Most energy drinks contain way too much caffeine – as much or more than a cup of coffee. And way more than soda like Coke or Mountain Dew.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine, or prefer to limit your caffeine intake, these are the best alternatives for you. These are truly caffeine-free energy drinks.
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Best Caffeine-Free Energy Drinks
It’s virtually impossible to find a caffeine-free “energy drink,” so the trick is to look for other drinks that happen to provide an energy boost.
They usually don’t have “energy” in the name, so it’s not likely you’d find these with a simple Google search. So I compiled this list to make it easy to find.
Scivation XTEND
Scivation XTEND is mainly used as a pre- or post-workout drink to aid in muscle building. It is especially useful if you are dieting because it helps to energize your workouts and promote muscle gain despite a calorie deficit.
The secret is in the Branched Chain Amino Acids, or BCAAs. One serving of this powdered drink mix contains 7 grams of BCAAs, plus electrolytes for optimal hydration.
I find that drinking it provides a physical and mental boost, despite zero calories, zero sugar, and zero caffeine!
This beverage comes in a variety of flavors, and from what I’ve tried, they’re all good. There’s refreshing “Watermelon Explosion” and classic slushie flavor “Blue Raspberry Ice” which are both great in the afternoon, especially on a hot summer day. If you’ll be using this in the morning, consider Smash Apple, Italian Blood Orange, and Glacial Grape.
It comes in jugs of powder; keep it handy and mix up a drink whenever you need.
Learn more about Scivation XTEND at the Cellucor website.
Ready to buy? It’s available on Amazon.
NOCCO
NOCCO is another popular BCAA drink. It’s very convenient because it comes in cans, ready to drink. Their tagline is, “a boost of clean energy for the busy individual.”
Be very careful though because there are only two caffeine-free flavors: Apple and Caribbean (pineapple).
Also keep in mind that this one is a carbonated beverage. But it’s low in calories and sugar-free.
Learn more about NOCCO at the NOCCO website.
Ready to buy? It’s available on Amazon.
Bang Energy
Bang Energy is a traditional energy drink that offers a wide range of caffeine-free flavors. Some of the more traditional flavors include Black Cherry Vanilla, Cherry Blade Lemonade, and Miami Cola. Some more exciting flavors include Sour Heads, Cotton Candy, and Birthday Cake Bash.
The main ingredients here are essential amino acids (EAAs) and creatine.
Learn more about Caffeine-Free Bang Energy Drink at the Bang Energy website.
Total Beets
You may have heard about the health benefits of beet juice. But it’s not just good for heart health. Endurance athletes often rely on beet juice to improve their athletic performance!
But you don’t have to be an athlete to enjoy the natural energy boost that comes from this superfood! And you don’t have to drink fresh beet juice.
Total Beets comes as a powdered drink mix. It provides concentrated beetroot powder and NO3-T nitrates to increase nitric oxide and get your blood flowing!
No added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and no mess from juicing raw beets. And it has a pleasant, mild flavor.
*Be sure to get the original formula. The energy formula contains caffeine.
In addition to the powdered drink mix, you can also get Total Beets in convenient “soft chews” or “gummies” where no preparation is required.
Learn more about Total Beets at the Force Factor website.
Ready to buy? You can find the powder on Amazon here, and soft chews can be found here. Find the new gummies here.
Greens+ Superfood
Greens Plus is a powdered greens supplement that makes it easy to get your fruits and vegetables every day. Each serving contains raw green foods, superfruits, sea vegetables, acai, pomegranate, and wild berries.
It is not intended to be an energy drink, but many people experience a vivid energy boost after drinking such a vitamin- and nutrient-packed beverage!
I highly recommend the Wild Berry flavor which is fairly enjoyable. But don’t expect it to taste anything like a sports drink!
Learn more about Greens Plus at the Greens Plus website, or read my full review here.
Ready to buy? It’s available on Amazon.
Recess
Recess is a CBD-infused drink available in six different flavors. It comes in cans for convenience.
Their slogan is “not tired, not wired” – and that is made possible by the calming effects of CBD and the stress-relief from the adaptogens. And in a way, that provides an energy boost.
Note that most flavors of Recess are caffeine-free. But the Blackberry Chai flavor contains a small amount of black tea, which would contain a small amount of caffeine.
Learn more about Recess at the Recess website.
Ready to buy? Shop directly on TakeARecess.com.
ENERGYbits
These are – literally – little seaweed tablets. (Or blue green algae to be more specific.)
The “bits” are pure spirulina and you can chew them or swallow them. Probably not what you were expecting to find on this list, but hey, they do provide a caffeine-free energy boost!
Learn more about ENERGYbits at the ENERGYbits website, or read my full review here.
Ready to buy? They are available on Amazon.
Little Big Shot
This super juice drink contains a refreshing blend of berry fruit juices combined with Ginseng and B vitamins. Plus a secret ingredient!
The secret ingredient is deep ocean minerals that increase energy levels naturally. These ionic minerals and trace elements are claimed to “help improve cellular biological activity in the human body.”
I haven’t tried this one yet, and some of the claims sound similar to alkaline water (which is questionable), so I can’t make any promises on the energy boost. But I’m intrigued nevertheless.
Learn more about Little Big Shot at the Little Big Shot website.
XS Energy Drink
XS offers just a single caffeine-free flavor, but that’s enough to earn it a consideration. Hope you like Cranberry-Grape!
The energy boost comes from “mega doses” of B vitamins. The regular XS Energy Drink contains 80 mg caffeine in addition to the B vitamins.
Learn more about XS at the Amway website.
BioMaxx Energy
Available in ready-to-drink 2 oz shots, it looks like a typical energy shot. But this one is caffeine free, sugar free, and crash free!
It’s all about natural energy. Biomaxx Energy Nutrition is designed to enable the body to efficiently convert fats and carbohydrates into abundant energy.
This patented, proprietary blend synergistically balances B vitamins, nutrients, and super-antioxidants including Coenzyme Q10 and L-carnitine.
Learn more about Biomaxx at the Biomaxx website.
Ready to buy? Shop directly on BioMaxxEnergy.com.
Why You Should Trust Me
I’m a cycling coach and sports nutrition coach, with a Precision Nutrition Level 1 certification. My aim is to help athletes perform better, but also to stay healthy for the long-term.
Caffeine is a great ergogenic aid during training and competition, but it’s not for everyone.
I prefer to help people get energized without caffeine, by living a healthy lifestyle!
So I’m certainly not trying to sell you any drinks. In fact, the less you rely on energy drinks, the better!
That said, I know energy drinks!
More than a decade ago, a reader wrote in looking to learn more about the caffeine content in popular energy drinks, and wondered if there was such a thing as a caffeine-free energy drink.
There were a few of them back then, but most of them no longer exist. Either the company went out of business or decided to quit making the decaf product.
For instance, there is no more Sea2O. No more E10. No more Pur. No more Orbana. No more decaf version of 5-Hour Energy. No more Monster Unleaded (the best name in my opinion).
Cheetah Power Surge and RaceFuelZ came and went, like so many others.
Caffeine-free flavors of XS Blast? Hard to find. Fuze Slenderize? Gone.
I’ve been watching for new options ever since, and so much has changed, I decided we needed a new list!
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
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