Ghost Energy Drink: Cans That Rebel Against the Status Quo (200mg Caffeine)

Dan Lourenco and Ryan Hughes, co-owners of Ghost, made a bold claim that 2020 was going to be the biggest year yet, and after all of the epic launches they’ve had already, we definitely believe them.

Ghost Energy is now here, and it’s phenomenal!

Less than halfway into the new year, Ghost has released Ghost Greens, Sonic Cherry Limeade Ghost Amino, Chocolate Cereal Milk Ghost Vegan Protein, Limited Edition Ghost Burn Black, Bubblicious Strawberry Splash Ghost Legend, Ghost Whey Nutter Butter, Ghost Glow, and we know that they have plenty of more never before seen flavors and products on the way! Any brand would look at that and see it as a successful year, but it turns out that this is just the beginning…

In season 5, episode 32, of “Building the Brand”, Dan and Ryan were posted up in the office about to sign several documents. They announced that this was Ghost’s “next big project”, however, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. After all of the things they’ve already done this year, what could be even bigger or better than new products and more authentic flavor collaborations? Fortunately, Ghost didn’t keep it a secret for too long and a few days later, PricePlow finally saw what they were up to.

Ghost Energy Drink: More Energy, More Life

The next flavor of Ghost Energy will be SPK Blue Raspberry!

After months of testing, sampling, and researching, Ghost Energy Drink has finally been revealed! And no this is not your standard Monster energy drink knock-off. Of course, Ghost is using the relationships they’ve built over the years with massive brands beyond the supplement industry, such as Warheads and Sour Patch Kids, to bring authentic flavor collaborations to the energy drink scene!

In addition, Ghost is using a fully transparent label, so you know exactly how much of each ingredient is included in one serving. Every other energy we see will give you the caffeine amount, but that’s it. Ghost is yet again, changing the industry, but this time they’re taking on an entirely new category.

The episode where they announced Ghost’s next big project was titled “Game Changer”, and although we thought that was supposed to be for Ghost Gamer, turns out it was for Ghost Energy Drink!

We have everything you need to know about Ghost Energy Drink down below. But first, be sure to sign up for Ghost news and deal alerts to get notified when it actually goes live!

Ghost Brings Authentic Flavors To Energy Drinks

Ghost is known for transparent labels, creative graphic designs, epic sneakers, and creating supplements that can be used beyond the walls of the gym. However, what they’re most known for are authentic flavor collaborations.

“I am proud of what we’ve done, but even more excited for what we haven’t done yet.”

— Dan Lourenco, Co-owner and Founder of Ghost

Very early on, Ghost gained the trust of major brands outside of the fitness industry, with the first one being Warheads sour candy. After that massive achievement, Ghost was hungry for more – they went on to partner with Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Welch’s Grape Juice, Chips Ahoy!, Nutter Butter, Sonic, and Bubblicious.

It’s incredible to see that Ghost has been able to do something no other brand in the supplement industry could before. And you better believe that they’re not stopping anytime soon. We expect Ghost to bring these authentic flavor collaborations to the energy drink market and shock the industry once again!

Ghost Energy V2 is Coming!

Exclusive Partnership With Anheuser-Busch

Ghost is partnering with Anheuser Busch to distribute these cans, which means they will go far and wide!

Ghost exclusively partnered with Anheuser-Busch to manufacture and distribute all of their ready to drink products. This is a pretty big announcement and it’s on a similar level as partnering with GNC.

We even heard that Anheuser-Busch reached out to Ghost because they quickly noticed how Ghost was bringing legitimacy to the supplement industry with all of the authentic flavor collaborations. And of course, Anheuser-Busch wanted to do the same thing with ready-to-drink products, so what better company to partner with than Ghost.

Now, let’s get into the formula, because with a fully transparent label – there’s a lot to discuss!

Ghost Energy Drink Ingredients

Each can of Ghost Energy clocks in at 16 fl oz, which is the standard size for the majority of energy drinks on the market. Beyond the ingredients we’re going to discuss down below, Ghost Energy also contains a wide variety of vitamins, including vitamin C, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, biotin, vitamin B12, and pantothenic acid.

Not a “pre-workout supplement”… but can be used as one

It’s important to note that Ghost Energy was not formulated to be an RTD (ready-to-drink) pre-workout supplement, although it could be used in that way. Thus, the ingredients reflect a drink that will boost mental and physical energy, increase focus, and clarity. Ghost is taking a different approach than other supplement brands, targeting a much wider audience with what they call an “energy plus” drink.

Without further ado, here’s what one can of Ghost Energy contains:

• L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (as Carnipure) – 1000mg

  The first primary ingredient in Ghost Energy is 1000mg of Carnipure L-Carnitine L-Tartrate.

  

  Carnipure is a high quality form of L-carnitine from Lonza.

  L-carnitine is most well known for its role in fatty acid metabolism.^[1] In order for the free fatty acids to become oxidized within the mitochondria to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), they need some assistance. L-carnitine serves as a fatty acid transporter and is crucial for beta-oxidation and creating energy from fats.^[1] This is the primary reason why you’ll see some form of L-carnitine in many weight loss supplements.

  Ghost is specifically using CarniPure from Lonza, as opposed to other forms because it’s stable in liquid form for an extended period of time. From the initial run of Ghost Energy, Dan and Ryan quickly discovered that acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) is not stable in liquid.

  This means that the acetyl group would break away from the L-carnitine molecule to form acetic acid. Not only can acetic acid give off an unpleasant smell, but it may also affect the flavor. Lastly, with the dissociation of the acetyl group, the nootropic benefits of ALCAR are likely to be diminished.

  Overall, replacing the ALCAR with Carnipure L-carnitine was a smart move by Ghost!

• Taurine – 1000mg

  The next ingredient in Ghost Energy is one of our favorites – taurine – we specifically like this ingredient because of all the health and performance benefits it offers. Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that’s involved in several physiological processes. Studies show that taurine supplementation may improve insulin sensitivity, muscle force production, muscular endurance, glycogen re-synthesis, recovery, and time to exhaustion.^[2-4] Although we said Ghost Energy is not technically a pre-workout supplement, it could definitely be used as one with this formula!

  

  If you haven’t tried Ghost Energy yet, you’re missing out!

  A meta-analysis from 2018 revealed that taurine is a very underrated endurance booster.^[3] The researchers attributed this ergogenic effect to taurine’s role in calcium handling.^[2,3] They hypothesize that taurine is capable of increasing intramuscular calcium levels, resulting in improved excitation-coupling of the muscle fibers. Calcium is crucial for muscle contraction, thus low levels can lead to some serious issues.^[2,3]

  But since this is an energy drink, it’s important to note that studies also show that the combination of taurine and caffeine can boost mental energy, clarity, and focus.^[4] Taurine’s cognitive and performance-enhancing benefits have been shown with dosages ranging between 1-6g,^[3] so Ghost Energy is giving you just what you need to reap all of the positive effects taurine has to offer!

• Natural Caffeine (from Coffee (Coffea spp) Bean) – 200mg

  What’s an energy drink without some form of caffeine?! More of Ghost’s products (such as Ghost Gamer and Ghost Burn Black) are starting to feature natural caffeine, and Ghost Energy follows suit. There’s no denying that caffeine is extremely effective in boosting physical and mental energy,^[5-7] which is exactly what Ghost Energy was designed to do.

  

  Ghost Energy just got better with Carnipure L-Carnitine!
  

  So what’s the point of choosing natural caffeine from coffee bean extract opposed to the hard-hitting, fasting-acting caffeine anhydrous we all know and love. Ghost wants to make sure that you get a smooth and steady rise in energy over time, therefore using natural caffeine is a better option.

  Anecdotally, natural caffeine lowers the chance of experiencing a crash in energy and it may decrease the risk of experiencing adverse effects, including rapid heart rate, jitters, anxiety, and increased blood pressure.

  200mg hits the energy drink sweet spot

  Although a good amount of people are used to taking more than 200mg at a time in the form of a pre-workout, in our opinion, it’s a perfect dose for an energy drink. The majority of new energy drinks fall between 200-300mg of caffeine, so Ghost is right in line with their competitors – and 200mg seems to sell best to the most audiences lately.

  We all know that caffeine is excellent at giving you a quick boost of energy, but how does it work? Caffeine is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier which enables it to have a profound effect on the central nervous system (CNS).^[5] Caffeine carries out its effects by blocking adenosine, a nucleoside that causes a downregulation in CNS activity, leading to fatigue, from binding to its receptor. In addition, caffeine also inhibits phosphodiesterase from breaking down cAMP, a secondary messenger system involved in energy production.^[5]

  Overall, 200mg of natural caffeine and everything else that’s going on in this formula should be the perfect amount to get you going without feeling stimmed out of your mind!

• Alpha-GPC (Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline 50%) – 150mg

  As we discussed above, Ghost Energy includes both ALCAR and Alpha-GPC, also known as Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline, to boost overall acetylcholine production!

  

  Ghost Energy Tropical Mango has a fresh new look!

  Alpha-GPC is one of PricePlow’s favorite choline donors because it’s readily absorbed by the body and is highly bioavailable. It serves as a precursor to acetylcholine – a neurotransmitter that is responsible for a wide range of physiological functions, from memory to muscle contractions, it’s extremely important. Alpha-GPC is most well known for its cholinergic effects and cognitive boosting properties.

  Several studies have shown that alpha-GPC supplementation can boost cognitive performance, enhance growth hormone production, and power output.^[8-10] It’s well established that stressful situations, such as physical exercise or mentally taxing activities can lead to a depletion of choline levels,^[11] therefore if alpha-GPC is able to prevent that from occurring, then you’re more likely to feel less fatigued.

  It’s important to note that we typically like to see alpha-GPC dosed between 300-600mg, especially if you want to get a physical performance-enhancing effect. But since Ghost Energy is mainly focused on boosting mental cognition and overall energy levels, it’s likely that 150mg is an appropriate dose.

• NeuroFactor Coffee (Coffea arabica) Fruit Extract – 100mg

  The next ingredient in Ghost Energy is a very underrated cognitive booster known as NeuroFactor.

  NeuroFactor is a trademarked ingredient developed by Futureceuticals – it consists of coffee fruit extract and is known for its ability to boost mental energy, cognition, and focus. But it also does something that nearly no other supplement is capable of – enhancing levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain!^[12]

  

  NeuroFactor is one of the newest brain-boosting nootropics on the market with some pretty intriguing research behind it.

  BDNF is a neurotrophic factor that promotes differentiation, maturation, and survival of neurons express neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties in the context of several adverse conditions, such as neurotoxicity, cerebral ischemia, hypoglycemia, and glutamatergic stimulation.^[12] Research shows that BDNF activates the growth of new neurons via neurogenesis.^[12] Furthermore, mRNA and BDNF have been identified in nearly all areas of the brain,^[12,13] suggesting that it’s incredibly important for overall brain health and function.

  Low levels of BDNF are linked to an increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS).^[12,13] Beyond offering neuroprotective effects, BDNF plays a crucial role in energy balance,^[12,13] which is likely one of the main reasons its included in Ghost Energy. In addition to that, higher levels of BDNF have been associated with improved learning capability, mood, and memory.^[12,13]

  In summary, Neurofactor is an incredibly unique ingredient and we’ve never seen it included in any energy drink’s formula.

• AstraGin (10:1 Astragalus membranaceus and 50:1 panax notoginseng) Root extracts – 25mg

  Would it be a Ghost product without an “enhancement” ingredient from NuLiv Science?

  NuLiv Science is a leader in the development of dietary supplement ingredients, and ever since Ghost started putting AstraGin in several of their initial products, such as Ghost Legend, they developed an incredible relationship with the company.

  

  AstraGin is a combination of Astragalus and Panax Notoginseng that’s been shown to increase ingredient absorption, especially of amino acids!

  Although NuLiv Science makes several high-quality ingredients, Ghost is a massive proponent of AstraGin in particular because of its ability to significantly enhance absorption and bioavailability – meaning that you’re going to get more out of each ingredient because the body will be able to uptake and utilize the compounds much more efficiently.^[14]

  AstraGin consists of a combination of two root extracts – astragalus mebranaceus and panax notoginseng.^[14] Studies have found that AstraGin is capable of increasing the absorption of a wide variety of nutrients, including amino acids, peptides, vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids.^[14] AstraGin accomplishes this by activating specific transporter molecules within the small intestine, allowing a greater proportion of nutrients to be absorbed.^[14]

  And that’s not all that AstraGin is capable of! In addition to those beneficial effects, AstraGin promotes overall gut health by encouraging the growth of good bacteria, repairing damaged intestinal walls, and decreasing inflammation.^[14] Now, you can see why Ghost loves AstraGin just as much as we do and to see it included in an energy drink is a gamer changer!

Ghost Energy Nutrition Facts

Ghost Energy was formulated to be as low calorie as possible – allowing you to enjoy a delicious tasting drink without going overboard on the sugar and calories. There are several energy drinks on the market that are loaded with sugar and that can wreak havoc on blood sugar levels, quickly leading to a spike and ensuing anxiety-causing drop of in energy levels.

With the four pack, you can try each flavor of Ghost Energy!

Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about that with Ghost Energy because one can is only 5 calories coming from 1g of carbohydrates and there are zero grams of sugar!

• Calories: 5

• Carbohydrates: 1g (0g sugar)

• Fat: 0g

• Protein: 0g

Ghost Energy Flavors

Ghost was the first company to introduce licensed flavors to the sports supplement industry and we can’t wait to see what they do in the energy drink market. Ghost’s authentic flavors are always their bestsellers, from Sour Patch Kids, to Swedish Fish, and Warheads, no other brand was able to accomplish what Ghost did.

And there’s no doubt that they will bring the heat with Ghost Energy. Just imagine pulling out an iced cold beverage that tastes like some of your childhood favorite candies. Not to mention, Ghost is creating that delicious, sweet, and refreshing flavor with none of the sugar! We don’t know how they are able to do it, but somehow Ghost keeps delivering every time!

Here’s an updated list of all Ghost Energy flavor variations:

Dan and Ryan Discuss Ghost Energy V2 and More!

Get Ready, Ghost Energy is Ready To Takeover the RTD Market

Ghost has done some massive things in the sports supplement industry in a relatively short period of time. Even though they’re not done yet, Ghost is ready to take on a new challenge with the launch of an energy drink. And of course, they’re doing it the only way they know how – transparent labels, clinically-studied ingredients, and never before seen flavors.

The first flavor collab is none other than WARHEADS Sour Watermelon.

Ghost is looking to continue the disruption by entering uncharted territory, but from what they’ve shown here, you would never guess they aren’t industry veterans in the RTD market.

What’s even more exciting is that Ghost Energy is just the beginning! We also expect that Ghost RTD Protein Drinks will be coming in the near future. And let’s hope the authentic flavor collaboration continues on for that product as well. How crazy would if be to drink Chips Ahoy Ghost Whey or Nutter Butter Ghost Whey on the go!

The launch of Ghost Energy is one of their biggest accomplishments yet and we can’t wait to see what else they have in store for the future. Dan and Ryan always want each year to be better than the last, but how can they possibly top what they’re doing in 2020?

Be on the lookout, because Ghost is ready to take over! As always, make sure to subscribe down below to get notified when more products, flavors, and deals go live from Ghost.