Caffeine is like that one friend we all have, we don’t talk to them daily but whenever we need them, they’re always there. Caffeine is this one thing that we don’t usually take unless we have a long day ahead, or when we really need to stay awake. Caffeine is always there to pick us up.
The same thing goes for energy drinks, whenever we need a boost of energy and an increase in our focus, they are always there to lift us. However, sometimes energy drinks can cause jitters.
The more energy drinks you consume, the more jitters you are going to get. Now the question is, should you risk jitters for a boost in your energy levels?
This totally depends on you, and your caffeine intake. But you can still enjoy a variety of energy drinks without sudden jitters.
Let’s get started.
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What Should You Look For In An Ideal Energy Drink?
Energy drinks usually contain a lot of ingredients. But the key ingredients that you should look for in a good energy drink are caffeine, sugar, and guarana.
Caffeine
Caffeine is the supreme ingredient in an energy drink that gives you a boost of energy. Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant, therefore, it improves our energy levels as well as keeps us awake.
The caffeine content in energy drinks differ from brand to brand.
Although caffeine helps your mood and all the good stuff mentioned above, it’s also the main reason behind your jitters.
What does that mean? It means the more caffeine you consume, the more unpleasant jitters you will face.
If you’re facing jitters, you may want to avoid high caffeinated energy drinks or tone down your caffeine intake, in general.
Sugar
Along with caffeine, sugar is another key ingredient in energy drinks that boosts your energy. Too much sugar intake is not good for your health. But the good news is, there are a lot of sugar-free options available.
Sugar-free energy drinks contain artificial sweeteners like Sucralose, Acesulfame-K, etc, instead of added sugars.
Like caffeine, too much sugar consumption also causes jitters. So, you want to avoid energy drinks that contain too much sugar, or best, go for zero-sugar options.
Guarana
Guarana enhances the caffeine in energy drinks. It’s in no way a substitute for caffeine, but it’s used to increase the caffeine amount.
Fortunately, guarana is not found in all energy drinks, so if you’re trying to avoid jitters, just go for energy drinks with no guarana.
Jitters And Caffeine Tolerance
If you’re facing jitters, then know it has something to do with your caffeine tolerance. Here’s why.
If you have high caffeine tolerance, you’re more immune to jitters.
However, everyone has different caffeine tolerance. Our bodies are different and they react to caffeine differently, which is completely okay.
Gender, body metabolism, age, medical history, etc, are things that play a part in caffeine tolerance.
Jitters mainly occur from caffeine because caffeine boosts our body’s adrenaline levels, temporarily enhancing our performance. But then again, this boost in adrenaline level causes a spike in our blood pressure, restlessness, and overall, causes jitters.
So, what should you do?
If you consume a high caffeinated energy drink and see your body acting up, like jitters and unnecessary shakiness, then you will know that the caffeine amount in that energy drink is not right for your body.
My personal caffeine tolerance is 50-100mg of caffeine per energy drink or coffee. Anything more than that causes jitters. In total, I can consume about 200mg of caffeine every day without facing any side effects.
If I consume any more caffeine than that, I feel uneasiness and of course, jitters.
Why do energy drinks cause jitters?
Energy drinks cause jitters due to some ingredients. Energy drinks contain caffeine, which is a stimulant that can cause jitters, restlessness, and anxiety if consumed in high doses. Energy drinks may also contain other stimulating ingredients, such as taurine, guarana, and ginseng.
Because of this, these can compound the effects of caffeine and increase the likelihood of jitters. Additionally, energy drinks may be high in sugar, which can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that can contribute to feelings of shakiness and jitteriness.
Which energy drink gives you the best buzz?
Which Energy Drink gives you the best buzz depends per person. Some might find that energy drinks high in caffeine, such as Bang or Reign, give them the best buzz, while others might prefer drinks that contain additional ingredients like taurine, B-vitamins, and amino acids, such as Monster or Rockstar.
However, it’s important to note that excessive consumption of energy drinks can lead to negative side effects, such as jitters, anxiety, and increased heart rate. It’s recommended to consume energy drinks in moderation and pay attention to the caffeine and sugar content to avoid overconsumption.
What Does Caffeine Jitter Feel Like?
If your body is overstimulated you will face physical uneasiness like shaking, tremors, or vibrations. These are the signs of jitter, the sudden crash of caffeine will leave you feeling drained and uneasy.
As I said earlier, caffeine can increase your blood pressure. For that reason, you may find your heart beating faster than usual. But if the jitter is really bad. You may even skip a beat.
If you have anxiety, you should be careful as jitters can trigger anxiety, cause stress, and mess with your sleep schedule.
Most times jitters are caused by caffeine, but if you consume caffeine in moderation and know your caffeine tolerance, you won’t have to worry about any jitters.
How Long Do Jitters Last?
If you’re feeling jitters, you may face it for several hours.
After consuming caffeine, we see it working after 10-15 minutes of our consumption, but the full effects happen within the first 30 minutes after consumption.
Our body produced Enzyme CYPA12, which is produced by a certain gene, an enzyme that metabolizes caffeine. How long you will face jitters depend on your body’s ability to produce this enzyme. Meaning, the faster your body produces CYPA12, the less jitter you will feel.
On average, caffeine’s half-life is 5 hours. But the regulation and your body to totally flush away the stimulant may take up to 1.5-9 hours. Let’s say you consumed 80mg caffeine, after 5 hours, only 40mg will be left in your body.
Does Sugar Cause Jitters?
Sugar can cause jitters.
If you consume too much sugar, you may face a sugar-high or sugar-crash, scientifically known as hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia or “sugar-crash” normally occurs when the blood sugar level in our body is lower than usual. Now, that means, when our sugar level drops, that is when we are most likely to face jitters.
Including sugar-crash, you may even face mood swings, headaches, and sudden nervousness if you consume too much sugar. It can trigger your ADHD too if you have it.
How Can You Consume Less Caffeine?
For starters, you should try consuming less caffeine, and lower your caffeine intake too. This way, the sudden caffeine reset on your body will not leave too many negative impacts.
For better understanding, if you’re used to consuming a total of 200mg caffeine per day, start by consuming 100mg per day. Gradually, lower your caffeine intake and in no time, you will be living without caffeine.
Again, if you really depend on caffeine, you should then consume beverages with less caffeine content.
Best Energy Drinks Without Jitters
Here are a bunch of energy drinks that will most likely not cause any jitters as they are low in both caffeine and sugar.
| Energy Drinks | Caffeine | Sugar | Calories |
| Aspire | 80mg | 0g | 0 |
| NUUN Sport | 40mg | 1g | 15 |
| Red Bull Zero | 80mg | 0g | 0 |
| MatchaBar Hustle | 120mg | 4g | 40 |
| XS Energy | 80mg | 0g | 10 |
| Mountain Dew Kickstart | 92mg | 20g | 80 |
| Advocare Spark | 120mg | 0g | 15 |
| Sqwincher | 0mg | 11g | 45 |
| Pure Boost | 100mg | 0g | 25 |
| Zipfizz | 100mg | 0g | 20 |
Aspire
Aspire falls more on the healthy energy drinks category with each 12 fl. oz can containing only 80mg caffeine, along with zero sugar and zero calories.
Aspire also claims to be the world’s first energy drink that burns calories.
If you want to know where you can get the best deals for this energy drink, check out my “Where Can You Buy Aspire” article.
NUUN Sport
A high-performance energy drink with comparatively less caffeine content and sugar.
NUUN Sport is a powerful yet healthy energy drink tablet that has only 40mg caffeine, with 1g sugar and 15 calories per tablet.
NUUN also has a generous amount of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes which will give your body a great boost of energy. This can be a great choice of energy drink if you are looking for something that has less caffeine and sugar, and most importantly won’t cause any jitters.
Red Bull Zero
The classic Red Bull, except a healthier one.
With 80mg caffeine and no added sugar or calories, it’s a great alternative to regular Red Bull, if you like Red Bull.
To know if Red Bull is safe or not, check out my article on if Red Bull is safe to drink or not.
MatchaBar Hustle
MatchaBar Hustle targets people who are conscious about their health.
Each serving of MatchaBar Hustle contains 120mg caffeine, with 4g sugar and 40 calories.
By the name of the energy drink, you may guess it containing Matcha. Not only Matcha, but the drink also contains green tea.
With a quite moderate amount of caffeine, it won’t cause any jitters.
XS Energy
XS can be a great alternative to Red Bull, as it has the exact amount of caffeine as a can of Red Bull.
A single can of XS has 80mg caffeine with only 10 calories and 0g sugar.
The drink also has a lot of vitamins and amino acids which will give you a decent boost of energy before a workout or a game.
XS offers a variety of flavors to choose from.
Mountain Dew Kickstart
A single can of Mountain Dew Kickstart has 92mg caffeine, 20g sugar, and 80 calories.
Now, the sugar content might be a lot if you don’t like having sugar in your energy drinks. In that case, you may try other flavors of Dew that are free from sugar:
- Diet Mountain Dew
- Ultra Energizing Oirginal Mountain Dew
Advocare Spark
A single 7g pack of Advocare Spark contains 120mg caffeine, no sugar, and calories as little as 15.
Advocare Spark can be a great option if you want to avoid jitters but still want that brilliant boost of energy.
Advocare is loaded with minerals like zinc, copper, and chromium. These minerals help in boosting your immune system as well as your body’s metabolism.
Sqwincher
This is the perfect energy drink for you if you’re cutting out caffeine or just don’t want your energy drink to contain caffeine.
Each pack of Sqwincher contains 0mg caffeine, along with 11g sugar and 45 calories only.
The drink is packed with electrolytes that boost your energy that helps in peak performance.
Pure Boost Energy
Pure Boost is another health-focused energy drink.
Each energy drink mix has 100mg caffeine only. What makes Pure Boost exclusive is that the energy drink has no sugar, no artificial flavors, or sweeteners.
The drink has only 25 calories per serving along with 25 pH-balanced electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and amino acids, including turmeric, ginger, and Vitamin C.
Almost all the ingredients of Pure Boost are contained naturally. So, consuming this in moderation will not cause any jitters.
Zipfizz
A single mix of Zipfizz has 100mg caffeine, is sugar-free with 20 calories.
Zipfizz has a sweet blend of vitamins like Riboflavin (synthetic B2), Cyanocobalamin (Synthetic B12), and D-Calcium Pantothenate.
Zipfizz has green tea extract in them. All of these ingredients together delivers that boost of energy and keeps you awake.
As the caffeine content is not skyrocketing and there is no added sugar, if you are not sensitive to caffeine, you won’t face any jitters.
How do you stop shaking after energy drinks?
Experiencing shaking or jitteriness after consuming energy drinks can be attributed to their high caffeine content. To alleviate these symptoms, first, try drinking water to stay hydrated and flush out excess caffeine. Engaging in physical activity, like taking a short walk, can help burn off some of the excess energy and reduce shakiness.
Additionally, consider avoiding further caffeine intake and opting for calming activities like deep breathing or meditation. Herbal teas like chamomile or peppermint may help soothe the nervous system. If symptoms persist or worsen, it’s essential to seek medical attention.
What’s the best energy drink to stay awake?
When seeking an energy drink to help you stay awake, it’s important to consider options with a balanced blend of caffeine and other ingredients that promote alertness without causing excessive jitters or crashes. Look for energy drinks that contain moderate caffeine levels, usually around 100-200 milligrams, to provide a sustained energy boost.
Additionally, energy drinks with added B vitamins, amino acids like taurine, and natural extracts like ginseng or guarana can contribute to sustained wakefulness. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of your caffeine tolerance and not consume excessive amounts, as this can lead to negative side effects.
The Bottom Line
Energy drinks or a cup of coffee will cause jitters and other health problems.
The best way to avoid them is to first consume energy drinks or caffeine in moderation. If you still find yourself having jitters, lower your caffeine intake.
If it still occurs, cut down caffeine from your life, remember health comes first.
Caffeine, sugar, and guarana are the main ingredients that cause jitters, so try to keep track of how much you’re consuming these ingredients.
If you’re like me who just can’t go without energy drinks, switch to energy drinks that have less caffeine amount and is relatively healthy.