What are gaming drinks? What are some of the best energy drinks in the market? What are the benefits of drinking gaming energy drinks?
So many content creators turn to gaming because no matter how old you get, you’re bound to find a game that’s just for you or a game you’re willing to watch a streamer play for hours or for long gaming sessions.
Because of the gaming boom in the last ten years, and the rise of game streaming, it was only natural that companies would want to capitalise on this trend. One of these industries is the gaming drinks industry.
List of the best gaming drinks
Here is my list of recommended energy drink for gaming that you can buy in the UK.
- The Protein Works Endless Nootropic Gaming Energy Drink
- MyProtein Command Gaming Energy Drink
- G Fuel Energy Drinks
- Gamer Supps GG Energy Drinks
- Rogue Energy Gaming Energy Drink
- JuJu Energy Drink
Find out more about each recommended gaming drink, their benefits, pros and cons, and where to buy them.
The 6 Best Gaming Drinks
Below are my choice of the six best gaming drinks, that I particularly like.
1. The Protein Works Endless Nootropic Gaming Energy Drink
Why I like this gaming drink
Endless Nootropic by The Protein Works is their flagship gaming energy drink. They advertise it for a long gaming session or for those who are pulling an all-nighter.
They’re also marketing towards people who want to quit sugary drinks or those who are looking to replace their favourite soft drink with something healthier or at least something with a sugar-free option.
As stated in the formula, the ingredients revolve around nootropics or ingredients that boost brain function. Notable ingredients are theanine (for mood), choline for brain energy, and taurine for efficient energy metabolism.
Endless Nootropic is available in four flavours:
- Cool Cola Zinger
- Tropical Storm
- Green Apple Kick
- Blue Raspberry Twister
Key Benefits
- Helps fill daily vitamin and mineral needs
- Boosts mood and provides stress relief
- Keeps you in the zone
Pros
- One of the most advanced nootropic on the market today
- Supercharged formula for the brain
- Zero crash, zero sugar, zero calories
- Ideal for a good gaming session
Cons
- Only four flavours
- Poor choline form
- Generic ingredients
2. MyProtein Command Gaming Energy Drink
My thoughts
Myprotein’s Command Cans are described as the cutting edge of premium gaming nutrition. The formula’s focus is on energy and mental performance, as seen by the higher than usual caffeine content relative to other gaming supplements.
Despite looking like a typical carbonated drink brand, Command Cans are definitely marketed as anything but your regular sugar in a can. This is evident with the ingredients they use, especially those that benefit our eyes, mental performance, and energy metabolism.
Command Cans is available in four flavours:
- Citrus
- Grape
- Sour Apple
- Strawberry Laces
Key Benefits
- Good amount of caffeine per serving at 180 mg (caffeine content is about two cups of coffee)
- Lutein and Vitamin A for eye health
Pros
- Comes in a Ready-to-drink package
- Portable and easy to use
- Low carb
- Good caffeine per serving
- Contains B vitamins
- Good for eye health thanks to Lutein
Cons
- The formula dose per serving may be too small
- Minimalist formula may not appeal like other gaming supplements
- Only four flavours
- Caffeine content may be high for some gamers
3. G Fuel Energy Drinks
What I like about G Fuel
For a lot of people, the G Fuel brand is one of the most iconic gamer drinks in the market.
From bottle design and absolutely delicious flavours to popular endorsers, G Fuel is definitely at the top of the gamer drinks pyramid.
The most defining aspect of G Fuel is its blend of ingredients that include B vitamins, antioxidants, and a wide variety of mental energy boosters.
G Fuel has managed to somehow keep their signature formula despite having dozens of flavours to choose from.
Balancing formulation and flavour is no easy task, but this game fuel brand manages to do it so effortlessly.
Speaking of flavours, G Fuel has so many flavours, it’s really difficult to just write down a few, but here are some of the most popular ones I like:
- PewDiePie
- YUZU SLASH
- Sour Blue Chug Rug
- Hype Sauce
- FazeBerry
- Blue Ice
- Snow Cone
- Bahama Mama
- Battle Juice
- THE JUICE
- Bobby Boysenberry
- CLICKBAIT
Key Benefits
- No sugar crash
- Hefty vitamins and minerals blend
- Antioxidant for immunity and brain health
- Good taste
- High levels of energy, focus, and alertness
- Ideal for all sorts of gaming sessions
Pros
- The most recognizable brand among gamer energy drinks
- A lot of flavours and sizes
- Endorsed by popular content creators and professional gamers
- Described as the best game fuel in the market
- Intuitive “EXP” system when purchasing products
Cons
- Formula may look too complex
- Not exactly cheap
4. Gamer Supps GG Energy Drinks
What I like about GG Energy Drinks
Some say Gamer Supps GG is the “other G Fuel” brand due to its popularity as well as similar marketing strategy when it comes to funny flavour names, mainstream endorsements from gamers and content creators, and a wide variety of flavours and sizes.
What sets them apart is how the formula doesn’t try to be too complex and sticks with the basics of energy, mental alertness, and a decent caffeine per serving. They also market to those who want to lose weight, describing their products as keto friendly or low carb.
Well, if we can see the doses.
Unfortunately, Gamer Supps GG prefers to use a proprietary blend with their gaming drink formula, so it’s really not possible how much caffeine per serving it has or if we’re getting enough of a specific nutrient as game fuel.
Regardless, Gamer Supps GG is rising and is likely to knock on G Fuel’s doors anytime soon.
Some of the popular flavours are:
- Guacamole Gamer Fart 9000
- Waifu Candy
- Misfits Melon
- Mango Meta
- Dragonfruit
- Watermelon Ice
Key Benefits
- Contains “wellness” ingredients, including antioxidants
- Helps with vision and brain health
- Uses natural caffeine
Pros
- A rival to G Fuel in popularity
- Endorsed by many content creators and streamers
- Has a “WAIFU” brand for those who like female anime characters
- Available in 100 servings per container
- High amounts of B Vitamins
- Keto friendly
- Organic caffeine
Cons
- Undisclosed key ingredients doses
- Caffeine per serving is hidden
5. Rogue Energy Gaming Energy Drink
Rogue Energy drinks at a glance
Rogue Energy is one of those brands that is slowly becoming more than just an energy drink and more of a gamer-fitness beverage.
There are high levels of energy ingredients including 175 mg caffeine per serving, L-carnitine, and L-citrulline. These three can get you pumped and ready for a good gaming time.
However, I think the best part about Rogue Energy is their focus complex. This blend houses premium nootropics often found in fitness brands. We have the likes of bacopa monnieri, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and Mucuna Pruriens which are all premium.
That explains why Rogue Energy’s price tag isn’t exactly what you would call affordable, but the formula justifies it very well.
Here are some of Rogue Energy’s most popular flavours:
- Strawberry Kiwi
- Mango Pineapple
- Watermelon
- Fruit Punch
- Cherry Limeade
Key Benefits
- Can be used as a gamer drink and as a fitness drink
- Energy key ingredients in high amounts
- Premium ingredient forms
- Smart nootropic blend with potent key ingredients
Pros
- Fans describe Rogue Energy as the world’s best gaming energy drink
- Available in 12 to 50 servings per can
- Multiple flavours to choose from
- 100% Vegan and gluten-free
- High level of caffeine per serving
- Only 5 calories per serving
Cons
- Lack of creative flavours
- Similarity to fitness supplements may not be attractive
- Not as robust vitamins and minerals blend
- A bit pricey
6. JuJu Energy Drink
JuJu Energy drinks at a glance
JuJu Energy is a relatively new gaming drink brand, but it’s building a cult following with its amazing bottle designs, new flavours, and gamer endorsers.
What stands out to me is how the formula is actually really premium and optimal for mental energy. We have the likes of Alpha GPC, Bacopa Monnieri, VegiSurge Caffeine, and even LuteMax2020 for our vision.
The only nitpicks I have is how expensive one tub can get, but just like Rogue Energy, the premium ingredients justify the price tag and I agree with this wholeheartedly.
Popular Juju Energy flavours include:
- Bomber Pop
- Tropical Juggernaut
- Cherry Bomb
- Horchata
- Grapesicle
Key Benefits
- High amounts of B vitamins per serving
- Nootropic key ingredients for alertness and brain health
- BioPerine boosts overall bioavailability
- Suitable for weight loss or a ketogenic diet
Pros
- Rising brand in the gamer supplements industry
- Tub designs are amazing
- Robust formula
- Ingredients include those for wellness and brain health
- BioPerine for maximum ingredient absorption
Cons
- Price tag is premium
- Needs more caffeine
- Energy blend isn’t as potent as the others on this list
What are Gaming Drinks?
Gaming drinks are exactly what they sound like: Beverages meant to boost your video game experience for a long gaming session.
They primarily work by stimulating the senses for long periods, but some gaming drinks have started including ingredients that offer benefits outside of gaming as well.
You might be thinking, “Gaming drinks sound like your typical pre workout or fat burner,” and you’re actually right.
Functionally, the best gaming energy drinks do work just like your typical pre workouts or even fat burners. They often contain stimulants, a lot of “energizing” vitamins, and ingredients that help with focus.
What sets energy drinks apart from pre workouts and fat burners is how they are formulated and, more importantly, marketed.
A typical tub of the best energy drink will have high doses of energy boosters and stimulants like taurine, caffeine, and ginseng as well as vitamins that can increase energy and alertness even more.
We even see a few nootropics here and there. Sometimes we see the likes of citrulline or creatine, as these ingredients also help with overall performance.
As for marketing, gaming drink brands have more fun than other supplement counterparts simply because of the flexibility and creativity afforded to them by selling to gamers.
Their primary endorsers are famous online personalities or professional gamers, and their bottle or tub designs are way more colourful or funnier.
The best part? The “models” look like everyday people. They’re not like fitness supplements, where the endorsements come from super ripped or super bulky models or influencers. The people who endorse the best energy drinks look just like you and me.
Gaming Drinks Benefits
What do gaming drinks do for you? It depends on who you ask.
Based only on the common ingredients, and some outliers, here are some of the more notable benefits of drinking energy drinks.
Gives you an instant energy boost
The obvious first benefit of drinking a gaming drink is the energy boost. As we mentioned earlier, gaming drinks primarily wake your senses and make you more reactive to stimuli.
These senses are mainly your sight and hearing, and the stimuli being whatever sneaks up on you or comes out of your peripheral vision when you play video games.
The most common ingredients that do this are caffeine, ginseng, taurine, and focus ingredients such as CDP-Choline, bacopa monnieri, and N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine. The energy shouldn’t come from sugar, as you risk giving your consumers a sugar crash.
Not that expensive compared to other supplements
This is subjective and can be a case-to-case basis, but generally speaking, energy drinks aren’t as pricey as your usual gym supplement.
It’s because to be an energy drink, all you have to do is put stimulants in a liquid medium or be in a ready-to-mix sachet. This is where the typical canned energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster Energy belong.
Some popular energy drinks that come in tubs are also not as pricey, given how the formula doesn’t usually contain pricey ingredients meant to stimulate muscle growth.
Most gaming drinks only have stimulants, anti-stress ingredients, a bunch of vitamins and minerals, and maybe antioxidants if we’re going for those who claim to have long-term health benefits.
That is in contrast to most pre-workouts or fat burners, where companies try to fit in as many branded ingredients as possible to sell their claims on muscle growth and performance.
Some can help with weight loss
While weight loss isn’t the primary goal of energy drinks, more and more brands are starting to add fat burners and appetite suppressants in their energy drink formula.
And personally, that makes so much sense.
Serious gamers or professional game streamers don’t really get out much or even get out of their room. This makes their lives be more sedentary than active, and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to unnecessary weight gain.
Playing video games while also burning fat? That’s a dream come true for a lot of people.
Not to mention, a typical gaming drink is sugar-free or zero calories. This makes them free form a potential sugar crash.
Gaming drinks can also boost physical performance
We mentioned how gaming drinks can be considered gym supplements, and it’s mainly due to the stimulation they provide.
It makes sense, too, since when you trim it all down, a typical pre-workout and a typical fat burner are really just stimulants in a can or tub.
As far as stimulation is concerned, I think the best gaming drinks can be on a par with your average pre-workout or fat burner.
Beyond that is no longer gaming territory, but some companies are trying to build a gaming-performance hybrid.
Some ingredients can help fill nutritional gaps
The best energy drinks contain ingredients that can help give you your daily dose of vitamins and minerals, plus some essential amino acids. At the rate the industry is going, I won’t be surprised if they started adding prebiotics in the mix too.
What to look for in a gaming drink
Before we get to the best energy drink list, let’s go over what you want in the best gaming drink or powdered energy drink formula.
Calories
When it comes to supplements, you want the calories to be as low as possible, if not zero. This means you want formulas to be sugar-free or zero sugar. Your typical best energy drink should be sugar-free and use sweeteners with zero calories to compensate.
The best gaming drink can also some calories, but they shouldn’t exceed 200 as they’re approaching meal replacement territory. Being sugar-free or zero sugar also lets players avoid a sugar crash.
Nutrients
By nutrients, we mean the likes of vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids. A typical energy drink will have all three in some form or quantity. The most popular energy drinks will have all three in high amounts. Regardless, if it’s Red Bull, Monster Energy, or some other gaming drink, it will always have a blend of nutrients.
Additives and Allergens
Additives and allergens aren’t much of a problem in the gamer energy drinks industry as the ingredients aren’t often sourced from anything with soy, shellfish, dairy, or even gluten. So, it’s rare to see gamer drinks have labels like gluten-free or dairy-free.
In fact, traditional energy drinks don’t really use that many additives, aside from the usual plethora of natural flavours and colours.
However, it’s always safe to check the label for anything your body may not like, especially if you have a history of allergic reactions to supplements.
Stimulants
This category pretty much belongs to caffeine and its many alternatives. Over the years, the gamer drinks industry has been trying to go with both sugar-free and zero caffeine with natural alternatives like Yerba Mate and Guarana Extract.
If you’re not fond of caffeine, or if you don’t like your gaming sessions to interrupt your sleeping habits, it would be smart to choose gamer drinks that have no caffeine, but can still provide a great energy boost.
Sugar and other sweeteners
Popular energy drink brands often have zero sugar as the standard, so it shouldn’t be difficult to avoid any energy drink that has sugar. The other thing to watch out for is the sweetener used in place of sugar.
The health risks associated with alternative sweeteners has not yet been fully established, but generally speaking, if you don’t over consume, they are deemed safe.
The problem starts when you start getting on an energy drink binge, especially with long gaming sessions, regardless of whether the gamer drinks are full of sugar or not.
Gaming Drinks FAQs
What should I drink before gaming?
The first thing you should always drink is water because hydration is more important for both gaming and health. After water, just go for any of the gaming drinks supplements on our list, and you’re guaranteed to have a good gaming session.
I recommend assessing your tolerance first before buying your first game drink.
As a standard, 90 mg is equivalent to one cup of black coffee. Many game drinks have upwards of 150 mg caffeine, with some reaching 250 mg, which is already gym supplement territory. Most people can handle two cups of coffee per day, but some can’t.
If you have problems tolerating caffeine in any amount, you’re better off looking for a stimulant-free energy drink brand.
Do gaming energy drinks work for gaming?
Yes, they should, especially since that’s what they’re formulated for. They work because they help stimulate the senses, making you more sensitive to in-game movement especially in PVP or FPS games.
They’re also helpful for those late night gaming sessions where you and your friends get a rare night where you’re all online together, so you want to play until the wee hours.
Can energy drinks work for weight loss? Can you lose weight when you drink energy drinks?
Yes you can can lose weight when you drink energy drinks, but you shouldn’t rely on the formula alone. Losing weight is more about diet and exercise than just relying on a drink with fat burning ingredients.
Can I take energy drinks as pre workouts?
You can take energy drinks as pre-workouts, but there’s a limit. With a few exceptions, energy drinks are just that: energy in liquid form. Fitness supplements are more than just energy. They are also formulated for muscle mass, pumps, muscle recovery, anti-stress, testosterone production, and even fat burning.
