You’re suffering! You’re halfway through your workday, and you’re fading out fast. You can take a break and either head to the coffee shop next door or go to the convenience store down the street to get an energy drink.

Energy drink vs. coffee, which one will be better for helping you power through your afternoon? The answer isn’t as cut and dry as you may think.

Energy drinks have a worse reputation even though they contain about the same amount of caffeine as coffee. They can also both pack as many calories, depending on how you prepare your coffee. Keep reading to learn more.

Reputation

When you type in Bang energy drink vs. coffee in Google, you’ll find that the Bang gets more hate. Energy drinks, in general, have a horrible reputation.

While your energy drink might get taken from you if you try to consume it on a school campus, coffee is fine to have. Why is that? Part of it is a lack of understanding.

There’s been more research done on coffee than energy drinks because coffee has been around practically since the dawn of man. The former is still pretty new. The truth is, both beverages have their own sets of pros and cons.

Coffee Won’t Increase Your Calorie Count

Energy drinks aren’t only a concentrated cup of caffeine. They pack a ton of sugar that ups the calorie count by a lot. When comparing black coffee vs energy drinks, you’ll find that coffee has only has about five calories while energy drinks have over a hundred.

You can argue that coffee can have almost as many calories if you’re the type of person who adds plenty of sugar and cream to it. If you find yourself needing to cover up the bitter taste of coffee, there are ways to do it without adding to your waistline.

Instead of putting spoonful after spoonful of sugar into your cup, try honey or stevia. Both will add plenty of sweetness to the coffee. You can also use flavored almond milk rather than the traditional cream or milk.

There’s Not Much of a Caffeine Difference

The average cup of coffee has around 150 grams of caffeine, while an 8 oz energy drink has about 200. Unless you reach for the large 12 oz cans, they both have about the same caffeine content. Even so, energy drinks kick in a lot faster.

This is because people often chug them. You have to sip coffee because it’s usually hot when you get it. You’ll burn your throat if you take a huge gulp outright.

You will find that you’ll stay awake a lot longer if you sip a coffee vs. downing an energy drink due to the high sugar content in the latter. Most people experience a crash a few hours after drinking one.

Coffee Is Cheaper

If you’re looking for a beverage that will be easier on your wallet, reach for coffee. As long as you buy a box and make your own at home, you’ll spend way less than buying a 5 dollar energy drink each day to get you through.

Of course, if you go to a shop to get your daily java, that will hike up the strain on your wallet. If this is what you’re doing, convenience store energy drinks will be a little cheaper.

Taste

Taste is all a matter of personal preference. When it comes to coffee vs energy drinks, some prefer the tangy kick of Red Bull. Coffee is too bitter.

Again you can make coffee a little more tolerable if you add the right sweeteners and creamers to it. These can only do so much, however.

Some people believe that energy drinks are sickeningly strong, whereas coffee has a richer flavor pallet. Others think that both coffee and energy drinks are gross.

For these people, there’s always tea. It’s warm like coffee, but it’s nowhere near as bitter. It can also come in a wide range of delicious flavors.

Additives and Preservatives

Perhaps the largest argument against energy drinks is the sure amount of additives that go into each can. When you drink it, you’ll also be consuming dyes, preservatives, and tons of artificial flavorings.

Energy drinks are often advertised as containing ginseng and taurine. These ingredients won’t harm your body, but you don’t need them to function either.

In comparison, coffee contains almost no preservatives or gross additives. In fact, it’s full of helpful ingredients such as vitamin B2, potassium, and magnesium. All things that your body needs in order to stay healthy.

Side Effects

Coffee and energy drinks have most of the same side effects. If you drink them too close to bedtime, the caffeine will leave you tossing and turning. Both beverages can increase your heart rate and leave you jittery.

Drinking them can also increase your chances of developing heart disease, but you have to consume a lot of caffeine for something like that to occur.

Energy drinks have their own unique side effects if you use them as a mixer for alcohol. The caffeine will prevent you from feeling the effects of the alcohol as much. This could lead to you drinking way more than you should, which could cause alcohol poisoning.

Energy Drink Vs. Coffee: Which One Gives a Better Boost?

Energy drink vs. coffee, which one will work best when the afternoon brain fog sets in? They both have their own pros and cons. If you don’t mind consuming a few extra calories, there’s nothing wrong with drinking an energy drink.

The beverages pack about the same amount of caffeine. As far as taste goes, that’s all a matter of personal preference. If you’re looking for ways to stay awake that don’t involve consuming caffeine, visit the Health section of our blog.