They say size doesn’t matter, but no one has told the makers of Monster Energy Drink. Their cans dwarf the best-selling Red Bull, but does quantity win the battle over quality? We put Monster to the test to see how they size up against the rest of the energy drinks on the market.
Overview
When Red Bull came out it totally opened up a new market for energy drinks. Before that it was only colas, Gatorade, or coffee. Now there was a new segment, drinks that were designed to give you a burst of energy so you can make it through the day, and perform at your job to your peak abilities.
The Claim
They claim that they will allow you to “Unleash the Beast!” This will mean different things for different people. If you work in an office, maybe your beast will allow you to get through your afternoon paperwork in record time. If you are a BMX freestyler maybe your beast will allow you to get wicked air on your jumps.
Other than that their claims aren’t too over the top. Of course they say you’ll get a good burst of energy from drinking their product, but they do not say that it will last all day, or that you’ll be able to function better with it.
The Hype
There are so many spokespeople and celebrity endorsers for Monster Energy Drink that it’s hard to keep track of them all. It is one of the most heavily promoted drinks on the planet, which has created a lot of hype around it.
The Cost
You can usually pick up a single can of Monster for around $2. Many convenience stores will have specials when you buy more than one can. You can also find cases of 24 for cheap at places like Sam’s Club or Costco.
Evaluation
The Monster Energy Drink company wasn’t content to rest on their one product. They’ve created an entire catalog of beverages, each with their own unique twist to try and capture another sliver of the market.
Monster Energy – This is the original formula that started it all for them. It comes in the original oversized black can with the florescent green M on it.
Absolutely Zero – They are addressing the number one concern most people have with energy drinks: the calories and sugar. This contains no sugar, and no calories, but promises the same kick and burst of energy as the original.
Assault The main additive to this product is ginseng, an herb originating in China and popular throughout Asia. It is unclear what sort of ginseng they put into it, as there are various kinds, and also what sort of quality it is, and how much real ginseng root is in the drink.
Lo-Carb – Addresses the concern of so much sugar and carbohydrates in the original version.
Khaos – This product is half juice, so it can’t be that bad for you right? They say that it has the full amount of what makes monster energy drink work, so you’re still getting the full effects.
M-80 The 80 stands for the fact that this is 80% juice. But you’d better believe that they’re not putting high quality juice into their product because they know their core audience isn’t very concerned about their health. So you’re probably getting low-grade juice mixed with all the chemicals that go into a Monster Energy Drink formula, and you’re duped into thinking you’re being healthier.
MIXXD – This is a mix of several different juice blends, plus the original monster formula So it not only tastes good, but it also gives you the buzz that you’re looking for.
Dub Edition – We’re not exactly sure what they were going for with this variety, it seems to be their target market is urban youth, or DJs, this one’s a little mysterious.
Import – It appears that the only thing important about this version is the can. It’s got a resealable top and you’re supposed to be able to open and close it with one hand Making it pretty convenient.
Import Light – This seems to be the same concept of the resealable can, with its own specific flavor just with fewer calories.
M3 – All the power of a full 16 ounces of Monster Energy condensed into just 5 ounces. Not quite as small as 5 Hour Energy, but they claim it tastes better.
The Danger of Energy Drinks
Monster Energy drink isn’t a harmless beverage, and contains large quantities of sugar, caffeine, and other chemicals designed to give you a “rush”. The net result of drinking Monster Energy is that you are severely dehydrating your body and speeding up your heart rate.
It’s a great idea to take advice from Australia and the United kingdom on this one, they recommend to their citizens to limit your intake to just one can per day. For some reason in America they say you can drink three per day. This is a really bad idea. In fact, you should not drink this daily, and at most you could use it as a weekly pick-me up when you’re feeling super drained.
Final Monster Energy Drink Review
Of course Monster Energy Drink packs a punch, no one’s denying that. They wouldn’t be able to stay in business if people didn’t get the feeling of increased energy from drinking it. However, this just gives you the “feeling” of energy, and you aren’t truly being energized at all. True energy comes in the form of healthy foods that contain vital nutrients your body needs. This product actually depletes your body of true energy, but amps up your vital signs so that you feel like it’s doing something.
Our Recommendation
When your body is running at its optimal levels you don’t need any quick fixes like Monster Energy Drink. The reason you feel run down and like you don’t have enough energy to get through the day is because your lifestyle needs some adjustment. By not giving your body the things it needs on a daily basis that eventually starts shutting down, and you’ll feel depleted and unable to do the things you need to do. Start making some small changes like eating healthier foods and getting regular exercise and your energy levels are sure to naturally increase on their own.
If you still are looking to get a boost, we recommend getting some 5 Hour Energy.
So like im insomniac, so when i end up having nights of like 2 hours of sleep, this is a godsend. But i dont drink it more than once or twice per week cus its nasty for ur health
Monster coffee, drinks are the best on the market. Not too sweet, just enough energy, with out sending you off into the jitters. Please don’t change.
All of the other coffee drinks are too sweet.
man i’m gonna keep it real with you, i’m fully addicted to caffeine. i don’t feel right without it. but monster energy is really f-ed up… you can’t compare it to coffee at all. it’s like radioactive green slug juice. my old man’s homie is a construction worker, and he couldn’t go through a full day’s work without drinking at least two or three- well, one day guy passes the hell out and is taken to the emergency room- turns out there were like HOLES and shit ? in his stomach and liver from years of drinking it. they didn’t outright SAY it was from the drink, obviously, but it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together. i don’t know the full story exactly, all i know is he hasn’t touched one since. and i probably shouldn’t either.
I love them. I drink about 1 to 2 a day, depending on the day. Some days I dont drink them at all.. I love the taste! The first time I tried one it made me a little hyper and shaky, but after that, with moderation, I get the little boost that I like. Of course I wouldn’t reccomend drinking the whole can at once. I usually open it and just sip on it here and there. I give 5 stars if used in moderation. Definately wouldn’t reccomend for kids though.
I’m dead
While I’m certainly not climbing on a soapbox because my kids occasionally drink energy drinks, I’ve never tried one, and probably never will. I worked with a guy who was addicted to them and eventually died from a combination of energy drinks and alcohol. Anything that increases your heart rate unnaturally can’t be healthy. Then again, I eat and drink other unhealthy things, so I can’t say much. It’s just a personal opinion and choice not to drink them.
While I do enjoy the different varieties they have to offer. Especially the tea flavors. They really don’t give you all the energy you need aren’t healthy for you whatsoever. If you get the soda pop tasting ones then they won’t do as much as you hoped. In fact, many of them have high fructose corn syrup as one of their ingredients. That should be a tell-tale sign that it is NOT healthy for you. The carbonation bubbles hurt my stomach when I drink the sugar-free pink one. My recommendation is that you get enough hours of sleep, drink a lot of water, and eat healthy and you won’t need energy drinks.
Monster energy drinks do give you a boost of energy. The drinks taste good, but after I drink one, then I get a boost of energy, but I also have a nervous feeling. I changed from drinking the whole can into half of one can. I still had the energy, but without the nervousness that I was getting with a full can. They are costly too. I was paying almost three dollars a can which is way too much to get some added energy. This is another reason I decided to drink half a can in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. You still get the energy, but without a heavy cost and nervousness.
One of my closest friends almost lost her son due to Monster Energy Drink. Caleb, a teenager, was in very good health. He would drink an energy drink in between sports practice and his part-time job. When he read it was safe to drink more than one can a day, he would drink a second Monster while on the job and a third one on the way home so he could stay up and do homework. One night he ended up in the emergency room instead of making it home. Doctors are convinced that Monster caused his blood pressure to become super high. Parents, please talk to your teens about this serious issue.
Monster Energy offers what the hype says, and it gives you that kick that should keep you going. I’ve been consuming these for nearly three years now and they’re amazing. A warning, however… drink these energy beverages in moderation. Despite the fact that the label says to limit 3 cans daily, I’d just drink 1. There is 80mg of caffeine per 8 ounce serving; 160mg should you drink a 16ounce can. I drink one in the early hours, and very rarely one in the day. I find that I need to be careful so I don’t need to be dependent on caffeine, which is very possible when drinking this product. Still, as I said, I drink one to two Monster Energy drinks per day. Sometimes I’ll choose Red Bull over Monster, as I like the taste of Red Bull better, however Monster Energy Drinks are a much better deal at an average of $1.99 as opposed to Red Bull’s $2.99.
My husband got addicted to Monster drinks. LOL… He was low on energy and needed an extra pep. After seeing how this made him energetic, I decided to give it a try. Now, JOLT, by coca cola was my all time favorite, but Monster is the happy replacement. But of course, too much of a good thing is bad. When used in moderation, the drink is the best.
Well, I’m NOT a “POSER”! My daughter loved,loved Monster drinks.I had to limit her to 1 every day or 2.She was acting a lil bit figety&did do more work around the house-like cleaning her room&just getting up&ready. I thought it was a subliminal dud that she believed in.She was called into work on her day off&they needed her immediately.(Oh,I did forget!With the extra energy&effort,she had mild headaches.We just attributed it to her getting stuff done so quickly,&going on to what she wanted to do.Excitement!) My daughter really wanted to go to work&really wanted to make money.She begged for 1 more Monster.it had been 2 hrs so thought,it was ok.Work was 1/4 mile away.She was just going to jog on down to work.approximately 20-25minutes later,I got a call from the police.it was a small town&that officer was a friend of mine&chose to be the one to call me.my daughter jogged(not even running)to work.She was there less than 5minutes&complained of a headache&rush type feeling,plus chest(heart)pains.She collapsed.Unconscious!Co-workers called 911 only a block away.EMTs tried to revive her,per se’! She went into a Gran Mal seizure.I had mad it there by then.Through the co-workers,Emergency personnel,&hospital staff and testing the Monster drink was very incapatible with her heart&brain.It super-jolted her system.Plus,her excitement to get to work combined,was like giving her speed.It was several months&she was fine.She brought home a Monster drink.yelled at her.She argued back.She drank 3 big drinks–she suddenly felt that rushiness,again.I dumped it out.She laid on the couch&she FINALLY realized that this was a serious danger to her.I will say though- the “5hr energy drink” is a big positive.It works&i donknow 1 person that has had any adverse effects!
Not only did you do a horribly bias job at tackling the Monster franchise… you have far too many holes in your evidence for anyone to even consider what you’re saying to be true. I love what you had to say about the Dub Edition! It makes you look like you have no clue what you’re really talking about.
Posers.
By the way, the 2nd to last paragraph there is missing the word ‘not’ in this sentence… “energy, and you are truly being energized at all.”
Posers.