Supplement Clarity

5-Hour Energy With Protein Review. Is It Better For You?

Update 3/4/20. I was at a convenience store recently and noticed there is a  new kind of 5 Hour Energy out there. It's called 5 Hour Energy With Protein! Besides the protein, I also noticed the bottle is bigger too. It's been a while since I looked at 5 Hour Energy so in this review, I'll look at the ingredients in 5 Hour Energy With Protein, compare it to the original version and along the way, try to help you decide if it is right for you. Also, see the review of the original 5 Hour Energy for more information.

 

5 Hour Energy With Protein Ingredients

Here is the Nutrition Facts label for 5 Hour Energy With Protein. A serving is 6 oz and that is what is contained in each bottle:

NutrientAmount Per Serving (6 oz)Percent Daily Value
Calories 100
Total carbohydrate3 grams<1% DV
Sugars< 1 gramN/A
Protein21 gramsN/A
Niacin (Niacinamide)30 milligrams150%
Folic acid400 micrograms100% DV
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine Hydrochloride)40 milligrams2000% DV
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)500 micrograms8333% DV
Phosphorous335 mg34% DV
Sodium15 milligrams<1% DV
Potassium10 milligrams<1% DV
Energy (Blend Consisting of the following)1870 milligramsN/A
Taurineamount not givenN/A
Choline bitartrateamount not givenN/A
Malic acidamount not givenN/A
N-acetyl-L tyrosineamount not givenN/A
L-Phenylalanine amount not givenN/A
Caffeine220 milligramsN/A
Cicitolineamount not givenN/A

 

Other Ingredients

The label on the bottle also tells us that 5 Hour Energy With Protein also has these other ingredients too:

 

What Is NPRO?

The letters NPRO is short for “energy protein.” Its a name given to a proprietary blend of whey protein isolate and potato protein isolate. The NPRO ingredient a product of a company called Socius Ingredients LLC. Their website is SociusIngredients.com.

So why potato protein?

In the review of the supplement called, IdealShape, a potato extract called “Slendesta” was listed and touted for weight loss. The potato protein in 5 Hour Energy is not the Slendesta potato extract.

See the Ideal Shape review for more information.

 

What Are The Sweeteners?

The sweeteners in the supplement are provided by natural and artificial flavors and sucralose (Splenda). What are the natural and artificial flavors? Not sure. Most supplements – and foods – don't disclose information on artificial and natural flavors.

How Does It Compare to Regular 5 Hour Energy?

Here is how 5 Hour Energy With Protein compares to regular and extra strength 5 Hour Energy. I tried to make this table as easy to understand as I could. I used berry flavor for the comparisons.

5 Hour Energy With Protein5 Hour Energy (Regular Strength)Extra Strength 5 Hour Energy
Serving Size6 ozServing Size 1.93 ozServing Size 1.93 oz
Calories 100
Total carbohydrate 3 g (<1% DV)
Sugars < 1 g
Protein 21 grams
Niacinamide 30 mg (150% DV)Niacinamide 30 mg (150% DV)Niacinamide 40mg (200% DV)
Folic acid 400 mcg (100% DV)Vitamin B6 40 mg (2000% DV)Vitamin B6 40 mg (2000% DV)
Vitamin B6 40 mg (2000% DV)Folic acid 400 mcg (100% DV)Folic acid 400 mcg (100% DV)
Vitamin B12 500mcg (8333% DV)Vitamin B12 500mcg (8333% DV)Vitamin B12 500mcg (8333% DV)
Phosphorous 335 mg (34% DV)Sodium 18 mg (<1% DV)Sodium 18 mg (<1% DV)
Sodium 15 mg (<1% DV)Energy Blend 1870 mg consisting of the following:Energy Blend 2000 mg consisting of the following:
Potassium 10 mg (<1% DV)1. Taurine1. Taurine
Energy Blend 1870 mg consisting of the following:2. Glucuronic acid2. Glucuronic acid
1. Taurine3. Malic acid3. Malic acid
2. Glucuronic acid4. N-acetyl-tyrosine4. N-acetyl-tyrosine
3. Malic acid5. L-phenylalanine5. L-phenylalanine
4. N-acetyl-tyrosine6. Caffeine 200 mg6. Caffeine 230 mg
5. L-phenylalanine7. Citicoline7. Citicoline
6. Caffeine 200 mgOther Ingredients found in product:Other Ingredients found in product:
7. Citicoline1. Purified water1. Purified water
Other Ingredients found in product:2. Natural and artificial flavors2. Natural and artificial flavors
Water3. Sucralose3. Sucralose
NPRO (see above for more on NPRO)4. Potassium sorbate4. Potassium sorbate
Natural and artificial flavors5. Sodium benzoate5. Sodium benzoate
3. Phosphoric acidEDTAEDTA
4. Sucralose
Sodium bicarbonate

Looking over this table, a few things worth noting:

 

How Much Protein in 5 Hour Energy?

Each 6 oz bottle of 5 Hour Energy with Protein provides 21 grams of protein. The protein is provided by a combination of whey and potato isolates. This is the NPRO ingredient I mentioned above. Because it contains whey, it's quite possible 5 Hr Energy might

image supplementclarity.com

also have some branch chain amino acids (BCAAs). How much I do not know.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is about 0.4 grams per pound. While this will meet the needs of most healthy people, there may be some who need more. The amount of protein best for you can vary according to many things such as:

Studies often show a range of protein of about 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound appropriate for those who are healthy and exercise regularly. This is just a little bit above the RDA (0.4g/lb).

So what's that math look like?

Lets assume you weighed 180 pounds and wanted to eat 06 grams per pound

180 X 0.6 = 108 grams of protein per day.

If you're eating 3 meals a day then this comes to 36 grams of protein per meal

 

How Many Calories?

The 5 Hour Energy With Protein has 100 calories per 6 oz bottle. The calories come from the protein. The regular and extra strength both have zero calories.

Who Makes 5 Hour Energy?

The company is called Living Essentials LLC and it is located at 38955 Hills Tech Drive. Farmington Hills, MI 48331. If you google this address, you will see a large building that says “Living Essentials,” so that is good.

Googling the address also reveals another company called Innovation Ventures, LLC. According to this Bloomberg article, this is another name for the company.

The Better Business Bureau did not have a rating when the review was updated. It previously was an A. See the BBB file for updates and more information.

Does Vitamin B12 Give You Energy?

Many energy drinks I see provide a lot of vitamin B12. As can be seen from the comparison table above, all versions of 5 Hr Energy are proving over 8000% of what nutrition experts say we need.

Why do energy drinks do this?

As I pointed out in my review of vitamin B12 and weight loss, there is a myth out there that vitamin B12 gives us energy. That's why it's in energy drinks. Truth be told, it will give us energy –  if we are deficient in this nutrient. But, if we are not deficient, it doesn't do this. In fact, most people already have a couple of years' worth of B12 stored in their bodies. While there are always exceptions, I don't think most healthy people are lacking in B12.

So, if vitamin B12 is not what gives people energy, what then is the active ingredient in 5 Hour Energy?

See the next section…

 

What's The Active Ingredient?

The key ingredient in the supplement is caffeine supplement. As proof, notice the Extra Strength version has 230 mg of caffeine while the regular 5 Hour Energy and Protein version have 200 mg. The extra caffeine is basically the only difference between the 3 versions of this energy shot.

For more, a more in-depth review of caffeine labeling see this report.

5 Hour Energy vs. Frog Fuel

Frog Fuel is another protein-infused energy supplement. Frog Fuel contains 10 grams of protein and 80 mg of caffeine per gel pack. See the Frog Fuel review for more on that supplement.

5 Hour Energy Side Effects

So is the supplement bad for you? Energy drinks are controversial. If your going to use them here are some things to think about:

  1. Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond
  2. Avoid if you're sensitive to caffeine
  3. Think about the other things you consume that also have caffeine
  4. Consuming too close to bedtime may interfere with sleep
  5. Talk to your doctor if you have heart or blood pressure diabetes or kidney issues problems
  6. If your pregnant or nursing, talk to your doctor first
  7. Stop at least 2 weeks before you have surgery
  8. If you take any medications, ask your doctor.

Several deaths linked to energy drinks. For more info see:

See the original 5 Hour Energy review for more insights.

Is 5 Hour Energy Right For you?

Does 5 Hour Energy really work? It probably does because the key ingredient is caffeine. If you think you need more protein, there are less expensive ways to get it.

Here it is on Amazon to check it out for yourself

What Do You Think?

 

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