Energy drinks are a source of an energy boost. They are designed to provide you with mental and physical strength. This enhances focus and delays fatigue.
Most energy drinks depend upon sugar and caffeine to provide an energy boost unless they are sugar-free or decaffeinated. These ingredients if consumed on an empty stomach can cause health issues.
Even though the idea of getting an energy rush first thing in the morning sounds pleasing, this can cause severe damage to your health.
If you are thinking of drinking energy drinks on an empty stomach, you might change your mind after reading this article.
To know how energy drinks impact your health when consumed in your energy drinks, read ahead.
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What Is An Energy Drink Made Of?
There are various types of energy drinks in the market. The formula of these drinks depends upon the target consumers. Even though most energy brands have a unique formula in terms of the type of active ingredients used, some ingredients are common to all.
These ingredients include sugar, caffeine, amino acids, and vitamins. They vary in quantity depending on the brand and the amount of energy the drink claims to provide.
Drinking energy drinks on an empty stomach means your body will react with ingredients.
Unlike caffeine and sugar, amino acids and vitamins are safe to consume on an empty stomach.
How Does Sugar React To An Empty Stomach?
Sugar is a source of energy and flavor in energy drinks. Most energy drinks are filled with sugar because they can uplift mood and fight fatigue.
Sugar irrespective of when it is consumed can be dangerous for your health. Added sugars are a leading cause of obesity. It also put your heart and kidney at risk of various diseases and can lead to type two diabetes.
When sugar is consumed on empty stomach, additional problems can occur. As there is no food in your stomach to balance out the increased sugar level in the body, sugar is absorbed more quickly. This results in an immediate increase in energy that can lead to a sugar crash.
This sugar crash will affect your ability to focus and will cause fatigue.
How Does Caffeine React To An Empty Stomach?
Caffeine is the main ingredient in energy drinks as it is a natural stimulant. Caffeine contributes greatly to the surge of energy you experience after consuming energy drinks.
Caffeine, if consumed in moderate amounts, can improve focus and enhance mental clarity.
But high intake of sugar can be harmful and can lead to high blood pressure, severe headache, and insomnia. Since caffeine is acidic it will stimulate gastric acid which can cause indigestion and heartburn.
When caffeine is consumed on an empty stomach it reacts with the stomach acid present to digest food. This can damage the stomach lining.
To avoid that, you can choose energy drinks with a lesser amount of caffeine. You can choose wisely after seeing a comparison of caffeine content present in a few energy drinks below:
| Energy Drinks | Size | Caffeine Content |
| Red Bull | 8.4 oz | 80mg |
| Monster | 16 oz | 160mg |
| Rockstar | 16 oz | 160mg |
| NOS | 16 oz | 160mg |
| G Fuel | 16 oz | 300mg |
| Redline Xtreme | 8 oz | 316mg |
| Reign | 16 oz | 300mg |
Can You Drink Energy Drinks In An Empty Stomach?
It is better that you consume an energy drink after the first meal of the day.
Energy drinks contain caffeine, sugar, and other energy-boosting ingredients.
With no food in your stomach before the consumption of an energy drink, you will get an instant boost of energy. This immediate rush of energy wears out quickly leaving you feeling low and tired.
The food in the stomach balances out the rise in sugar and caffeine levels and causes a slow release of energy.
Drinking an energy drink first thing after waking up will result in the ineffective production of insulin by the pancreas.
This will result in a surge in blood sugar levels putting your health at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Insulin helps store glucose in cells and tissues and improves the rate of energy production through the food consumed.
Side Effects Of Drink Energy Drinks In An Empty Stomach
Energy drinks are ideal to be consumed after the first meal of the day. If you are planning to drink energy drinks on an empty stomach then you are mostly to get into health issues.
Drinking energy drinks on an empty stomach mainly impacts your metabolism.
Energy drinks filled with high amounts of caffeine and sugar should be avoided irrespective of when you are consuming them.
Overconsumption of caffeine can cause:
- Migraine
- Irregular heartbeat
- Muscle breakdown
- Insomnia
FDA suggests a daily caffeine intake of 400mg.
Overconsumption of sugar can lead to:
- Risk of heart and kidney problems
- Elevated blood pressure
- Weight gain
- Tooth decay
- Risk of type 2 diabetes
AHA suggests a daily sugar intake of 25g and 36g for women and men respectively.
What happens if you drink energy drinks on an empty stomach?
Drinking energy drinks on an empty stomach can damage your stomach lining as it reacts with stomach acid. This disturbs the pH levels of the stomach.
With disturbed metabolism, you might experience nausea causing the inability to focus.
This can also lead to indigestion and heartburn. If you are sensitive to caffeine then consumption of energy drinks on empty stomach can lead to caffeine crashes.
If you are used to caffeine consumption then you might not experience any side effects but the high of caffeine will wear out quickly.
Energy drinks should not be used as an alternative to meals as this will impact your health negatively. The nourishment and energy provided to the body by food cannot be replaced with energy drinks.
When Is The Best Time To Drink Energy Drinks?
The best time to drink an energy drink is after the first meal of the day. This way you can avail maximum benefits of an energy drink. The food will cause a slow release of energy that will last for a relatively long period.
Drinking energy drinks in mid-morning or afternoon will give the body enough time to metabolize caffeine resulting in elevated pressure levels.
Usually, energy drinks kick in after 15 to 20 minutes of consumption depending on the caffeine content of the drink.
Drinking caffeine at night will give less time for the caffeine to wear out of the system. This can hinder your sleeping schedule.
Drinks You Should Avoid Drinking In An Empty Stomach
Consuming energy drinks on an empty stomach can have adverse effects on your health due to the presence of ingredients like caffeine in them.
Drinking energy drinks without a proper meal leads to imbalances in your stomach. The energy drink disturbs the task of the hydrochloric acid present in your stomach inducing difficulties and indigestion. This leads to a disruption in your energy levels instead of experiencing an energy boost.
Most energy drinks contain considerable amounts of caffeine which is responsible for spiking your energy levels.
However, it will not play its role when consumed over an empty stomach. Instead, it can cause problems like dehydration and disturbance to your appetite.
Drinks like Monster energy contain a large amount of caffeine and sugar which makes it dangerous to consume them without a proper meal.
Drinking a Red Bull without a proper meal can lead to increased stress and anxiety levels. It can make you impatient and demotivated to get you through the day.
Sodas and fizzy drinks contain a large amount of sugar which can affect your stomach very badly. It can degrade your metabolism and make you feel uneasy and jittery.
Consuming energy drinks might lead to cardiovascular problems too. It can interfere with your pulse making it irregular and unsteady. This leads to an increase in your blood pressure making your heartbeat unsteady too.
Alcohol is very dangerous to be consumed without eating properly beforehand. It can cause serious dehydration in your body, anxiety, and headaches, or even trigger some muscular pain.
So, it is recommended to consume these drinks after having a proper and balanced meal.
Drinks You Can Consume In An Empty Stomach
Drinks that do not cause any imbalances in your body can be consumed on an empty stomach. So after waking up, our stomachs behave like sponges and can almost ‘absorb’ every fluid fed to them.
You have to be mindful of what you consume after waking up so you can have a healthy start to your day.
Water is amongst the best options that can be consumed on an empty stomach. It is the best rehydrating agent.
For a boost of vitamins, you can add lemon, cucumber, or any herb to your water.
To get hydration along with an energy boost green tea is a great option. It contains many antioxidants and is good for your metabolism.
To fight fatigue you can drink vegetable water made from green vegetables. This is a great source of nourishment and will enhance your energy levels.
Bottom Line
Energy drinks contain caffeine and sugar. These ingredients lead to indigestion and heartburn if consumed on an empty stomach.
It is always a good idea to start your day with something that provides hydration and nourishment.
Drinking energy drinks first thing in the morning will give you a quick energy rush but it will wear out in a short period. This will hinder your focus and your ability to perform mentally and physically.
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