Gaming drinks for long nights: the checklist

What drinks should you have to hand alongside your controller when a gaming session runs late? The German Nutrition Society recommends that adults drink around 1.5 litres a day, ideally water or unsweetened tea. According to the EFSA, caffeine intakes of up to 200 mg in a single serving and up to 400 mg spread throughout the day are considered safe for healthy adults. This checklist sets out what’s suitable for a long night – with sources.

Water within easy reach

Around 1.5 litres a day, ideally water or unsweetened tea: that is the DGE’s recommendation. It advises against sugar-sweetened and alcoholic drinks. According to the DGE, sugar-sweetened drinks contain around 80 to 100 g of sugar per litre.

In terms of cans: 1.5 litres is just over four and a half 330 ml cans. According to the list of ingredients, our Sparkling, Citrus, Lime & Mint and Pink Grapefruit varieties contain neither sugar nor sweeteners; the flavoured varieties contain 0 g of sugar per 100 ml. Caffeine is only present in Energy – blackcurrant & pomegranate.

Sugar: this is how much is in traditional energy drinks

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), energy drinks contain on average around 100 g of sugar per litre. A 250-ml can therefore contains 25 g of sugar – roughly eight sugar cubes – and around 100 kilocalories. There are also sugar-free energy drinks containing sweeteners.

By way of comparison: the DGE, DAG and DDG recommend that no more than 10 per cent of one’s energy intake should come from free sugars. Based on a daily intake of 2,000 kcal, that amounts to a maximum of 50 g. Just two 250-ml cans of a sugary energy drink are enough to reach this amount.

Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate is an energy drink containing no sugar and no sweetener: the list of ingredients includes water, carbon dioxide, citric acid, natural flavouring, colouring concentrates from carrot and blackcurrant, taurine and caffeine; 0 g of sugar per 100 ml.

Caffeine: how much is safe for adults?

In 2015, the EFSA assessed the amounts of caffeine that are safe for healthy adults: up to 200 mg as a single dose or within a short period of time, and up to 400 mg spread throughout the day. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, the limit is 200 mg per day.

The figures, apart from ‘Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate’, are approximate values provided by the BfR; the caffeine content may vary. Two cans of Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate consumed in quick succession contain around 211 mg, which exceeds the single dose limit of 200 mg. Four cans spread throughout the day amount to around 422 mg, which is more than 400 mg. Coffee, tea and cola consumed on the same day are also included in this total. Further figures can be found in our caffeine table.

Caffeine timing: when should you have your last can?

According to the BfR, the effects of caffeine can set in 15 to 30 minutes after consumption and last for several hours. How long this lasts and how quickly the body breaks down caffeine varies from person to person. According to the EFSA, even single doses of 100 mg can affect sleep duration and sleep patterns in some adults, particularly shortly before bedtime. One can of ‘Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate’ contains around 106 mg, which is above this level.

So if you want to sleep after your session, don’t save your last caffeinated can for the end. The BfR lists nervousness, insomnia and palpitations, amongst other things, as possible adverse effects when consumed in large quantities.

Energy drinks are not suitable for children

According to the BfR, children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women and people who are sensitive to caffeine – such as those with cardiovascular conditions – should avoid drinks with a high caffeine content, such as energy drinks. Drinks containing more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre must therefore carry the warning ‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women’. This warning also appears on Energy – Blackcurrant & Pomegranate.

This is a real issue: in a DAK survey carried out during the 2021/22 school year, 9 per cent of pupils in Years 5 to 10 drank energy drinks at least once a week, and 4 per cent did so every day. In Years 9 and 10, the figures were 14 per cent per week and 6 per cent daily. In the EDKAR study, young people who drank energy drinks frequently most commonly reported palpitations or a racing heart, poor sleep, headaches and a tightness in the chest. Water and caffeine-free drinks are therefore the best choice for gaming evenings with young people.

Snacks: what the DGE recommends

• Fruit and vegetables: at least 5 portions a day. Cut-up fruit should be kept in the fridge.
• Nuts: a small handful every day.
• Sweet, salty and fatty foods: best to give them a miss. Sugar, salt and fat are often hidden in pastries, sweets, fast food and ready-made products.
• Take a break: The DGE advises taking your time when eating and allowing yourself a break.

The checklist to tick off

• Make sure you have enough water: around 1.5 litres throughout the day.
• Choose drinks with no sugar: just two 250-ml sugary energy drinks contain as much as 50 g of sugar.
• Take caffeine into account: no more than 200 mg at a time, 400 mg a day for healthy adults.
• Don’t have your last caffeinated can just before going to bed.
• Children and young people: no energy drinks.
• Fruit, vegetables or a small handful of nuts instead of sweet, salty and fatty foods.
• Store cut-up fruit in the fridge.
• Take a break for lunch.

More on caffeine and sugar: Energy no sugar and How much caffeine a day?

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. ACQUA REAPER: Product labels, 07–08/26.
2. Acqua Reaper: Product label for Energy Blackcurrant, as at 07/26.
3. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Questions and answers on caffeine and caffeinated foods, including energy drinks, FAQ dated 5 January 2026. bfr.bund.de
4. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Caffeine, Scientific Opinion 2015, accessed 16 September 2026. efsa.europa.eu
5. German Nutrition Society: Eating and drinking well – the DGE’s recommendations, accessed 16 September 2026. dge.de
6. German Nutrition Society: It’s best to drink water, accessed 16 September 2026. dge.de
7. DAG, DDG and DGE: Consensus paper: Quantitative recommendation on sugar intake in Germany, December 2018. dge.de
8. Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Correct refrigeration of food in the home, accessed 16 September 2026. bfr.bund.de