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Can Energy Drinks Make You Smell? (Truth)

Energy beverages or drinks, which have now become popular and a regular trend in the market, started for medical purposes.

However, in the beginning, they were not popular among many people.

The first energy booster, Krating Daeng or Red Bull, circulated in the market and soon became famous.

It’s been decades since the manufacture of the first energy drink, and now there are several energy drinks out there on shelves in the market.

There are several benefits of these drinks, such as increased energy, performance, cognition, etc. But with each passing time, new side effects of energy drinks have been discovered.

Energy drinks can actually make you nauseous, lightheaded, have insomnia, etc. However, have you ever wondered that energy drinks could also make you smell bad?

Well, to answer your question, yes! Energy drinks can make you smell bad because of the stimulants like caffeine present in energy beverages.

Do you wanna know more about the authenticity of this statement? Well, let’s explore it together.

Common Causes of Body Odor

There are many reasons why your body may smell foul, but the most common culprit is sweat. Sweat is produced by the body to help regulate body temperature.

When you’re exercising, your body produces a lot of sweat to help cool you down. But when you don’t exercise enough or when you are stressed, your body does not produce enough sweat to keep you cool.

When you sweat, bacteria in your pores are exposed to oxygen. This causes them to grow and multiply. The next time you are feeling under the weather, remember that your body odor isn’t entirely your fault.

So the most common cause of foul body odor is sweat being mixed with the bacteria present on the surface skin.

Your body can sweat due to various reasons. However, your sweat can smell foul due to following reasons:

  • Exercise
  • Anxiety
  • Genetics
  • Being overweight
  • Infections
  • Certain Diets

There are a variety of reasons why your body may smell foul. Some of them are easy to fix and others require a bit more effort.

Bacteria causes bad smell in sweat
Sweat mixed with bacteria can cause a foul smell

Common Ingredients in Energy Drink

Every energy drink contains different nutrients and they are likely to have various effects on your body and play different roles.

Some ingredients can cause breakouts while others can make you go to the bathrooms frequently. However, some of the ingredients can cause more sweating and affect your body odor!

Following are a few ingredients that are present in energy boosters and which might cause unpleasant side effects such as causing bad smells.

Caffeine

Caffeine, the most essential ingredient of most energy drinks, provides many benefits to the consumer. If you are suffering from poor concentration and focus.

It is also great for athletes because it does not only reduce fatigue by making that adenosine or fatigue-causing ingredients, but it also increases your capability to perform physical tasks in a much better way.

Not able to study? Do not worry, a cup of caffeine will do the job. Not able to focus? You can depend on any caffeinated beverage!

However, there are not only golden sides to the consumption of caffeine. It can also make you experience some worst symptoms if two of the following cases:

  1. In case you have consumed a lot of caffeine or more than was required or exceeded the limit which is 400 mg.
  2. In case, you are caffeine-sensitive and your body is not as welcoming towards caffeine as other ingredients.

The following are the unpleasant side effects of caffeine consumption in the above cases:

  • Restlessness and shakiness.
  • Insomnia.
  • Headaches.
  • Dizziness.
  • Fast heart rate.
  • Dehydration.
  • Anxiety.
  • Dependency.
  • Change of body odor.

Sugar

The sweet and lovely culprit such as sugar surely tastes delicious in food. Almost every dish we love contains a high quantity of sugar.

However, sugar in the diet is not really important, in fact, it is quite opposite. The amount of harm sugar can do is unimaginable.

If you are someone who is diabetic then sugar is a pure enemy to you. Moreover, if you are trying to lose weight, then sugar is a total no.

That being said, sugar actually does not provide you any advantage except providing you a sudden boost of energy which is likely to vanish and turn into an awful advantage except to provide you fatigue soon enough as your insulin level starts hitting the ground.

Sugar produces sweat
Sugar makes you sweat more

Guarana

Guarana is a caffeine-rich plant, and it is grown in Amazon, to which it is native.

Being extremely rich in caffeine, it is also an important ingredient of energy boosters as it works as a quick energizing ingredient.

It displays several benefits; from treating fatigue to treating stomach problems, Guarana has several benefits.

However, being rich in caffeine might make this ingredient a bit dangerous for people who are not a fan of caffeine as it might cause the same side effects as caffeine for poor people!

Regular consumption of Guarana-containing drinks can also alter your body odor.

Does Caffeine Make You Stink?

Yes, the caffeine present in energy drinks can actually make you stink. The reason is that these energy drinks high in caffeine can make you sweat more.

The reason is that caffeine is a stimulant and it causes apocrine glands to become activated.

The apocrine gland is responsible for producing secretions that lubricate the skin or apocrine sweat. It is located in various areas of the skin. The gland is just under the skin and is covered by a small dome of skin called a modified apocrine gland.

However, as these glands become activated, and you sweat more and the sweat mixes with the bacteria over your skin, you are likely to smell quite different with a strong smell as the sweat is a bit more acidic than usual.

Does Sugar in Energy Drinks Make You Smell Bad?

Sugary drinks make you sweat more and you are likely to stink awfully.

Sugar in energy drinks has a high glycemic index, which kind of interrupts your blood chemical composition. These compounds present in sugar can mingle with the bacteria present on your skin and cause a stinky smell.

Do Energy Drinks Make You Stink?

Energy beverages can make you stink because of various reasons. It contains many stimulants which are not only going to make you active and alert but also sweaty and smelly.

These drinks are high in caffeine and sugar, these two stimulants can actually make you smell gross.

Caffeine can make your body odor stronger and more acidic due to two reasons; it activated apocrine glands in the skin, leading you to sweat more, and another reason is that caffeine increases Cortisol, which leads to more stress.

Stress can also change your body odor and make you sweat more. The sweat caused due to stress is quite stinky and sulfur-like.

Refined sugar in diet or energy drinks can also lead you to sweat more.

Is it Normal to Sweat After Energy Drink Consumption?

Yes, it is normal to sweat after consumption of energy drinks because they are rich in stimulants like caffeine and sugar, which are likely to activate certain glands along with certain brain parts.

You do not have to worry about sweating as long as you do not smell bad. The smell is caused by the mixing of sweat with bacteria on the skin. So keep your skin clean and you will not smell bad!

Does Red Bull Make You Smell Bad?

Many people have complained that they usually smell bad after regular consumption of energy drinks such as Red Bull energy drinks.

The reason is quite clear; Red Bull contains sugar as well as caffeine. These culprits might provide you a temporary benefit of keeping you active, however, they might leave you with a not-so-adorable gift of unpleasant smell.

Red Bull
Red bull can make you sweat

Does Monster Energy Drink Make You Smell Bad?

Monster energy drink, another famous energy drink brand, contains almost twice the amount of sugar that is required daily.

So if the drink causes you to smell foul, then you already know the culprit behind it.

Red Bull Energy DrinkMonster Energy Drink
Sugar37 g54 g
Caffeine136 mg160 mg
Sugar and Caffeine Content in Red Bull and Monster Energy

You can also stay away from the bad odor by avoiding highly caffeinated drinks, you can find out What Energy Drink Has the Most Caffeine? here.

Or you can also choose one from the 10 Best Sugar-Free Energy Drinks (Detailed List)

How Can You Prevent Body Odor?

Many measures can be taken to prevent yourself from smelling gross and foul.

You can regularly bathe and scrub your skin to make those tiny bacteria from your skin go away. Another thing you can do is to choose a moderately caffeinated beverage with no sugar.

Know what caffeine does to your body!

Final Verdict

  • Energy beverages or drinks, which have now become popular and a regular trend in the market, started for medical purposes and now they are used by almost every person.
  • Energy drinks can make you smell bad because of the stimulants like caffeine and sugar present in energy beverages.
  • The stimulants in energy beverages can make you sweat and the mixture of sweat and bacteria can produce a foul smell.
  • Many measures can be taken to prevent yourself from smelling gross and foul.

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