Top 5 Energy Drinks For Finals

By: Henry Sacra

Sometimes, you just need a boost. Whether it is 3AM and you’re trying to cram for your AP Psychology exam last minute, or you're genuinely doing planned studying, you just need a boost. Energy drinks are a great way to get that boost in a pinch. But, with so many options, which ones are the best for your studies? 

Today, I will be ranking my top 5 energy drinks for studying for finals (or doing anything productive). These were picked solely based on the ingredients (with an emphasis on those that are beneficial to focus). 

The drinks will be ranked from best for focus to worst for focus, based on a multitude of factors being graded (but primarily the feeling of streamlined focus).

C4 Smart

C4 Smart is a well-rounded energy drink with a focus on nootropics that are said to boost your focus and recall. On top of this, it is tasty and has less caffeine than many of the newer pre workouts on the market - for anyone with a normal tolerance for caffeine, the 200mg in this drink should be the sweet spot between “no stimulation whatsoever” and “absolutely bouncing off the walls.” If you have a tolerance for caffeine, you may find that two of these suits you.

-Special Ingredients:

Caffeine (200mg) (InnovaTea® Naturally Derived Caffeine)

Cognizin® Citicoline

N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine

GHOST Energy

GHOST energy is an excellent canned pre-workout / energy drink. Personally, I think it ties with first; it tastes fantastic (it even has branded candy flavors such as Warheads and Sour Patch Kids) and has a blend of nootropics that I personally find help me focus well. Similar to C4 Smart, it only has 200mg of caffeine, but I find it to be pretty stimulating. The only reason GHOST takes second is because it may be a little bit too much for those who do not consume nootropics or caffeine regularly. For someone who has maybe a cup of coffee a week, this may make you feel a bit sick.

-Special Ingredients:

Natural Caffeine (200mg)

Carnipure® L-Carnitine

Alpha-GPC

NeuroFactor™

AstraGin®

Raze

Raze is another well-rounded energy drink. It contains Alpha GPC (like GHOST Energy), an ingredient that is known to boost focus in many individuals. Raze tastes pretty good, but just not as smooth as C4 Smart–it tastes more artificial. It should also be noted that it has more caffeine than the C4 Smart.

-Special Ingredients:

Caffeine (300mg)

Alpha GPC

Carnipure® L-Carnitine

Proprietary blend of amino acids and their nootropic mix

Xyience

Xyience is a great energy drink for those who cannot stand the typical caffeine buzz. Xyience has about 180mg per can and also contains L-Theanine, an amino acid known to be calming and promote focus (and, potentially, cut down on caffeine jitters). The Fuji Apple one tastes really good. I can’t say I’ve tried many of the others–they aren’t super memorable, but they taste good enough.

-Special Ingredients:

Caffeine (~180mg)

L-Theanine

GFUEL

GFuel is a reputable brand known for their powder mix that you put in water. Since the creation of this, they have begun to sell pre-mixed drinks in canned form. Some people seem to really enjoy the flavors of GFuel; they’re pretty good, in my opinion. This is an option for those who do not wish to ingest any nootropics - their blend for focus is simply caffeine, amino acids and an antioxidant mix.

-Special Ingredients:

Caffeine (300mg)

Proprietary amino acid mix

Proprietary “S7” Ketone Blend

Warning:

Consume energy drinks at your own risk. They may be dangerous for some individuals.

Find more information about nootropics and other additives here.