Gaming requires a lot of focus and can drain your energy. Mood management is essential when gaming, and what you consume (and whether you consume anything at all) is crucial to how you perform when gaming.
So, what should you drink while gaming? Here are 16 drinks to keep you boosted while gaming:
- G FUEL
- MIXT Energy Drink
- Red Bull
- G FUEL 0
- Monster Energy Zero Ultra
- Bang Caffeine Free
- Classic Starbucks Coffee
- Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino
- Masala Chai
- Ensure Enlive Meal Replacement
- Coconut Water
- Kombucha
- Kevita Organic Sparkling Probiotic Drink
- Smartwater Sparkling
- Pellegrino
- Bubly
But don’t bounce yet!
You may have noticed that many of those drinks are wildly different types, right? So keep reading to discover options within each category of energy drinks, including:
- Energy drinks
- Meal replacements
- Sugar-free beverages
- Sparkling water
Energy Drinks (Level 1 – All Gas, No Breaks)
The first type of gaming beverage is for gamers who want an immediate burst of energy to stay on top. Caffeinated drinks are ideal for all gas, no breaks gaming. If you play games online with action-driven gameplay, you’ll swear by one of these drinks.
G FUEL
G FUEL is an energy drink mix by Gamma Labs and is even called Gamer Fuel despite the G in its nomenclature standing for ground. The most fabulous feature of G Fuel is that it is not loaded with sugar like other energy drinks.
It comes in multiple flavors and features mental stimulants that enhance focus and antioxidants that positively affect your health. An average serving of G Fuel has 150mg of caffeine, which is more than 1.5 shots of espresso.
MIXT Energy Drink Mix
If you like the G Fuel proposition (zero sugar and high caffeine) but want a higher dose of caffeine, then Mixt energy drink powder is the right purchase.
The average caffeine per serving is 165 mg, slightly higher than G Fuel, but the energy drink doesn’t contain the same antioxidant content.
Red Bull
When discussing energy drinks, no conversation is complete without Red Bull!
It is the classic energy drink that brought energy drinks to mainstream attention. While the drink is marketed toward those interested in active sports and physical athleticism, it can be used by gamers who want an instant rush.
Unlike the options covered earlier, Red Bull features sugar (and a lot of it). This results in a sugar spike alongside the caffeine high, giving you an instant burst of excitement and focus.
Low-to-No Caffeine (Level 2 – Low Low)
Caffeine can help you stay alert when gaming, but it is not the best for your kidneys and organ health. You should not consume more than two servings of caffeinated beverages. But if you game all day, you need to drink something else.
Thanks to the physiological signature of energy drinks, as long as you drink a similar-tasting beverage, your brain will produce a similar spike in focus and alertness without the caffeine. Here are drinks that can trigger such associations.
G FUEL 0
For gamers who drink G Fuel for their caffeine high, G Fuel 0 is an excellent choice to get a similar spike in energy without overdosing on caffeine.
It has zero caffeine and zero calories.
So, for guilt-free consumption, you can switch to G Fuel 0 to get the flavor without the nervous energy of a caffeine overload.
Monster Energy Zero Ultra
For people familiar with the taste of Monster or Red Bull energy drinks, Monster Energy Zero Ultra can provide the same ‘wake-up’ taste without the caffeine overload.
Unlike G Fuel 0, this beverage has a distinct punch to its flavor because it falls under the category of general energy drinks. Still, its sugar-free and zero-caffeine formula makes it perfect for gamers who don’t want to gain weight or overload on caffeine.
Bang Caffeine Free
Bang energy is considered one of the best-tasting energy drinks on the market. Bang Caffeine Free offers a similar taste across most flavors with zero calories and zero caffeine.
Bang contains Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) that helps you recover after a workout, showing that the drink’s intended audience is physical athletes. But its mind-stimulating ingredients are still helpful for esports athletes like gamers.
Highly Recommended Read:
Lately, BCAAs seem to be on every label as a selling point, but are they essential for the body? You’re in luck because we wrote an excellent resource demystifying BCAAs. When you’re done reading this article, check out our article on What Are BCAAs, & Are They Worth the Hype? (8-minute read).
Milk-Based Drinks (Level 3 – Milk Gang All Cals)
Finally, gamers who skip meals when they get lost in a raid, binge on side-quests, or are drawn in by an open sandbox for hours need to consume their calories in liquid form.
These drinks help you retain your energy when skipping a meal.
Classic Starbucks Coffee
Classic Starbucks coffee doesn’t replace a meal as much as it replaces an energy drink. Adding coconut milk instead of regular milk can lower the calorie count.
The primary source of calories in this drink is the sugar in it. You can add sugar-free sweetener to get a caffeine-only high or add regular sugar to get a calorie bump.
Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino
A Frappuccino is a tacky meal replacement, given that it averages over 200 calories per serving.
Substitute the milk in the beverage with coconut milk to lower the overall calorie count and opt for sugar-free sweeteners. With these adjustments, the beverage will give you a decent calorie bump alongside a dose of caffeine.
Masala Chai
Masala Chai is a milk tea recipe with Indian spices. It is flavorful and takes time to consume because of its warmth.
The caffeine content of the beverage is nominal, thanks to the English breakfast tea used in the brewing of this Indian tea. It is the adult version of drinking flavored milk and is a wholesome meal replacement.
Ensure Enlive Meal Replacement
Where Masala chai is the adult version of drinking flavored milk, Ensure is the teenage version.
Ensure is a meal replacement beverage brand initially marketed to skinny kids’ parents. However, its recent pivot and the introduction of Enlive Meal Replacement have given it excellent standing among professional meal skippers like CEOs, fitness models, and gamers.
Natural Drinks (Level 4 – Gut Check)
To ensure you don’t pressure your kidneys, you should include natural drinks in your gaming beverage roster.
Coconut Water
Coconut water improves your hydration while reducing the odds of kidney stones. It helps improve skin health and is naturally low in calories.
Kombucha
Kombucha is an organic tea beverage that can satisfy your tastebuds without filling your gut with unhealthy preservatives. It is a great drink to use for a gut cleanse.
Kevita Organic Sparkling Probiotic Drink
Did you know that gut bacteria directly affects your mood? To stay in the gaming zone, you need to take care of your gut bacteria by neutralizing the effects of too many artificial beverages.
Kevita Organic Sparkling Probiotic Drink helps your gut health and is worth including in your fridge.
No Sugar Options (Level 5 – Vegan-Friendly)
Finally, the healthiest options for the most health-conscious gamers include vegan-friendly drinks which are free of empty calories.
SmartWater Sparkling
The SmartWater brand adds electrolytes to its SmartWater if you love sparkling water. Enjoy the bubbly beverage with zero guilt!
Pellegrino
Pellegrino is a mineral water brand that offers sparkling water people enjoy from all walks of life. Gamers report an increase in alertness because of the sharpness of the sparkling beverage.
Bubly
Bubly is a sparkling water brand that offers the same wake-up sparkle as the previous option but better flavoring.
If you want to switch from juices to a drink that will keep you lean while gaming, Bubly should be the choice.
Recap: What to Drink While Gaming
If you’re a true gamer, you spend hours in front of a screen. But are you drinking anything while you’re playing your newest favorite game?
If you’re like most gamers, you probably play for quite a few hours without drinking any liquids. Listen up because many drinks can actually improve your performance while gaming!
If you’re unsure where to start and still wondering, “what should I drink while gaming?” we recommend: When gaming, you should drink calorie-free energy drinks, meal-replacement beverages, and low-calorie water-replacing liquids. It is best to balance the different drinks you consume as a gamer to avoid the side effects of overconsuming any specific drink.
