As the energy drink market expands, the lines between pre-workout and energy drinks are blurred. Two of the energy drinks that are brought up as serious pre-workout replacements are Zoa Energy and Celsius. Both claim to be healthy energy drinks, but one has to be better than the other, right?
Celsius Energy has more caffeine than Zoa Energy and contains no preservatives, GMOs, or sugar, which is why it is the healthier choice for athletes on a strict diet. Zoa Energy has health-boosting supplements and natural caffeine and is better for athletes who can afford an extra hundred calories.
| Zoa Energy | Celsius | |
| Backed By | Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson | Greg Horn (former CEO of GNC & Garden of Life) |
| Founded | 2021 | 2004 |
| Calories | 100 (per 16 oz. can) but offers a 15 calorie version | 10 (per 12 oz. can) |
| Caffeine | 160 mg (per 16 oz. can) | 200mg (per 12 oz. can) |
| Sugar | 23g (per 16 oz. can) but offers a sugar-free version | 0g (per 12 oz. can) |
In this article, we will review the ingredients and the pros and cons of Zoa and Celsius. By the end of this post, you’ll know which beverage is right for you and when you should consume it. Let’s get started with the benefits of Zoa Energy.
Zoa Energy: A Brief Overview
The energy drinks space is seriously saturated with some of the major energy drink manufacturers producing multiple beverages to maintain the illusion of choice.
Zoa is a breath of fresh air in that it is not like other energy drinks.
This energy drink was formulated by The Rock’s personal trainer and approved by Dwayne Johnson himself. Zoa is meant to strike a balance between health and taste while acting as a workout recovery beverage.
Let’s see how well it does this job…
What Is In Zoa?
Zoa ingredients include:
- Cyanocobalmin – Commonly known as Vitamin B-12, Cyanocobalmin can improve alertness and energy access.
- Natural Flavors – a term used to mask the flavoring agents that give a product its unique taste.
- Green Tea Extract – great for boosting metabolic activity.
- Turmeric Extract – improves heart health if consumed regularly.
- Sugar – the primary source of energy metabolized with the help of caffeine.
- Citric Acid – Acidity regulator and a natural result of including citrus fruit content.
- Choline Bitrate – Reduces cholesterol and improves mood stability.
- Carbonated water – Responsible for the fizziness of the beverage.
- Camu Camu Extract – used in traditional tropical medicine for heart health improvement.
- Magnesium Lactate – Supports heart health and digestive system function.
- L-Citrulline – Improves blood circulation by letting the arteries relax.
- Natural Caffeine – Unlike cheap lab-synthesized caffeine, natural caffeine is extracted from plants.
- Acerola Juice Powder – Is a rich source of vitamin C.
- Stevia Extract – Adds sweetness without packing calories.
- Potassium Citrate – Improves kidney function if consumed regularly.
- L-Glutamine – reduces inflammation and improves gut health.
- L-Isoleucine – It helps control blood sugar and prevents insulin spikes.
- Beta-Carotene – Food color that has a yellow-to-orange hue.
Zoa Energy Pros
Now that you know what is in Zoa Energy drink, let’s look at how the individual ingredients contribute to specific functions and features of this beverage.
This section will discuss the advantages of consuming Zoa over alternative energy drinks like Celsius.
Backed by The Rock
The bigger the name backing a product, the less likely the product is to be a gift. Given that the Rock is a multi-million dollar brand, the drink is unlikely to be a low-effort product that is supposed to make money without delivering value.
The benefit Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would have from selling Zoa would be smaller than its effects on his brand if the product were poor.
Suggested Read: Kill Cliff vs. Celsius
It Contains More Caffeine than Many Energy Drinks
With 160 mg of caffeine per can compared to the 85 to 150 mg average of other energy drinks, it is evident that Zoa is one of the most effective energy drinks.
It also contains sugar which the caffeine can metabolize to produce the most potent energy peak in the shortest period.
It contains Vitamins And Healthy Additives
In the ingredients section above, you can see that Zoa is packed full of healthy supplements and amino acids that promote recovery and focus.
It also has B and C group vitamins which can improve skin health, immunity, and overall tissue repair.
Choline (a focus-enhancing chemical) is also included in the formula, which makes this beverage ideal for intense workouts.
Zoa Energy Cons
While Zoa energy has benefits, it isn’t free of drawbacks. To get the complete picture, you need to be aware of the key drawbacks of Zoa Energy, most of which relate to the drink’s calorie content, lack of transparency, and price.
- It costs more than other energy drinks – This is in part due to its celebrity backing and in part due to the ingredients used in making Zoa. It costs $0.5 to $1 more than other energy drinks on a per-can basis.
- It contains sugar (and 100 calories) – While sugar makes Zoa an effective energy drink, it also makes it an unhealthy one, especially for people trying to lose weight. Each can pack about 100 calories, requiring 25 to 40 minutes of walking to burn.
Celsius: A Brief Overview
Celsius is an energy drink backed by Greg Horn, who has been the CEO of GNC and Garden of Life. His experience in the fitness and personal wellness industries can be seen clearly in how well Celsius compliments an athletic lifestyle.
What Is In Celsius?
- Vitamin B6 – Improves nervous system function (alertness).
- Biotin – Promotes hair and skin health.
- Pantothenic Acid – Breaks down fat and improves metabolic activity.
- Citrulline – Improves heart health.
- Niacin – improves digestive function.
- Vitamin C – It helps maintain a healthy heart over the long run.
- Vitamin B12 – Plays a vital role in forming red blood cells.
- MetaPlus Blend – a proprietary blend that boosts energy and health.
- Calcium – Helps build and maintain strong bones.
- Riboflavin – Imrpvoes RBC production and long-term heart health.
- Vitamin D3 – Boosts immunity and strengthens the body.
- Sodium – Improves mood and regulates blood flow.
- Chromium – It helps the body by attuning insulin sensitivity.
- BCAA Vegan Blend – They improve recovery after working out.
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).
Celsius Pros
Having covered Celsius’s main ingredients and contents, let’s go over the main advantages of this beverage. Below are the benefits you can expect from consuming Celsius.
No Added Sugar
Celsius is free of added sugar, unlike Zoa, which makes it the lower-calorie option. This is an advantage for anyone trying to lose weight.
At the same time, having zero sugar can be an efficiency issue, as caffeine pairs best with sugar to boost energy.
200 Mg of Caffeine
While Zoa energy has more caffeine than most energy drinks, Celsius beats it with an additional 50 mg.
Celsius has more caffeine than Zoa Energy in a per-serving comparison. However, it has no sugar, which means the caffeine content won’t go as far.
Preservative-Free and Non-Gmo
This energy drink has no genetically modified organism products or preservatives, making it one of the closest-to-nature beverages in this category.
It beats Zoa in “being green” in most areas except the caffeine source.
Celsius Cons
Now that you know the pros of Celsius, it is time to look at its cons to have a complete picture.
Here are the potential drawbacks of drinking Celsius:
- It can be addictive – While all energy drinks can be addictive, Celsius has a high caffeine content, making it much harder to kick. If you choose this beverage, you should know that replacing it with lower-impact energy drinks will take more work.
- It can make you jittery and dehydrated – Caffeine has a dieretic effect, and given that it is easy to overconsume caffeine with Celsius, it is more likely to make you nervous, drowsy, and irritable.
Zoa vs. Celsius: Reddit User’s Consensus of the 2 Drinks
The Reddit users’ consensus of the two drinks is on point.
According to Redditors, Zoa is best for bodybuilders who are trying to bulk up, while Celsius is best for athletes trying to cut weight.
Both beverages have decent recovery-enhancing contents and enough caffeine to be consumed pre-workout.
Celsius vs. Zoa Energy: Final Thoughts
Zoa Energy drink is popular because the Rock backs it, but Celsius has more caffeine, fewer calories, and no sugar.
For most consumers, Celsius would make a better pre-workout beverage. However, it has a very high caffeine content that might not be ideal for many people.
Overall, Zoa is closer to mass-consumption-friendly than Celsius.
