V Pocket Rocket energy shot
Energy shots claim to contain a “power blend” or “energy blend” that consists of a large dose of caffeine along with guarana, taurine and B vitamins. But any temporary energy boost you experience after consuming an energy shot comes mostly from the caffeine, rather than from any of the “extras”.
A few of the drinks have relatively high levels of sugar (see our product table), which will also give an energy boost.
- Caffeine is a stimulant you can become addicted to. If you regularly consume a lot of caffeine and then stop, you may experience withdrawal symptoms.
- Guarana is a caffeine-containing extract from a South American plant.
- Taurine is an amino acid used in a range of metabolic activities. But you don't need to buy it in a bottle or a can: meat and fish are good sources of taurine, so you can get what you need from your diet. There’s little evidence to suggest taurine is beneficial as a supplement.
- B vitamins are used by the body to release energy from food, but a well-balanced diet usually provides an adequate intake. And it's not a case of more = better. Once you reach the optimal B-vitamin levels, you just get rid of the excess through your urine.
- Sugar may be added to energy shots to make them taste better. Some of the products we found were sugar-free – but they were made more palatable with artificial sweeteners. Artificially sweetened products contain little or no energy, so they're more correctly called "stimulant shots" not "energy shots".
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