Many who drink energy drinks have their brand preference, whether it’s Red Bull, Bang, Monster, Rockstar, or something else. 

Monster has a range of flavors, from juices to zero sugars to coffee flavors, Monster has it all. Every flavor has the same amount of caffeine, 160 mg. Monster offers a vast variety of flavors to quench anything its consumers want. 

Sophomore Alyssa Sward has been an avid energy drink consumer since 8th grade. She drinks 12 or more a month. She says she prefers Red Bull because it makes her feel more energized when compared to other brands. She also prefers Red Bull flavors over other energy drink companies’ flavors. She says she notices herself being more “uppity and talkative” versus when she doesn’t, she feels more “antisocial and has no motivation for anything.”

Sophomore Sophia McEntaffer has been an energy drink enjoyer since her 7th grade year.

“Monthly,” she says “normally I’d say around 5 or 6 but recently it’s been less.”

McEntaffer prefers either Monster or Red Bull when she does decide to drink one. Sophia says that when she does consume energy drinks, she doesn’t see a difference in performance but she does see herself experiencing mania.

Senior Chris Smith is also a regular energy drink consumer, and has been for the last seven years. He notices a difference in performance after having an energy drink.

“There is a complete difference,” Smith said. “When I have an energy drink, I’m able to think faster, and I’m able to exercise so much easier.” 

He states that he prefers Monster energy drinks over other brands because of the wide variety of flavors along with the caffeine amount in them. He also prefers the sugar-to-flavor ratio of Monster. He says he has tried Bang but does not like it because he finds it too sweet. 

After looking into the ingredients, Bang does not have any real sugar. It does, however, have fake sugars. Bang contains sucralose, an artificial sugar substitute. “Sucralose is about 600 times sweeter than sugar,”  according to the FDA. Other brands, like Monster and Rockstar, have sucralose, but only in their sugar-free flavors. 

Monster, Red Bull, Bang, and Rockstar all offer a zero-sugar or sugar-free version of their drinks. These flavors are known to be as close to diet-friendly as you can get from an energy drink.

When people think about energy drinks, they first think of the flavor they want but most don’t think of the health impacts of the caffeine content in these drinks. An article from Frontiers in Public Health states, “Emerging evidence has linked energy drink consumption with a number of negative health consequences such as risk-seeking behaviors, poor mental health, adverse cardiovascular effects, and metabolic, renal, or dental conditions.” Studies have also shown the link between energy drinks having harsh mental health effects can be linked to loss of sleep because of energy drink consumption.

After all these facts, it’s important to choose the drink that is best for you and your preferences. Some are better for people, others are tastier. It’s all up to the individual and their preferences.