5 Hour Energy Review: Is it the Strongest and Best Energy Drink on the Market?

Do you find yourself tired more often than you want to admit? The sale of energy drinks is exploding, which confirm Americans are now drinking more of this stuff than ever before, and the king of the best energy shot drink is popularly known as 5-hour energy.

What a catchy and brandable name, by an Indian immigrant with a true success story of making the American dream in a very big way. It is not only the most powerful energy drink in the world, it also the best-selling small shot quick burst of energy drink.

The maker of this best energy drink is called Living Essentials LLC, and the majority shareholder of this privately held company is an Indian immigrant by the name of Manoj Bhargava. He’s as mysterious as his rise to real success.

We do know he dropped out of Princeton University after enrolling in 1972 and lasted only one year because he became bored with the easy classes. You can read this Forbes article about his true rise to success, and how he came about the idea to create and start selling five-hour energy drink in the first place.

How could a new startup in 2003 create a new product, and then come to dominate the energy-shot market with over 90% market share? It took a well-positioned energy drink product with an awesome logo and name, to make all that happen. Personally, I have tried it a few times in the past, and it was just too strong for me.

For those wanting to know, does 5-hour energy work? In a nutshell yes, if you’re looking for a way to stay up far longer than your normal bedtime. It can also help you if you have a deadline to meet and you need a burst of raw energy to keep you up so that you can finish the project on time.

The dangers of energy drinks caused the FDA to start several investigations of mysterious deaths tied to this powerful concoction now sold in almost every store in American, including Walmart and the giant online retailer Amazon. Is 5-hour energy bad for you? It would depend on if you enjoy drinking a strong cup of coffee.

If you do not get an adverse reaction from coffee, then drinking one of this small energy drinks from 5 hour would not create any immediate worries, but you should see the section on the side effects one can experience from drinking too much on a regular basis.

This energy drink is not cheap by any sense of the imagination. It cost almost $3 for each shot, and in some big cities like NYC it would probably cost you about four bucks. While some people think truck drivers are the main drinkers, the sales data proves otherwise. This best energy drink is being consumed in affluent areas in great abundance.

You can find lawyers, doctors, accountants, taxi drivers, truck drivers, chefs, bartenders, etc., drinking this high energy drink. While the majority of the drinkers of this best energy shot drink are men, women are also buying millions of the strong product with the introduction of the six new flavors.

This guy that created it is very smart, and he has managed to sue copycats to submission, and other firms with similar products are finding it hard to come up with many flavors, and branding like he does.

You cannot mistake the color of the packaging at checkout counters of your local supermarkets or gas station convenience stores.

Not only did the company that makes this product come out with 5-hour energy extra strength, you can now buy one in six different flavors, with more on the way aftermarket testing.

The current best selling 5-hour energy flavors are:

Berry
Pink Lemonade
Citrus Lime
Orange
Pomegranate
Grape

Another smart marketing technique that helped to boost sales, is the funny comical 5-hour energy commercial regularly shown during popular television shows, and has racked up millions of views on YouTube. The commercial is featured in this article; you can watch it and let us know what you think in the comments section. Best of all, this energy drink is marketed as having only four calories per can, with no added sugar.

5 Hour Energy Founder Video

For those looking for who owns 5-hour energy, here is one of the few videos of him giving a speech at a TIECon conference. What an ordinary guy you might assume, but he’s as ruthless as they come with the way he sends his lawyers after any new product that comes close to imitating his product.

How Much Caffeine is in 5 Hour Energy?

If you’re searching for how much caffeine in 5-hour energy, good luck trying to determine the exact amount in the energy shot drink. The company s not forthcoming about 5-hour energy caffeine contents, but many tests conducted by independent organizations give us some data to base our conclusions on.

It is estimated that the caffeine in 5-hour energy is about 207 and 215 milligrams in each shot. It is equivalent to the same amount of caffeine found in a regular 12-ounce cup of coffee. You should know that caffeine is a well-known stimulant, and most people depend on it to provide mental alertness and fight fatigue.

In some people, caffeine can create side-effects that can be deadly. It can cause sleeplessness, anxiousness, rapid heartbeat, nervousness, irritability, nausea, loss of appetite, cold sweats, and diarrhea.

Also, some of the symptoms exhibited by those suffering from caffeine overdose includes; dehydration, fever, irregular heartbeat, headaches and sometimes seizures in more serious cases.

5 Hour Energy Caffeine Free

You have to give kudos to this guy that makes five-hour energy drink, for trying everything to keep any real competition from emerging to challenge his market domination. Due to the hoopla about the caffeine content in the drink, the company came out with a decaf version called 5-hour energy shot beverages, decaf citrus.

At present, it is only available in one flavor. Just like a regular cup of decaffeinated coffee, each shot only contain 6 mg of caffeine. The 5-hour energy decaf version has been met with rousing approval from the buying public.

While it still contains caffeine, it is small as compared to the original formula. Amazingly, most consumers that have tried this version insist it still delivers the quick energy burst like the original formula.

5 Hour Energy Side Effects

The side effects of 5-hour energy can be traced to the caffeine content in the energy shot drink. That little bottle has a lot of caffeine in it, and that is what provides the kick that millions of consumers worldwide like.

Most nutritionist would urge you exercise caution when consuming this type of powerful energy shot drink. Those with past problems or toxicity to caffeine should stay away from even tasting this product.

Children and those that are expecting should not be drinking this strong energy shot drink. Those nursing a baby or have prior sensitivity to caffeine should stay away from this drink. I suspect many kids are buying this stuff since there is no regulation or age limit.

Even the creator of 5 hour energy shot drink advises you should not drink more than two shots in one day, and each shot should be at least 6 to 7 hours spaced apart. From the many online 5 hour energy reviews I examined, the risk of addiction and dependence is very high for those taking this product.

Just like millions of people are addicted to Starbucks coffee products, the risk of addiction to five hour energy shot drink is real. In some of the data from current users and past users, some complained of irregular heartbeats, headaches, irritability, moodiness, all occurring when the energy shot drink is depleted in their system, which makes them want to drink some more.

Another deadly mistake people make is to combine 5 hour energy and alcohol. Do not for one minute think that this energy drink will allow you to drive safely when you’re already drunk. Combining it with alcohol is just asking for it, and the company that makes 5 hour energy shot drink advises you don’t do it.

You can get this energy shot drink in three different formulas; extra strength, original and decaffeinated. The version that’s decaffeinated might be more suitable for those with sensitivity to caffeine and niacin, which is another significant ingredient in the original formula that’s not present in the decaf 5-hour energy drink.

5 Hour Energy Ingredients

What exactly is in each shot of 5 hour energy drink? We looked through the company website, and some of the 5 hour energy ingredients list was derived from the information the manufacturer sent after our inquiry. I can tell you from past experience that the five hour energy ingredients list must be missing something to keep copycats at bay.

So do not for one minute think these ingredients in the 5-hour energy list will allow you to create your own version in your kitchen or homemade laboratory. The key ingredients are:

There are several forms of vitamins included in this powerful and strong quick shot energy drink.

Vitamins

It contains vitamins B6, vitamins B12, Niacin which is a form of vitamin B3, Folic acid in the form of vitamin B9.

Other energy blend ingredients are:

Citicoline – This is a well-known water soluble compound that can be manipulated to help with brain function.

Tyrosine – this is a form of amino acid, and can be made to help with the transmission of nerve impulses to the brain.

Phenylalanine – this is also a form of amino acid, and it can be formulated to help with alertness.

Taurine – while this ingredient can be found in humans naturally, the true way it is sourced is open to debate. It helps one have proper digestion while also supporting key cell membranes.

Malic Acid – while it can be found in some fruits, the version used in 5-hour energy is not clearly indicated.

Glucuronolactone – this is another lab created ingredient that can help the human body metabolize stuff properly. It plays a role in keeping one awake.

Caffeine – I am sure you know about caffeine, and it is one of the most potent ingredient in this best energy shot called 5 hour.

Sucralose – while the label on the packaging for this drink shows it contains no sugar, but it is sweetened using Sucralose, which is a sweetener found in Splenda.

What about the issue of Niacin Flush?

Small segments of our population have sensitivity to niacin within any product. Niacin flush is a term that refers to skin redness, or hot prickly feeling that’s supposed to last only a few minutes. You can negate the symptoms, by only drinking half the contents of the small energy drink.

What it does not contain

This best energy drink does not contain Ascorbic Acid; neither do they use Aspartame as part of the ingredients list. Despite some of the false information one can find online about this most powerful energy drink, one of the most annoying and false rumor is that it can make a person fail a drug test. Five-hour energy does not contain any ingredient that would make you fail a drug test.

Final Verdict

Here is the 5-hour energy commercial, which has been viewed millions of times online by potential consumers like you.

This is not the cheapest 5-hour energy one can find for sale online, but the original one will cost you less than the cup of a medium size Frappuccino from Starbucks. The known 5-hour energy ingredients list includes caffeine, with fewer amounts in the decaffeinated version.

This most powerful energy drink is well established as the king of this niche market, and can give you a quick burst of energy for few hours. It does produce side effects in some people, and you stand a good chance of getting addicted to the substance if you take too much at a time.

Does 5-hour energy really work? In my humble opinion yes! A few energy shots every week should give you all the stamina you need to complete your projects or term paper.