Why Energy Drinks Stop Working (And What Your Body Is Actually Asking For)

It’s late afternoon. You’re driving home from work, but you feel exhausted and start to head bob. That convenience store looks inviting though…..

You stop and grab your favourite energy drink. Maybe it’s your second one of the day.

Within minutes you feel amazing, "turn that song up!"

Focus is back. Mood improves. You get through the evening, maybe even squeeze in a workout.

Then the dreaded crash hits. But oddly sleep doesn’t come until midnight or later - even though you feel exhausted. You wake up the next morning already behind and reach for caffeine again. Nothing wrong with morning coffee that's for sure, but you can already tell that the vicious cycle has started again. 

"Energy” has become one of the most searched health topics in recent years. And it's no secret that energy drink sales continue to climb.

And it makes sense. You’re trying to cram work, training, family, and life into a single day. You don’t need motivation - you need fuel.

The problem is that energy drinks are not a long-term strategy. Using them daily is like putting extra kilometers on your vehicle to get through the week. It works for a while… until something starts to break.

The Truth About Energy (That No One Explains)

Energy isn’t something the body generates on demand from external sources (like energy drinks). Rather, it's something the body allows when the underlying systems are supported.

At a basic level, energy for your brain, muscles, and organs all depend on stable blood glucose. That glucose is what your body uses to manufacture ATP - the actual energy currency of your cells.

Caffeine meanwhile just blocks the brain's signal of fatigue. That's why it only works temporarily (don't be offended, I love caffeine too).

When this system (blood glucose) is supported, energy feels steady and predictable.
When it isn’t, or when you rely on stimulants to bypass it, energy becomes spiky, unreliable, and borrowed. The “just push through it” mindset starts to fail.

Why Some Days Feel Easy — and Others Don’t

Physiologically, our body is designed to go hours without food. Humans wouldn't be here today if it weren't the case. 

But those systems don’t work the same way, every day, in fact they're heavily influenced by lifestyle and other factors. 

That’s why some days you drive right past that convenience store with the windows down, singing along to the radio, and other days you feel like you need another energy drink just to function.

So instead of asking, “What can I take to increase energy?” a better question is:

“What’s limiting my ability to access energy right now?”

Where to Start (Without Overcomplicating It)

Of course, sleep plays a role.
So does inflammation.
And so do other systems we’ll cover over time.

But at the most basic level, energy production depends on the body’s ability to convert stored fuel into usable energy - and that process requires specific micronutrients.

If you’re just getting started, B vitamins are one of the most common deficiencies that impair energy production.

If you’re already paying attention to micronutrients, another system to consider is inflammation, which interferes with energy metabolism if it's ramped up for some reason. 

This is where targeted support with our omega-3 fish oil is valuable. 

Remember that nothing in the body happens in isolation.
Energy is no exception.

Sometimes it sucks that you don't "automatically feel good", but it's also empowering to know there's usually something you can do about how you feel.