What do you prefer to start your day with? In my case, I used to go for coffee, but in the past few years, I have found various good energy drink brands. Those beverages taste great and have several benefits considering the ingredients they contain.
However, I have heard people complaining about a few side effects caused by energy drinks, such as nausea, insomnia, weight gain, and so much more.
As I consume caffeinated drinks regularly so consumption of energy drinks does not cause me to become nauseous. That said, as far as the side effect of bloating is concerned, I’ve experienced bloating after the consumption of energy beverages.
So, the quick and short answer to whether energy drinks can cause bloating or not is, yes, energy drinks can cause bloating.
In order to know how energy drinks cause bloating and what can you do to avoid bloating caused by energy drinks, you should read the article to gather relevant information.
Let’s get going!
Bloating And Its Causes
Intestinal gas also called intestinal bloating or intestinal gassiness is the presence of gas in the intestine. Bloating is usually caused by the fermentation of food in the intestine, which produces carbon dioxide and other gases.
The amount of intestinal gas varies from person to person, and sometimes intestinal gas is accompanied by other symptoms such as belching, nausea, and abdominal pain.
Intestinal gas is usually not a cause for concern, but if you have a lot of intestinal gas or if your intestinal gas is accompanied by other symptoms such as belching, nausea, and abdominal pain, you should see a doctor.
Here are a few reasons behind bloating:
- Swallowing air can be resulted from eating chewing gum or eating too fast.
- Constipation
- Overeating
- Acid reflux (GERD)
- Weight gain
- Menstruation
- A diet containing gas-causing ingredients
Bloating Causing Ingredients in Energy Drinks
Your diet is one of the main reasons why you get stomach issues including bloating. Bloating can actually make you uncomfortable.
It can feel like your stomach is stretched out and you cannot eat anything without feeling full. It can also feel like your stomach is too small and you are constantly hungry. The symptoms of bloating are usually most noticeable in the morning, right after you wake up.
A few ingredients present in energy drinks that might be causing you to feel bloating are the following:
Carbonated Water
Carbonated water is water that has been treated to make it fizz with gas. It’s commonly used in soft drinks and other beverages.
The fizzling of the water is caused by adding carbon dioxide to the water. The most common way to obtain carbonated water is to bottle it, but it can also be obtained through various other processes such as treating the water with a gas such as air.
Carbonated water is beneficial for the colon as it dissolves the majority of the solid waste. However, it does give rise to other health risks, such as bloating, gas, and the formation of hard feces.
Energy drinks are carbonated drinks, hence due to the presence of carbonated water, they are likely to make you bloated.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a drug that is a natural ingredient. It’s used to give people energy so that they can work and function better.
It can cause people to become energetic, which can make them feel good, but sometimes it also causes them to become irritable and anxious.
Caffeine is not an ingredient that might generally cause bloating, however, people with sensitive stomachs might experience the symptoms of bloating.
One of the reasons why caffeine might cause bloating is that it increases the acidity of gastric secretions and acid reflux might cause bloating.
Do Caffeine Drinks Make You Bloated?
Caffeine does not generally cause bloating. But, if you are someone with a sensitivity toward caffeine then you are likely to experience bloating.
Caffeine might indirectly cause you to become bloated as a result of acid reflux.
Sugar
If you consume highly sugary drinks, then you might end up feeling bloated. The reason is that sugar can prevent large intestines from absorbing the water properly and this might lead to water retention or bloating.
Moreover, sugar can make you gassy and bloated because when you eat too much sugar, so it’s not properly broken and it starts fermenting in the bowel. The slow movement of sugar through the large intestines causes bad bacteria and yeast to feed on it and this might build gas in the intestine.
So, consuming energy drinks with high sugar content can actually make you bloated and gassy.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein that most of us consume almost on a daily basis, from eating bread to sweet cakes, Gluten is a part of our diet.
That being said, not everyone has an acceptable stomach for Gluten. Some people have gluten sensitivity as a side effect, people with gluten intolerance can experience bloating and a gassy stomach along with many other side effects such as nausea, headaches, rashes, etc.
What Do Energy Drinks Do To Your Stomach?
Energy drinks can sometimes cause your stomach to become upset due to the presence of caffeine and sugar and other ingredients such as herbs.
Some energy drinks can cause your stomach to bloat, and make it gassy. In some extreme cases, energy drinks can cause diarrhea, vomiting, etc.
Why Does Monster Make Me Bloated?
Monster Energy is a popular energy drink that has gained popularity to the extent that it has surpassed the popularity of Red Bull.
Monster Energy contains sugar and caffeine and due to the high contents of both ingredients, Monster energy can make you bloated.
What Gets Rid Of A Bloated Stomach?
If you are bloated due to something you ate or due to a cause you do not remember, then you do not have to worry because you can get rid of the bloating in your stomach by following these methods:
- You should exercise in order to get rid of bloating. Try abdominal exercises to get rid of the gases.
- Go for a walk.
- Keep yourself hydrated
- Use peppermint capsules.
- Try gas relief capsules
Do Energy Drinks Cause Weight Gain?
Energy drinks can cause weight gain because they are rich in sugar.
The presence of high dosages of sugar can keep your blood sugar level high, and eventually lead to weight gain if your sugar level stays high.
Even though caffeine has been said to cause weight loss, new research has shown that caffeine might also cause weight gain in some people.
In order to avoid weight gain, you should consume an energy drink, which has a moderate amount and caffeine and sugar.
| Energy Drinks | Caffeine Content | Sugar Content |
| Red Bull 16 fl oz | 147.6 mg | 51 grams |
| Monster Energy Drink | 163.3 mg | 54 grams |
| G Fuel | 300 mg | 0 grams |
| Rockstar Energy Drink | 160 mg | 63 mg |
Is One Energy Drink a Day OK?
Drinking one energy drink per day is enough, and okay.
One or two energy drink is safe for the average healthy adult but those with medical conditions should take additional precautions. Also, you have to actually look at how much caffeine is in a drink.
If you experience certain side effects such as headache, nausea, stomach cramps, etc., then you should try alternatives to caffeinated energy drinks or consult your doctor.
Side Effects of Too Many Energy Drinks?
There is a certain limit to everything, including drinking the number of energy drinks. Sometimes, people do not tend to keep a check on the number of energy drinks they are consuming and they may lead to certain unwanted effects such as:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Stomach Cramps
How Many Energy Drinks a Week is Safe?
There are many energy drinks that promise you several benefits, but one should not tend to overconsume these drinks.
You should limit your energy drink intake to 1 drink per day, which makes it 7 drinks per week. Make it a habit to keep your caffeine and sugar intake in check.
What is the Highest Caffeine Energy Drink?
The Redline Xtreme energy drink contains the highest amount of caffeine with a content of 316 mg per 8 fl oz can.
This is quite a high amount of caffeine. Therefore, it can have both short-term and long-term side effects.
Final Verdict
- Intestinal gas also called intestinal bloating or intestinal gassiness is the presence of gas in the intestine.
- Bloating is usually caused by the fermentation of food in the intestine, which produces carbon dioxide and other gases.
- Energy drinks can cause bloating due to the presence of carbonated water, sugar, gluten, etc.
- However, it’s not something that cannot be treated because there are several ways by which bloating can be treated.