Energy shots are a specialized kind of
energy drink that contain a dose of the stimulant
caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine t ...
in a small amount of liquid. Whereas most
energy drinks are sold in cans or bottles, energy shots are usually sold in 50ml bottles. Energy shots can contain the same total amount of caffeine,
vitamin
A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an Nutrient#Essential nutrients, essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its ...
s or other functional ingredients as their larger versions, and may be considered concentrated forms of energy drinks. "Micro shot" energy drinks also exist, containing only 1–5 teaspoonfuls (5–25 mL) of liquid.
Ingredients
Similar to
energy drinks, energy shots contain caffeine, vitamins, and herbs such as
guarana
Guaraná ( from the Portuguese ''guaraná'' ), ''Paullinia cupana'', syns. ''P. crysan, P. sorbilis'') is a climbing plant in the family Sapindaceae, native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil. Guaraná has large leaves and cl ...
,
ginseng
Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as Korean ginseng ('' P. ginseng''), South China ginseng ('' P. notoginseng''), and American ginseng ('' P. quinquefolius''), typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides an ...
or
ginkgo biloba
''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils ...
,
taurine
Taurine (), or 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid, is an organic compound that is widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight. It ...
,
maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food ingredient. It is produced from vegetable starch by partial hydrolysis and is usually found as a white hygroscopic spray-dried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as r ...
,
inositol
Inositol, or more precisely ''myo''-inositol, is a carbocyclic sugar that is abundant in the brain and other mammalian tissues; it mediates cell signal transduction in response to a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors and ...
,
carnitine
Carnitine is a quaternary ammonium compound involved in metabolism in most mammals, plants, and some bacteria. In support of energy metabolism, carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria to be oxidized for energy production, an ...
,
creatine
Creatine ( or ) is an organic compound with the nominal formula (H2N)(HN)CN(CH3)CH2CO2H. It exists in various modifications (tautomers) in solution. Creatine is found in vertebrates where it facilitates recycling of adenosine triphosphate ( ...
or
glucuronolactone
Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring substance that is an important structural component of nearly all connective tissues. It is sometimes used in energy drinks,. Unfounded claims that glucuronolactone can be used to reduce "brain fog" ar ...
. Some energy shots contain sugar; however, many brands also offer artificially-sweetened 'diet' versions. Some decaf varieties are also offered. The central ingredient in most energy shots is caffeine, the same stimulant found in
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
or
tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...
. Vitamin based energy shots contain numerous additional vitamins and supplements for sustenance, sustainment, and overall health. 5-Hour contains vitamin levels sometimes hundreds of times higher than the recommended RDA, according to a 2010 test by ConsumerLab.com. Some energy shots include
electrolyte
An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. Upon dis ...
s, and others include a selection of vitamins.
The average 50ml energy shot has about 80 mg of caffeine. This is approximately equivalent to a cup of
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
S ...
.
Effects
The functional ingredients of energy shots are comparable to those of
energy drinks, and their effects on improvement in mental and cognitive performances and subjective alertness are in line with the effects of traditional energy drinks. Vitamin based energy shots have variable benefits dependent on the additional ingredients.
History
The idea of energy shots started decades ago in Japan, where small “tonics” became very popular among consumers, served highly concentrated and without carbonation. With the introduction of
energy drinks as of the late 1980s, the efficacy of these energy shots started to travel the world as a new product format. In 2003, the founder of 5-Hour Energy discovered an energy drink at a natural products trade show and formulated a similar product reducing the content from 16 to 2 ounces but keeping the energizing effects. Daily Finance credits them with largely creating the energy shot market. By 2008, there were over 25 brands offering energy shots in the US alone. In 2009, major energy drink producer
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
launched an energy shot. By 2011, energy shots became so popular that
5-Hour Energy sold $1 billion of their product at retail.
Although originally marketed in the US, energy shots are also becoming popular in other parts of the world, such as Europe, Asia and Australia.
The products are aimed at customers who seek high efficacy with little liquid intake, and include truck drivers and students.
Products
As of June 2009, there were approximately 250 energy shot brands in the US.
5-Hour Energy owned 90% of the market share in 2011, according to research firm of Symphony IRI.
Some of the manufacturers of energy shots also market
energy drinks, however, crossover success has not been common for the larger brands such as
Monster
A monster is a type of fictional creature found in horror, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology and religion. Monsters are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive with a strange, grotesque appearance that causes terror and fe ...
and
Rockstar
Rock Star or Rockstar may refer to:
Films
* ''Rock Star'' (2001 film), an American film starring Mark Wahlberg
* ''Rockstar'' (2011 film), an Indian Hindi-language film by Imtiaz Ali
* ''Rockstar'' (2015 film), an Indian Malayalam-language fi ...
.
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...
, the category leader of the energy drink category, launched an energy shot of its own in April 2009.
"Red Bull unveils energy shot"
/ref>
See also
* List of energy drinks
The following is a notable list of energy drinks, with a few coffee variants, and some soft drinks such as Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and Pepsi listed for comparison, and marked in a different color. The caffeine content in coffee and tea varies, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Energy Shot