How Do Energy Drinks Affect Your Mental Health?

Energy drinks have exploded in popularity in recent years. Dressed in colorful labels and enticing flavors, brands like Celsius, Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar promise to wake up your senses, sharpen your focus, and boost performance, among other things. 

And with the lure of ‘brain-boosting’ additives like nootropics and herbal extracts, it can be easy to assume they’re safe—maybe even healthy. 

But experts are warning against relying on them as a daily pick-me-up.

“Energy drinks make you feel more alert, but most of that effect comes from caffeine. It’s not the energy your body is creating, it is more like your body is borrowing energy it doesn’t truly have. That’s why many people crash once the effects wear off,” says Po-Chang Hsu, MD, MS. 

So, before you crack open that Celsius to power through another long day, let’s take a closer look at what’s inside those trendy cans and how it can affect our mental health. 

What’s in an Energy Drink?

While brands vary in formulations and potency, here’s what you’d typically find in an energy drink:

Caffeine

Caffeine is the primary stimulant in energy drinks, with the average content ranging from 80 mg to 200 mg per serving.  Certain brands, however, crank the caffeine way up. For example, Spike Hardcore Energy packs a staggering 350 mg caffeine per 16-ounce can. That’s roughly 4 cups of coffee or 7 cups of black tea. Similarly, Bang and Celsius Heat contain 300 mg per can, which is equivalent to over 3 cups of coffee or 6 cups of black tea. 

While moderate caffeine intake can improve alertness, attention, and reaction times, too much may trigger anxiety, restlessness, or headaches. 

Sugar

Sugar is what gives you that instant burst of energy, though it’s short-lived. Once the initial rush wears off, blood glucose levels drop rapidly, causing sluggishness, irritability, and, surprise, more sugar cravings. Most energy drinks contain anywhere from 40 g to 60 g of sugar per 16-ounce serving, with certain brands going even higher. For instance, Rockstar Super Sours Energy Drink contains a whopping 83.5 g of sugar per serving. That’s more than 20 teaspoons of sugar.

Carbonated Water

Carbonated water, found in most energy drinks, “doesn’t provide any real energy benefits, but adds the sparkle and delivers a mild tingle to your tongue,” says Scott Baptie, nutritionist and Sunday Times bestselling author of ‘The Everyday High Protein Handbook’. 

B Vitamins

Another common ingredient is B vitamins such as B3 (niacin), B6, and B12. “B vitamins are essential for energy metabolism, but most people get enough through their regular diet, and your body will excrete what it doesn’t need,” explains Dr. Hsu. So, unless you’re deficient, the benefits are minimal. 

Taurine

Taurine is an amino acid that supports energy production and promotes brain health, among other uses. However, our bodies are able to make all the taurine we need on its own, except in certain conditions like liver or kidney disease. Besides, “the quantity in most energy drinks is too small to be effective,” says Baptie.

Herbal Extracts

Many energy drinks also boast buzzy added ingredients like nootropics and herbal extracts. Think ginseng, green tea, ginkgo biloba, or guarana seed extracts. 

While these ingredients may have potential in higher concentrations, they’re unlikely to produce any noticeable effects given the amount in a typical serving, says Dr. Hsu. 

Mental and Emotional Effects of Energy Drinks

Energy drinks can impact our mental and emotional health in major ways. For example:

They Can Make It Harder To Regulate Emotions

High levels of caffeine and sugar combined with herbal stimulants can overload the nervous system, which may lead to increased irritability, mood swings, and difficulty managing stress, says Samantha Silverman, Denver-based therapist and owner of Silver Linings Counseling.

“And when you’re not feeling fully balanced or clear-headed, it’s easier to make impulsive choices and react in ways that don’t really reflect how you want to handle things,” notes Michelle English, LCSW.

They May Worsen Symptoms Of Anxiety And Depression

The high caffeine and sugar content in energy drinks can trigger symptoms that overlap with anxiety, like a racing heart or jitteriness. “That can make existing anxiety feel worse. For people with depression, the energy spike and crash cycle might also mess with mood and energy levels even more,” says English. 

And if you’re drinking them late in the day, they can disrupt your sleep, making both anxiety and depression harder to manage, adds English. 

They May Cause Caffeine Dependency

Frequent use of energy drinks can lead to caffeine tolerance. So, your body needs more and more of it to achieve the same boost. 

“I personally struggled with this for years. At peak, it was 3 litres of Monster every day,” shares Martin Cox, a 48-year-old business owner from London.

Over time, this can create physical and psychological dependency, making it nearly impossible to function without them. Common signs of caffeine dependency include headaches, brain fog, irritability, and fatigue when you skip them or reduce intake.

“I’d get withdrawal headaches, migraines that would last 2 days if I didn’t drink for a day,” Cox recalls. 

“In some cases, this pattern of dependence may even resemble addiction in how it affects motivation, behavior, and emotional balance,” notes Silverman.

They May Disrupt Sleep

Excessive caffeine and sugar content in energy drinks can also disrupt natural sleep cycles, which are essential for emotional processing and mental clarity, says Silverman. 

How Many Energy Drinks are Too Many?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day for healthy adults. 

“Since one energy drink can contain anywhere from 70 to over 300 mg, it’s easy to go over that if you are not keeping track, especially if you also drink coffee, soda, or tea,” says Dr. Hsu. 

Dr. Hsu recommends not having more than one can a day, particularly if you’re sensitive to caffeine.

Also, make sure there are no other stimulating ingredients in it, as the combination can be overwhelming, says Dr. Lamees Hamdan, an integrative medicine physician.

If you’re trying to cut back, Dr. Hsu suggests gradually reducing your intake instead of going cold turkey. “It helps to replace the habit with something else—like green tea, which has less caffeine, or even flavored water for the ritual of sipping,” he adds. 

“I used to drink energy drinks all the time to keep myself going during busy projects,” says Adam Bushell, director of an electrical and communications company based in Sydney. 

“The initial boost was great, but the crashes later on were tough to handle. I experienced jitters and anxiety, which would make it hard to focus. Worse, I found myself struggling to sleep, and it really affected my productivity,” he shares. 

“I gradually reduced my consumption, then switched to natural alternatives like tea. I now focus on getting enough sleep and eating better to sustain energy so I don’t have to depend on energy drinks,” adds Bushell.

Alternative Ways To Boost Energy

Ready to ditch the can? Here are four alternative ways to stay energized, according to experts:

• Stay hydrated: “Drink more water than you believe necessary,” says Baptie. Even mild dehydration increases fatigue, reduces alertness, and impairs mood. If you’re tired of plain H2O, try mild caffeinated drinks like white tea or no-caffeine options like coconut water, rhodiola rosea, and peppermint tea.
• Eat every 3-4 hours: “Include a balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber in all meals,” says Amanda Holtzer, RD. She also suggests incorporating balanced snacks between meals, like Greek yogurt with berries. In addition, limit intake of sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods to avoid energy dips from sugar crashes. 
• Get enough sleep: “It’s essential yet often overlooked,” says Baptie. Sleep regulates cortisol and blood sugar levels and stabilizes mood—all of which can impact how energized you feel.
• Exercise regularly: Even light exercise can make a big difference, says Dr. Hsu. Exercise improves blood flow, balances blood sugar, and triggers release of endorphins—helping you feel more alert and energized naturally.  

Keep in Mind

Energy drinks seem like a convenient, even healthy fix to combat fatigue, but the purported benefits come at a hefty price. Over-reliance may lead to mood swings, sleep woes, even worsened anxiety. The good news? There are plenty of proven and safe ways to boost your energy naturally. And it all starts with listening to your body, not the latest trends.