What is a "Gaming" Energy Drink?
Ever since GFuel arrived to the scene in 2012, a wave of "gaming energy drinks" has taken the world by storm. The market quickly became saturated with similar products, all promising to optimize your gameplay with their new groundbreaking formulas. But what exactly differentiates a "gaming" energy drink from a regular one? What even is an energy drink in the first place?
You're probably thinking, "Well, that's easy — an energy drink is a drink with caffeine in it", and we're here to tell you — you're not wrong. However, it's a bit more nuanced than that (though you could be forgiven for making this generalization). After all, if you add caffeine to a food bar, you've suddenly got yourself an "energy bar", so what makes energy drinks any different?
One thing that is certain is that caffeine is a fundamental ingredient energy drinks of all kinds have in common, though the amount of caffeine can vary quite drastically. They also tend to be water based, either carbonated or as a powdered drink mix. You'd have a pretty boring product if you didn't add anything else to talk about though, so energy drinks will almost always feature some amount of vitamins and/or electrolytes so they can be promoted as being healthy. It's at this point that the formulas from brand to brand begin to differentiate.
Traditionally, energy drinks are thought of as being quite sugary, as many of the classic energy drinks you'll find at the grocery store or gas station (such as Red Bull and Monster) contain a significant amount of sugar in their original flavors. Although just about any brand of energy drink nowadays has a sugar-free version, being sugar-free is one of the key points gaming energy drinks use to differentiate themselves from your classic energy drink. This is to detach themselves from the infamous sugar crash stigma associated with traditional energy drinks, which obviously can't be good for competitive gaming. But what else do gaming energy drinks bring to the table?
Gamers, in a marketing sense, are thought to have one priority: optimization. It makes sense considering that the nature of gaming tends to revolve around a competitive aspect. Gamers will invest thousands of dollars into getting the best computer, peripherals, and even chairs. They'll go the whole nine yards to optimize their gaming setup. Why wouldn't they be interested in something that can also "optimize" the very controller of their own body — their brain?
That brings us to the next key differentiator gaming energy drinks boast to have over their traditional counterpart: loads of supplements. This is where there is much more of a variety from product to product because, as you'll come to find out, there isn't necessarily a "most optimal formula for gaming" — but why is that?
For starters, you can't replace a healthy diet and exercise with supplementation. If you really want to optimize your mind and body, you should probably start there. That said, it doesn't mean an energy drink can't provide you with a meaningful boost. But that's just it — gaming energy drinks claim to do so much more, almost as if by drinking it you'll gain supernatural powers of sorts: "lightning fast reaction!", "razor-sharp focus!", "maximum mental endurance!" — the truth is, most of the effects of gaming energy drinks can be attributed to the caffeine content. Many of the common supplements found in these drink mixes require dosages of several grams or more to provide a meaningful benefit. If a small fraction of this is all that's found in your formula, can you really claim it delivers the same effect? That seems to be the common theme when it comes to gaming energy drinks, which we disagree with.
When we were designing the formula for Astrafruit, we wanted to be genuine about it — no marketing fluff, no BS. That's why our energy formula only consists of 3 key ingredients that are among the most well-researched to back their intended effects: 100mg Caffeine, 100mg L-Theanine, and 600mg Creatine; the holy trinity of energy supplementation. Where caffeine provides the foundation, theanine and creatine serve to compliment its effects; theanine by mitigating jitters and increasing focus (it is synergistic with caffeine on a 1:1 ratio), and creatine by gradually working to increase power output and reduce mental fatigue during demanding activities, while also supporting memory. This modest blend of ingredients allows you to enjoy 2-3 servings of Astrafruit per day to keep the energy flowing, without overdoing it. So, what are you waiting for? Give Astrafruit a try today! Use code TRYASTRA to get 20% OFF your first order.