Energy Drinks vs Coffee: Which Gives You More Energy?

Isabel Vasquez is a bilingual registered dietitian practicing from an intuitive eating, culturally sensitive framework. Her clinical experience includes providing outpatient nutrition counseling to adults with a variety of chronic health conditions, along with providing family-based treatment for eating disorders in children and adolescents. She also offers intuitive eating coaching for Latinas to heal their relationships with food, particularly their cultural foods.

Karen Ansel, M.S., RDN, is a nutritionist, journalist and author. In her 20-plus years of experience, she has written hundreds of health-focused articles about food, nutrition, fitness and wellness. Her work has appeared in EatingWell, Women’s Health, Weight Watchers, Men’s Health, Shape, Woman’s Day, Prevention, Fitbit and other publications and websites.

When you need an energy boost, you may wonder if there’s a difference between coffee and energy drinks. After all, they both contain caffeine to stave off the dreaded afternoon slump. But there’s more to these drinks to consider, especially added ingredients that could spell trouble for your health.

To help you decide, we asked experts which is a better way to get your energy fix: energy drinks or coffee. Keep reading to find which is the healthier, more effective choice. 

The main way energy drinks increase energy is through caffeine, a central nervous system stimulant that helps reduce fatigue, sleepiness and grogginess.1 “The caffeine blocks adenosine, which is [a brain] chemical that signals fatigue,” says Amy Goldsmith, RDN, LDN. When you consume caffeine, it kicks in quickly, usually in about half an hour. Because each of us metabolizes caffeine differently, the amount of time it lasts depends on your unique physiology. However, the typical adult will get a caffeine boost for about five hours. During that time, you may experience increased alertness, improved reaction time and less fatigue, says Jordan Langhough, RD, CPT. 

Trouble is, the amount of caffeine can vary substantially from one energy drink to another. In fact, it can range from as little as 40 milligrams to as much as 250 mg per 12-ounce can (and up to 330 mg in a 16-ounce can). To put that into perspective, the Food and Drug Administration recommends consuming no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day.2