“Energy drinks are bad for you” is what many teenagers and young adults have heard from people who cannot tell a Red Bull and a red flag apart. But there is some truth to the saying because excess in energy drinks is bad. But what about energy water?
Is Monster Hydro good for you? Monster Hydro is good for you if you’re athletic and want to remain hydrated and carb-loaded during a short performance period. It isn’t a good general-use hydration drink because of its sugar and caffeine content.
In this article, we will cover the unique case of Monster Hydro, which is part hydration drink and part caffeinated energy drink. Because of its presence in two categories, it has unique benefits and drawbacks that require a deeper look.
With an in-depth analysis, a look at the ingredients, and the situations where the beverage has the most impact, this article will help you understand whether it is right for you. Oh, and stick around for Monster Hydro alternatives near the end.
But first, let’s look at how the beverage differs from Monster Energy.
Monster Hydro: A Brief Overview
Monster Hydro is not Monster Energy.
It is a more hydrating and less caffeinating version of Monster Energy. It is not carbonated (fizzy) like regular energy drinks but still contains more caffeine than an average cup of coffee.
Monster Hydro is positioned as energy water and is best for athletes who find energy drinks too dehydrating.
If you switch from higher caffeine beverages like Monster Energy Ultra or Bang Energy to Monster Hydro, you might find it lacking in oomph. But don’t let the reviews of caffeine-bros misguide you. Monster Hydro is a caffeine heavyweight. And here are its advantages.
Monster Hydro: Pros
The advantages of Monster Hydro are a combination of the perks of hydration drinks and caffeine. But these advantages are not very pronounced because caffeine and hydration remain at odds. Still, these are noticeable and can make quite a difference.
1. It Gives You Energy and Hydrates You
Do you feel like you have a tiny stomach? If so, then Monster Hydro might be for you.
Athletes need water, and they need caffeine during physically demanding tasks. But they cannot afford to run, fight, cycle, or be quick with two bottles’ worth of fluid in their guts.
Monster Hydro makes hydration and caffeination more convenient.
2. It Is Better for Athletes Than Common Energy Drinks
Athletes can sometimes be single-track thinkers. Those lacking caffeine can start chugging energy drinks and get muscle cramps. And those focusing on hydration might get so full of water they cannot perform.
Energy drinks are fizzy, create a water burden on one’s biology, and are generally unsuitable for high aerobic activity. Energy water is a much better solution to help you get the caffeine you want without putting your body in a water deficit.
3. It Doesn’t Harm Your Stomach Lining
Carbonated drinks can have a ‘bite’ to them. You might feel it on your tongue when you take a sip of Pepsi or Coke. This sting is also felt by your stomach lining if you have the beverage on an empty stomach.
Most people don’t drink Pepsi or Coke on an empty stomach, but athletes who need to keep their guts light do consume energy drinks without eating anything. Doing that can wreak havoc on their guts.
Monster Hydro can remove the carbonation drawback from the caffeination equation for people who take energy drinking with an empty stomach.
Monster Hydro: Cons
Monster Hydro is widely adopted in UFC and MMA. This is mostly due to Monster’s brand deal with the fight sports organizer.
The reason why Monster Hydro has yet to take over the hydration drinks market is that it has some native drawbacks. Here are a few of them.
1. It Can be Expensive
If you get Monster Hydro for free because of a sponsorship deal, you might find it beneficial to your performance.
But if it isn’t free, would you pay for it?
The answer to that is personal. Objectively speaking, Monster Hydro is more expensive than other hydrating beverages.
2. It is a Self-Contradicting Product
To some extent, Monster does cancel itself out. At least the hydration aspect of the drink is nerfed by its caffeine content.
When caffeine goes into your body, your body needs more water to keep up with the stimulated state it produces.
It has a diuretic effect which doesn’t gel well with a hydrating beverage. You can sip water after consuming Monster Hydro to offset this drawback.
3. It Contains Sugar
Monster Hydro might be good for athletes, but that includes physical athletes only. It is not ideal for the everyday use of the masses.
The sugar content in Monster Hydro is significant enough to contribute to weight gain.
Fortunately, there is a Monster Hydro Zero Calories drink that doesn’t feature sugar. It doesn’t have this disadvantage. The surplus calorie drawback is valid only for standard Monster Hydro drinks.
Is Monster Hydro Good For Hydration?
Monster Hydro is good for hydration but doesn’t have as many electrolytes as classic hydrating drinks.
Hydro also contains caffeine which has a dehydrating effect. According to customer reports, the net result is that the beverage is slightly hydrating for a caffeinated beverage.
A sip of water would be more hydrating than a sip of Monster Hydro. So if you want to hydrate, you have three options:
- The first is to just drink water
- The second is to get an electrolyte beverage
- The final one is to get Monster Hydro, a cross between an energy drink and an oral hydration solution
The advantage of Monster Hydro is that the beverage packs a punch and helps you feel more alert. It kicks away dehydration-related drowsiness and general sleepiness in one go. But when you compare its hydrating effect with other hydration solutions, you can see that the beverage is far from the best one to hydrate.
Caffeine (which factors into its advantage) is also one of its greatest disadvantages. It is a diuretic that can make a dehydrated person feel worse. In fact, electrolyte water after a cup of coffee can cause some people irregular spikes or slumps in blood pressure.
While this effect isn’t common with Monster Hydro, it shows that the drink is not to be seen as a hydrating solution but as an energy drink that isn’t as dehydrating.
Water is ultimately the best, most healthy drink for hydration. However, it can simply pass through one’s body at times. If you feel like you keep drinking water yet remain thirsty, you probably need more electrolytes. These soak up water and help retain it in your body. Electrolyte water, therefore, is the best hydrating solution. We do recommend drinking regular water afterward.
Is Monster Hydro Healthier Than Regular Monster?
Monster Hydro is healthier than regular Monster for three reasons. It has:
- Less sugar
- Fewer calories
- Zero fizz
As a result, it doesn’t affect your stomach lining or weight as much. It also features electrolytes that can prevent dehydration from caffeine consumption.
Despite being better than Monster Energy, Monster Hydro is far from being a healthy beverage.
Zero-calorie solutions offer more electrolytes, and zero-calorie solutions that contain more caffeine. Monster Hydro attempts to be two things at once yet fails to impress at each one. It is a good midway drink. And it does contain sugar.
How Much Sugar is in Monster Hydro?
Monster Hydro contains 27 grams of sugar, contributing to its 110 calories-per-bottle nutrition rating. That’s like 6.75 teaspoons of sugar.
Believe it or not, that’s healthier than regular Monster, which has 14 teaspoons worth of sugar in a single can.
110 calories can be burned in 30 minutes of fast-paced walking. If you take Monster for pumping iron, remember that lifting weights doesn’t burn as many calories as an aerobic workout.
Monster Hydro Ingredients
Monster Hydro contains a wide range of ingredients. It might seem like a beverage containing only water, caffeine, and electrolytes. But it actually contains the following:
Caffeine, Citric Acid, Taurine, Purified Water, Sugar, Salt, Gum Arabic, Ester Gum, Sucralose, Niacinamide (Vitamin B3), Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Blue 1, Monopotassium Phosphate, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Glucose, and Natural Flavors.
The following ingredients are worth noting:
- Sugar and Sucralose – Unlike Most energy drinks, Monster Hydro doesn’t rely on sucralose or sugar alone. While sugar is used to maximize sweetness at a low cost, sucralose makes a beverage sweeter without packing it with calories. It seems like Monster Hydro is trying to strike a balance between the two.
- Salt – Salt can affect one’s blood pressure, and your salt intake must never be unmonitored if you have irregular blood pressure.
- Caffeine – Caffeine can have a diuretic effect, and if you drink energy drinks and caffeine regularly, taking Monster Hydro as regular hydration can send your overall caffeine intake over the recommended limit.
- Monopotassium Phosphate – If you overdose on Monopotassium Phosphate, you can experience nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Given that many reviewers of Monster Hydro have proudly stated that they drink the energy drink manufacturer’s hydrating energy water instead of water, Monopotassium Phosphate’s presence in the drink is concerning.
Monster Hydro vs. Gatorade
Monster Hydro is a better energy drink than Gatorade, but Gatorade isn’t an energy drink to begin with.
Gatorade has fewer electrolytes than Monster Hydro while packing on the calories and spooning in the sugar. Neither beverage is healthy when compared to calorie-free electric water. But if forced to pick between the two, this is how to choose the better drink:
Gatorade is better for replenishing lost water after athletic activity, while Monster Hydro is excellent for helping athletes feel refreshed and energetic while keeping them hydrated before and during physically demanding activity.
Monster Hydro was formulated for UFC fighters who couldn’t perform well after drinking a standard energy drink. They couldn’t drink Gatorade with cameras on them because that would violate Monster’s marketing agreements with the UFC.
So, Monster Hydro was created as a step-up for the fighters. Instead of repackaging Gatorade in Monster branding, the energy drink manufacturer added its caffeinating touch to the formula for the hydration drink.
Monster Hydro has been tested in public view by some of the best Mixed Martial Artists. They risk their lives when they get on the octagon, yet they trust Monster Hydro to keep them refreshed and ready. There cannot be a stronger testament to the beverage’s mid-performance value.
| Monster Hydro (20 oz) | Gatorade “Thirst Quencher” (20 oz) | |
| Drink Type | Electrolyte Energy Drink | Sports Drink |
| Calories | 60 | 140 |
| Sugar | 12g | 34g |
| Caffeine | 160 mg | 0 mg |
| Electrolytes (Sodium + Potassium) | 440 mg | 345 mg |
| Best For | Refreshing and energizing while hydrating before and during athletic activity | Replenishing lost water after athletic activity |
What To Expect When You Drink Monster Hydro
If you’ve never had energy drinks before, drinking Monster Hydro will instantly make you feel energized. You’ll also feel more lucid, alert, and somewhat happy.
But if you’ve had energy drinks before, Monster Hydro might make you feel a little strange.
You will feel like you’re drinking a carbonated beverage after it has lost its fizz. It will be a while before you feel the caffeine rush, but the thirsty feeling post-consumption will not be as strong as with energy drinks.
Monster Hydro Alternatives
Monster Hydro alternatives fall into two categories: electrolyte beverages and hydration drinks.
The best hydration drink to replace Monster Hydro is BioSteel, not Gatorade. Gatorade has more sugar than Monster Hydro, so it isn’t healthier just because of its lack of caffeine.
The best-caffeinated water beverage to replace Monster Hydro is Water Joe, which a US-based company produces. It contains water and caffeine, a simple mix without complicated effects.
You can also look into Propel Water.
Conclusion: Is Monster Hydro a Good Drink For You?
Monster Hydro is a good beverage but for a very specific context, like playing basketball.
Monster Hydro is the perfect drink when the situation calls for sugar, caffeine, electrolytes, and water in quick succession.
But it is not the best source of any single one of these.
So, if you need caffeine or hydration, you should get a specialized beverage to cater to that demand. And if you want it all, get Monster Hydro!
FAQ
Monster Hydro has not been discontinued. Specific bottles and flavors get phased in and out of circulation, but the product is here to stay. It is available online and in hypermarkets all across America.
Monster Hydro has caffeine. It is not Gatorade-like electrolyte water only. One can see it as a less-dehydrating energy drink. It doesn’t have as much caffeine as regular Monster Energy but has more caffeine than a cup of coffee.
