- Green tea extract
An extract of tea leaves.
- Theacrine (TeaCrine)
A naturally occurring compound chemically similar to caffeine, found in a Chinese tea called kucha.
- Dynamine (methylliberine)
A patented, branded form of methylliberine, a compound chemically related to caffeine that occurs naturally in some plants, including some coffee species.
B vitamins
- Vitamin B3 (niacin)
A B vitamin your cells use to turn food into usable energy.
- Vitamin B6
A B vitamin involved in how the body uses protein and makes brain chemicals.
- Vitamin B12
A B vitamin needed for nerves and red blood cells.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
A B vitamin used in the cell's energy chemistry.
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
A B vitamin the body uses to make coenzyme A, a key molecule in energy metabolism.
- Biotin (vitamin B7)
A B vitamin used in breaking down fats, carbohydrates and protein.
- Folic acid (folate, vitamin B9)
A B vitamin needed to make DNA and new cells.
Amino acids & muscle
- Taurine
An amino-acid-like compound your body makes itself and that you also get from meat, fish and dairy.
- Creatine
A compound made in your body and found in red meat and fish.
- L-carnitine
An amino-acid-like compound your body makes that helps move fats into the cell's energy factories.
- L-phenylalanine
An essential amino acid from protein foods.
- BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine)
Three essential amino acids, meaning you have to get them from food.
- Beta-alanine
An amino acid your muscles use to make carnosine, which helps buffer acid built up during hard exercise.
- Citrulline
An amino acid that your body converts into arginine, which is used to make nitric oxide.
- L-arginine
An amino acid from protein foods that the body uses to make nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels.
- Betaine
A compound found in beets, spinach and whole grains.
Focus & brain
- L-theanine
An amino acid found mainly in tea leaves, with small amounts in a few other plants and some mushrooms.
- L-tyrosine
An amino acid your body uses to make brain chemicals such as dopamine and noradrenaline.
- Alpha-GPC
A choline compound found in small amounts in the body and in some foods.
- Citicoline (Cognizin)
A form of choline your body makes and uses to build cell membranes and brain chemicals.
- Choline
An essential nutrient found in eggs, meat and soy.
- Huperzine A
A compound extracted from a type of club moss.
- Lion's mane
An edible mushroom used in traditional cooking and medicine.
- Ginseng
The root of the Panax plant, used in traditional Asian medicine for centuries.
Other
- Inositol
A sugar-like compound found in fruit, beans and grains.
- Glucuronolactone
A compound your body makes from glucose, also found in small amounts in some plant gums.
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
A compound your cells make and use inside their energy factories (mitochondria).
- Electrolytes
Minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium that carry an electric charge in the body and help with fluid balance and muscle function.
Looking for drinks instead? See the best drinks listing focus ingredients, the best pre-workout drinks or caffeine content rankings.