A wise man named Ronnie Coleman - the greatest bodybuilder of all time - once said, "everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights." Absolute legend.  

Likewise, everyone wants to be successful, but nobody wants to wake up at the crack of dawn. 

I get it: 

Waking up early is essential, but it sucks too. Who wants to get out of their warm bed to start their day when they can hit snooze and go back to sleep? 

Whether you're rising at the crack of dawn to hit the gym, studying in the library for a test at the last minute, pulling an all-nighter on Xbox with your friends, or working the graveyard shift for the fourth night in a row, you're bound to feel tired, low on energy and possibly, miserable at some point. 

That's where energy drinks come in - many use these sugary cans of goodness to get them through the day. And although they're delicious, most energy drinks are something you should only have once in a while. 

Between harmful chemicals you can't pronounce, tons of low-quality caffeine, not to mention a boatload of sugar, most energy drinks do more harm than good. 

But not all energy drinks were created equal. Some energy drinks like Early Bird are made with natural and healthy ingredients proven to be good for your body and mind. 

I've spent several years reading, learning, and testing different energy drinks to pursue a healthy way to wake up every morning feeling great and ready to take on the day without crashing in the afternoon. 

In this post, you're going to learn about the best energy drinks and everything inside. There's a lot to like about healthy energy drinks, and a lot more to watch out for when it comes to their unhealthy counterparts. From energy drink nutrition to their red flags, it's all in this post. 

Let's dive in: 

There are three reasons why you feel like crap in the morning - and fixing these issues is the best way to wake up early feeling great for the rest of your day. 

Here they are: 

1. Hydration 

Overnight, you lose about a pound of water while breathing, which is why you wake up dehydrated. Early morning dehydration makes it quite hard for you (and your body) to wake up properly. 

Water first thing in the morning helps, but we discover something that supercharges hydration… more on that soon.

2. Fast-acting, long-lasting energy 

You need energy for both your brain and body to wake up feeling ready to start the day. Waking up without giving your body energy is like trying to jumpstart a car that's been in the cold all night. The car itself is fine, but it needs a bit of a boost to get going. 

Your brain goes offline overnight and needs a boost to get going, as does your body, which is stagnant all night long. 

Some energy drinks nail the fast-acting energy part of the equation but fall flat on their face when it comes to long-lasting energy that keeps you moving throughout the day. 

Giving your body both fast-acting and long-lasting energy is the key to wake up motivated, and stay that way throughout the day.

3. Mood enhancement 

Ever started your day by bashing your head against a wall five times fast? Probably not - that'd ruin your mood. 

Your morning mood has been shown to affect the rest of your day. If you want to have a great day and get sh*t done, you have to nail your morning mood.

That's why including a mood enhancement supplement first thing in the morning is key to feeling great all day long. 

The EarlyBird Morning Cocktail is made with the perfect combo of 3 Nootropic Blends that give you energy, motivation, and EXACTLY what your body (and brain) need to make your mornings AWESOME... You'll wake up easily, EVERY SINGLE DAY!

That's why Wake Up Early and Get Sh*t Done is the Early Bird mantra.

EarlyBird is designed to do one thing and one thing only: help you wake up early and get sh*t done by giving your body and brain everything they need to have a kick-ass day! 

After mixing with water in a shaker cup, EarlyBird makes use of a nootropic blend designed to hydrate you, make you feel good, and deliver fast-acting, long-lasting energy. It's definitely the best energy drink mix on the market. 

Here are some of the ingredients in EarlyBird:  

• Electrolytes: An electrolyte blend that delivers supercharged hydration when your body needs it most
• Ashwagandha: A special, patented form of Ashwagandha (KSM-66) shown to combat that annoying morning brain fog (you know what I mean).
• Theobromine: it's an alkaloid found in chocolate! It gives you that warm and fuzzy feel-good feeling without the sugar
• Spectra™ Mixture: a unique mix of antioxidant fruits & vegetables that lower oxidative stress (makes you feel good).
• L-Theanine: an Amino Acid found in tea leaves that promotes smooth energy and intense focus, all day long
• PurCaf & Infinergy: natural, patented caffeine from green coffee beans gives you a mental jumpstart, without the crash. This caffeine is of high quality, far better than the ingredients used in most energy drinks and even cheap coffee. 

With zero sugar or calories and a bunch of ingredients from fruits and vegetables, EarlyBird is THE morning supplement. Simply mix with water in your shaker cup the night before, and leave it on your nightstand before bed.

Unlike Monster and Red Bull, EarlyBird is designed to give your body exactly what it needs most to feel great all day long.

EarlyBird is the best non-carbonated energy drink on the market. It's also an energy drink powder mix, so it's cheaper and more convenient than regular energy drinks. 

In the morning, wake up, shake, and drink. You'll feel better almost instantly! You can even use Early Bird during your night shift. 

EBOOST Super Fuel is a tasty, non-GMO energy drink that will keep you awake all day long. Although it doesn't compare to EarlyBird, EBOOST is the best you're gonna get from a standard energy drink in can form. 

It was mentioned in BevNET's "Best New Products" of 2019, and has a ton of essential vitamins/minerals - it's free of artificial sweeteners as well. It has some nootropics too, which aid brain function and uses electrolytes to help with hydration. 

It's sugar-free, but has a decent amount of caffeine per serving, coming in at 100mg of natural caffeine, derived from botanicals. Still, it's one of the best energy drinks to stay awake all day on the market. 

Known as the official energy drink of E-sports, Gfuel is quite popular among gamers. It's priced well, around $36 for ~40 servings, which is on the cheap side for energy drinks in general (roughly $1 per drink). 

However, this powdered energy mix is packed with caffeine, coming in at 150mg per serving, nearly double that of a Red Bull. 

Although it may be good for some, those with lower caffeine consumption habits (and consequently, lower caffeine tolerance) may find the drink overwhelming. 

Rather than being able to focus, you may end up tweaking out. If you're a regular caffeine user, this supplement is for you - otherwise, I'd opt for an energy drink that won't give you the jitters (check out our post on the best energy drinks for gaming if you want more information.) 

On the bright side, Gfuel is sugar-free, so you won't have to worry about a blood sugar spike followed by a crash, aka a rollercoaster of energy.

Energy drinks affect your body in a variety of ways thanks to a bunch of different chemicals/ingredients. 

According to How Stuff Works, here are some of the most common ingredients in energy drinks: 

• Ephedrine - This is a central nervous system stimulant, that's a common ingredient in weight-loss supplements. However, some have concerns about its effects on the cardiovascular system, mainly the heart.
• Taurine - This ingredient is a natural amino acid found in the body that regulates muscle contractions and heart beat. Experts are unsure of its effect on the body when used as an additive.
• Ginseng - A root believed by some to have a few medicinal properties, including boosting energy levels and reducing stress.
• B-vitamins - These vitamins converse sugar into energy (because most energy drinks have a ton of sugar, which is unhealthy)
• Guarana seed - A stimulant that comes from a small shrub native to Venezuela and Brazil.
• Carnitine - An amino acid that plays a role in fatty acid metabolism.
• Creatine - Creatine is a supplement commonly used by bodybuilders for its effect on the muscles
• Inositol - A member of the vitamin B group that helps relay messages between body cells
• Ginkgo biloba - Made from the seeds of the ginkgo biloba tree; some think it improves memory.

Despite many energy drinks' advertising saying otherwise, sugar and caffeine are responsible for the majority of the energy boost you feel after downing a can.

When caffeine enters your bloodstream and makes its way to your brain, adenosine - a chemical that makes you feel tired, involved in sleep - is prevented from binding with your brain's receptors. This blockage causes brain neurons to go off, and your body goes into fight or flight mode. 

Then, it releases adrenaline, causing your heart rate to increase, and makes your eyes dilate. Your liver will also send more sugar to your bloodstream for a quick energy boost.

Lastly, caffeine boosts your dopamine levels, which is why drinking coffee, energy drinks, etc. can become addicting. All of these things make you feel as though you have more energy for a short while. 

Unfortunately, the caffeine-induced adrenaline spike will soon wear off, alongside a steep decline in blood sugar levels, causing you to crash later in the day.

This sudden drop off in alertness might make you crave more caffeine, which isn't a sustainable solution to feeling tired. 

Instead, it's best to eat right, exercise often, and get plenty of sleep. Eating healthy, complex carbohydrates is another way to give your body sustained energy throughout the day without the crash, as opposed to simple carbs and sugars that spike your energy levels, followed by a crash. 

When evaluating an energy drink, taking a look at its caffeine content is usually a good barometer of its potency and effectiveness. 

But don't try to drink more caffeine than your body can handle, especially if you don't have it regularly.

Drinking too much caffeine can give you jitters and headaches, among other things. Your discomfort from the caffeine overload will definitely make you feel worse than before. 

Most energy drinks give you a quick boost of energy followed by a crash. Early Bird, on the other hand, uses caffeine from green coffee beans to give you fast-acting, long-lasting energy without the crash.

Rather than going for a drink like Monster Redline that may have 300mg of caffeine per serving (3x a cup of coffee), go for an energy drink with other ingredients that promote focus, mental clarity, hydration, etc. 

This way, you can stay awake all day (or night) without going overboard in the caffeine department. 

Coffee and tea are two of the most popular drinks around the world. Though largely dependent on brewing time, technique, serving size, and more, coffee often has double the caffeine as the same amount of tea. 

The average cup of coffee has nearly 100mg of caffeine, whereas a cup of black tea (the most popular type of tea worldwide) has around 47mg. 

Most people can safely have 400mg of caffeine per day maximum, and when your consumption levels are below that threshold, many studies have associated plenty of health benefits with the world's favorite stimulant. 

But is there a difference between coffee, tea, and energy drinks' impact on energy? 

Tea

Tea has less caffeine than coffee but it also has a lot of L-theanine, an antioxidant that stimulates your brain (Early Bird also makes use of L-theanine). 

According to Healthline, L-theanine provides anti-stress effects by increasing your brain's alpha waves, leading to a calm, relaxed feeling. 

Counteracting the stimulating effects of caffeine, you'll have an alert mind without feeling drowsy later on. This is why some think tea provides a smoother energy boost than coffee. 

Coffee

Coffee gives you an energy boost by boosting dopamine levels and blocking adenosine as we mentioned previously. 

Dopamine is responsible for your heart rate increase and the jittery feeling from drinking too much coffee - it also affects your reward system, which is why caffeine/coffee can become addictive. 

Unlike tea, your body absorbs 99% of coffee's caffeine within 45 minutes of consumption, but blood concentrations are at their highest within 15 minutes of consumption, which is why many prefer a cup of Joe when they need a quick pick me up. 

Energy Drinks 

Typical energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar are probably the least healthy out of the three because of their excessive levels of sugar. These mainstream energy drinks are glorified cans of soda with way more caffeine and different marketing. 

Sure, they have caffeine and will help you stay awake temporarily, but the sugar will inevitably lead to a crash and when consumed regularly, aren't good for you whatsoever. Just like you shouldn't drink coke every day, you shouldn't drink sugary energy drinks on a regular basis either. 

But that doesn't mean all energy drinks are bad - in fact, Early Bird combines the benefits of coffee and tea into one awesome way to wake up early feeling great.