What Is in 5-Hour Energy?

I am on record for my controversial distaste of energy drinks; I previously dragged Red Bull’s flavor which riled some people up. But let’s face it folks: I drink my coffee black. Getting taste tips from me when it comes to your morning pick-me-up is a fool’s errand. Perhaps it is best to turn to Sporked’s Gwynedd Stuart for a more fair and balanced review of Red Bull flavors. But stick around here for an objective rundown of all the facts about 5-Hour Energy. What is 5-Hour Energy? What is in 5-Hour Energy? I’ll answer those questions and more, while withholding my own personal feelings on the stuff. 

Who owns 5-Hour Energy?

5-Hour Energy was introduced to the energy drink market in 2003 by a company called Living Essentials, LLC. The company’s owner, Manoj Bhargava is a very successful business man; by 2012 it was estimated that the 5-Hour Energy brand was worth $1 billion. 

The brand stood out in a bloated market of energy drinks. The tiny bottle made it not only easy to drink, but also made it very portable. Tucking one of these into your fanny pack during a hike is much easier than the standard 8-oz Red Bull.

There are four products in the 5-Hour Energy line: regular strength shots, extra strength shots, gamer shots—designed to attract the eSport population—and larger 16-oz cans that came out in 2021.

What is in 5-Hour Energy?

Each bottle of 5-Hour Energy advertises itself as being sugar free with zero calories. But the rest of the ingredient label reads like the shelf in a chemistry lab.

The primary ingredients are water, the artificial sweetener sucralose, and natural and artificial flavors. The Regular Strength 5-Hour Energy comes in several flavors: grape, berry, orange, pomegranate, watermelon, and strawberry lemonade. I guess these hide the chemical-y flavors, but not by much. (Sorry, I know I said I’d stay objective.)

When it comes to the “supplements,” there are some outrageous numbers that really made me laugh. First, you have 30 mg of Niacin, which is 188% of the recommended daily value. Then comes Vitamin B6 which, at 40mg, is a whopping 2353% of the RDV. And finally, there are 500 micrograms of Vitamin B12. 

I had never heard of a microgram before this, so I had to look it up. One microgram is the equivalent of 0.000001 grams. That’s 5 zeroes. That seemingly tiny amount of B12 translates into monstrous, Godzilla-sized, city-destructing 20833% of the RDV. It’s such a ridiculous number to see on an ingredient label that it simply has to be true.

The final supplemental element on the label is called Energy Blend and there’s 1780 mg of stuff (more on that later). What is the RDV percentage here? There isn’t one. That’s because the FDA hasn’t even come up with a number. Just a friendly reminder that almost all of these energy drinks are not FDA-approved.

How much caffeine does 5-Hour Energy have?

Now, let’s talk about that Energy Blend. The label claims that it has 200 mg of caffeine. This is the average amount found in an 8-ounce cup of coffee. So, this drink really does pack a punch in a small amount of fluid. 

But caffeine is not the only component of the Energy Blend. Also included are the following: taurine, glucuronic acid, malic acid, Citrocine, N-Acetyl, L-Tyrosine, and L-phenylalanine. Those last two are amino acids that are components of dopamine. Perhaps that explains why once you hit hour 6 after drinking one of these, you crash hard. 

What does 5-Hour Energy taste like?

I think the one positive thing about 5-Hour Energy is that it is only two ounces. It is quite easy to gulp down, allowing you to avoid the “flavor.” 

Even if you ask folks who do like energy drinks, 5-Hour Energy does not receive glowing reviews. Again, it’s not really meant to be slowly sipped. This is a quick shot. It’s often described as tasting like cough syrup or medicine or a concentrated energy drink. 

According to my sophisticated palate, 5-Hour Energy tastes like a 50/50 blend of cat piss and dog piss. Does this mean I have tasted both of these things separately? I’ll never tell.