Emblematic of energy products are the eponymous Red Bull cans and the tiny energy shots like 5 Hour Energy. Supplement-style ingredients range from those providing a direct energy boost (read: caffeine and calories) to ones promising a more efficient energy burn during exercise or those that promote a faster, more efficient recovery.
Caffeine, often formulated as green tea extract to piggyback on tea’s antioxidant benefits and positive consumer associations, is the key active ingredient in a plethora of energy shots, gels, stick packs, gummies and even some bars.
Among the other ingredients making a splash in energy beverages are D-Ribose, an ingredient made from glucose syrup via fermentation. and L-carnitine, a molecule that is part of the cell's fat-metabolism pathway.
