MTE® vs The World: The Energy Drink Market is Falling Short

Table of contents:

1. Comparing Energy Drinks and MTE

2. How Energy Drinks and MTE work

3. Benefits of Energy Drinks and MTE

4. Energy Drink Ingredients vs. MTE Ingredients

5. Energy Drink and MTE Pricing

6. Energy Drink and MTE Packaging

7. Other Highlights Energy Drinks vs. MTE

Intro

More Than Energy: Why We’re Different than Mainstream Energy Drinks

Google the term “energy drink”, and you’ll be bombarded with a slew of caffeine-packed super shots that promise wakefulness at any time of day or night. And the creepy part is, these energy drinks often do achieve what they promise. But what are you left with after? An overwhelming comatose feeling, often while your heart is still beating to that tachycardic vibe. Were you awake and alert for a while? Sure. Do you feel good now? No.

MTE set out to be something else. From the outset, its inception was about supporting more than a manic energy boost that leaves you crashed, stuck in the proverbial hamster wheel that is feeling like crap and reaching for some caffeine for 4-6 hours of relief. Rinse, repeat – no wonder we’re feeling spicy all the time. MTE wanted to do something different.

How it works

Empty Energy Promises vs MTE’s Accumulating Benefits

MTE isn’t so much an energy drink as it is a wellness supplement. Mainstream energy relies on just-below-dangerous levels of substances like caffeine, taurine and guarana for an effective but zero-percent-sustainable energy boost. 

MTE, on the other hand, utilizes nootropics and adaptogens to support the production and balance of neurotransmitters involved in energy, mood and motivation. It’s not just about feeling awake and alert, it’s about feeling good – good mood, solid nightly recovery, less inflammatory response - and no I-can’t-feel-my-face dose of caffeine that leaves you feeling like a desiccated corpse when it wears off.

Benefits

Advantages: MTE vs. Energy Drinks

So, what exactly does MTE promise? And how is it different than what the mainstream energy drink market has to offer? Our formulation supports your mind and body from the inside out. Adaptogens and nootropics help your body adapt to stress, supporting calm energy, focus, mood, immunity, sleep, and inflammation. 

Our ingredients (There are only 13 – and they’re all natural!) work synergistically to promote balance of the systems and signals in your body that help you feel better, which, in turn, supports your body’s natural (now optimized!) energy production, use and storage processes.

What does mainstream energy promise? Let’s take three industry giants: Monster®, Bang!®, and 5-Hour ENERGY® – yeah; we’re gonna call some people out:

Monster®’s sales pitch for their OG green energy drink reads like a spell to summon a werewolf from inside:

Tear into a can of the meanest energy drink on the planet, Monster Energy®. It's the ideal combo of the right ingredients in the right proportion to deliver the big bad buzz that only Monster can.

Monster® packs a powerful punch but has a smooth easy drinking flavor. Athletes, musicians, anarchists, co-ed’s, road warriors, metal heads, geeks, hipsters, and bikers dig it- you will too. Flavor Profile: Sweet and Salty - It tastes like Monster®! Unleash The Beast®!

Bang!®’s sales pitch is admittedly less unhinged:

Fuel your senses with today’s most exciting energy drink. Take advantage of a spectacular blend of all-natural ingredients and refresh your taste buds with a smooth new flavor that revitalizes your mind, body, and soul! • 300 mg of caffeine • EAA Aminos • CoQ10

And, of course, 5-Hour ENERGY®:

Looking for a tried-and-true pick-me-up that’s been a crowd pleaser since Pluto was still a full-size planet? Try 5-hour ENERGY® shots in the berry flavor that made them famous. Trends may come and go, but classics stay around for a reason. Or in the case of Berry Regular Strength 5-hour ENERGY® shots, a lot of reasons. Order a bulk case so you always have a boost whenever you need it.

To summarize, mainstream energy drinks and shots promise:

• Energy
• Good taste
• Caffeine
• Convenience 

As you can see, we’re not even trying to play on the same field as these heavily-caffeinated drinks. And if you’re thinking we can make all the vague claims we want but it all sounds a little far-fetched, let’s talk about the science that backs up our big promises!

Ingredients

A Novel Idea: Benefits that Create a Comprehensive Energy Boost

Alright, let’s take a look at MTE’s ingredients and the clinical (Yes, clinical.) evidence behind them:

MTE’s Adaptogens

We won’t super nerd out about it here, but there are a bunch of deep-dive articles you can find on our Wellness Blog about all the ingredients in MTE, as well as profiles on adaptogens and nootropics. To make an endless story short, adaptogens are natural, plant-sourced compounds believed to interact with our central nervous system to help our body better adapt to stress. 

The adaptogens in MTE are all stalwarts of straight up ancient medicine that modern science is beginning to uncover the secrets of:

Ashwagandha

This potent adaptogen has been in use in Ayurvedic medicine for at least 5000 years, and it’s mentioned in ancient medical texts across the Old World. Biologically, ashwagandha is believed to interact with our stress response system to curb the production of stress hormones, reducing the production of adverse proteins caused by high stress levels. It may also act on our inflammatory system, central nervous system, respiratory system, and more. 

In today’s clinical research, there is solid data to support ashwagandha’s potential use for:

• Stress relief
• Cognitive health
• Mood support
• Fighting fatigue
• Recovery

In addition, clinical research indicates this adaptogen is safe and may even have anti-cancer properties. And we haven’t even gotten to our other adaptogens yet –

Eleuthero

Also called Siberian ginseng, eleuthero is a ginseng cousin that offers many of the same benefits. It’s also got about 5000 years of medicinal use behind it in immunity tonics, pastes, powders, and teas. Its biological mechanisms are more opaque than those of ashwagandha, but the data supporting eleuthero’s adaptogenic properties is just as robust. Even the World Health Organization is on board with this one. 

Modern research indicates Siberian ginseng may:

• Improve sleep
• Strengthen the body’s resistance to environmental toxins
• Increase VO2 Max (indicator of cardiovascular health)
• Strengthen the immune system’s resistance to illness/infection
• Suppress stress-induced symptoms like gastric ulcers
• Support cognitive and athletic function under stressful conditions

Holy Basil

Also referred to as tulsi, this adaptogenic plant has been an MVP in Ayurvedic medicine for 6000 years. Its value is so great that it’s actually embedded into the theology of Hinduism, where it’s regarded as sacred. We have a decent understanding of the compounds in holy basil that make it useful for a variety of physical and mental maladies, and clinical evidence indicates that the tulsi plant likely does affect our bodies on a biological level. 

Data supports holy basil’s hypothesized bioactivity. Studies indicate it may be:

• Anti-carcinogenic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antimicrobial 
• Mood supportive
• Stress protective
• Recovery supportive

Maca

This adaptogen has also been in use for around 6000 years, and was so valuable to ancient Central and South American cultures that it was domesticated around 2000 years ago. Part superfood – part adaptogen, maca is packed with compounds that may help our body bounce back into homeostasis and support our stress responses, among many other things. Today, researchers are exploring maca’s potential abilities in clinical settings.

Clinical studies demonstrate maca’s potential to be useful for:

• Libido
• Energy
• Physical performance
• Stress response
• Mood health/balance
• Cognitive health

MTE’s Nootropics

Nootropics are natural, often biologically-native compounds that are believed to support brain function, which is why they’re often referred to as cognitive enhancers. MTE’s formula contains some of the most powerful and well-documented nootropics around, including:

GABA

GABA is at once a nootropic, neurotransmitter and amino acid. Triple threat. Our brain naturally produces GABA, which serves as the main inhibitory neurotransmitter. It tells overexcited neurons to chill out, which helps reduce physical and psychological symptoms of stress. Calm neurons = calm mood. Plus, it increases availability of feel-good neurotransmitters.

Laboratory studies demonstrate GABA’s effects on our biology:

• It is commonly used in psychiatry for chronic difficulties with mood, affect and psychoses.
• GABA may help you fall asleep faster.
• It may help you perform better on cognitive tasks and improve the ability to plan and execute.
• GABA may support athletic performance by increasing levels of HGH.
• It functions as an antioxidant, protecting vital systems like liver, kidneys and CNS.
• GABA contributes to vascular system regulation, lowering blood pressure and balancing blood sugar.

Theacrine

MTE contains theacrine in the form of Teacrine®, a premium, clean extract. Theacrine is a nootropic compound that is believed to boost cognitive health, energy and focus. It acts similarly to caffeine but has not been observed to cause negative sensations associated with caffeine, like stress and jitters. It takes a bit longer to come on after consuming, but theacrine may offer a more even-keel energy that lasts longer than caffeine, doesn’t interfere with nightly recovery, and doesn’t cause a crash.

In clinical settings, theacrine has had the following effects on study participants:

• Feeling more energized
• Experiencing less brain fog
• Lowers feelings of lethargy
• Better cognitive performance
• Better physical performance
• Better mood

In addition, unlike caffeine, theacrine has the potential to offer sustainable energy without the pitfalls.

L-Theanine

This nootropic is also an amino acid, and is a compound found in black and green tea leaves, as well as various medicinal mushrooms. Experiential evidence supports indications for stress response, immunity, mood health, cognitive performance, sleep health, and attention. These perceived effects are largely due to the fact that this nootropic has been observed to increase alpha brain waves, which support calm energy, learning and creativity.

A body of data supports l-theanine's potential as an effective nootropic for a variety of maladies. In studies, it has:

• Demonstrated an ability to reduce stress by lowering pro-stress neurochemicals.
• Reduced perceived levels of distress.
• Supported healthy mood/increase low mood via modulation of neurotransmitters associated with cognition, motivation, reward, and pleasure.
• Improved attention and memory in people with mild cognitive impairments.
• Increased self-reported levels of alertness and ability to focus.
• Reduced sleep latency and improved sleep quality.

Saffron

MTE’s formula contains saffron in the form of Affron®, a potent extract. Saffron isn’t just an insanely-expensive herb. And it isn’t just a nootropic, either. Humans, and possibly archaic humans, have been using saffron in some form for at least 30000 years, and for at least 3200 years medicinally. Traditional uses include pain relief, immunity, antiviral, and antiseptic.

Current research supports saffron’s bioactive indications. Studies indicate it may:

• Support health and function of all major bodily systems (heart, liver, digestive, respiratory, etc)
• Fight cancer
• Protect brain health (reduces oxidative stress)
• Protect hippocampal activity (cognition, stress response, balanced mood)
• Scavenge free radicals
• Reduce severity of emotional dysregulation

Green Tea

MTE’s formula contains InnovaTea®, a premium standardized green tea extract that acts as a clean, natural caffeine source. And if you’re thinking, wait – we were just talking sh*t about caffeine, don’t worry – green tea just works as a fuse for all the other energy-boosting ingredients in MTE. Theacrine is the real energy booster in our formula. MTE has only 50mg of caffeine, which shouldn’t cause that energy roller coaster or interfere with your sleep/wake cycle. It's just enough to act as a fuse for all the really good stuff.

On top of all these super cool plant-powered compounds, amaranth and spirulina round out MTE’s lineup with a super-dose of feel-good nutrients. And that’s it! A plant-powered wellness powder made of 13 healthy, natural ingredients that promotes 8 (probably more) clinically-backed benefits, one of which happens to be energy.

Health-Focused Natural Ingredients vs Psychotic Shots Full of Stimulants 

So let’s talk about the other guys – Big Energy’s key ingredients and energy-boosting mechanisms. Some chemicals and compounds you’ll find in virtually all of today’s energy drinks – call back to Monster, Bang!® And 5-hour ENERGY® – include:

Caffeine

Caffeine is the go-to wake-me-up drug of choice in the US, and probably the most famous nootropic. Depending on the brand, one shot or can of an energy drink contains as much as 350mg of caffeine. That is just 50mg less than the 400mg max recommended dose… if you’re not trying to stop your heart.

Caffeine is known to boost energy, reduce fatigue, improve attention, and increase physical performance. However, it achieves this by supercharging the system that mobilizes energy during a stress response. This can cause a whole host of negative sensations like irritability, jitters, heart pounding, and cold sweats. It also increases levels of stress hormones in the body, which keeps your immune system too busy to spend its energy doing better things. 

Unfortunately, caffeine also comes with tolerance, which is why when you started drinking Monster®s, they really woke you up. Two years later, you’re drinking 2 or 3 to get the same effect, and experiencing withdrawal when you don’t. That’s up to 900mg of caffeine a day you now need just to function. Not cute. Not to mention expensive at $3 a pop.

Taurine

Taurine is a native amino acid that supports muscle health and nerve activity while reducing fatigue, and there are a few studies to indicate it may help with cognitive performance. However, there is not currently enough evidence to call taurine a nootropic. In mainstream energy drinks, taurine is used as a complement and enhancer to excessive caffeine, adding to that brain-busting buzz.

Not everyone reacts well to taurine, and even less handle the high doses you find in energy drinks. Negative effects include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea – all of which can lead to serious dehydration. It may also put stress on the liver and kidneys, so likely isn’t safe for the immunocompromised. In addition, taurine actually has a sedative effect on some people. So there’s that.

Guarana

A natural nootropic compound, guarana contains even more caffeine than the caffeine already added to energy drinks! It may temporarily improve alertness, attention, focus, memory, and processing speed. Its stimulating effects may also provide a temporary mood boost.

However, guarana also comes with drawbacks. Too much and/or combining it with other caffeine sources causes nervousness, insomnia and jitters. Sound familiar? It also has contraindications for medicines for some chronic conditions. It’s also not safe for people with heart conditions, as it temporarily raises heart rate and blood pressure.

B Vitamins

The most common B vitamins you’ll find in mainstream energy drinks are B6, B12 and folic acid. In normal human doses, these compounds are absolutely vital to overall health. They’re important for everything from muscle and bone growth to heart health to cognitive function. 

The issue with B vitamins in energy drinks is that the doses are way too high. For instance, one can of Monster contains 10mg of B6 and 40mcg of B12. The daily recommended dose of B6 is 1.5mg and daily intake of B12 should be around 2.4mcg. To get maths-y about it, that means a typical energy drink contains 6.7x the recommended daily dose of B6 and over 16.6x the recommended dose of B12.

Ever heard of “too much of a good thing”? This is that. Too many B vitamins can cause 

• Nervousness/apprehension 
• Irritability
• Nerve damage
• Liver damage
• Skin rashes
• Respiratory distress

And the list goes one. Though, honestly, we could have stopped at nerve and liver damage because wow.

So, we don’t have a lot in common with your typical energy drink, and that’s largely because we’re not trying to! MTE approaches energy from a different theoretical framework. Mainstream energy drinks are formulated from an angle of How can I be the inverse opposite of tired right now?, which is why the list above are all substances that overexcite your central nervous system.

MTE is formulated from an angle of How can we feel better every day without resorting to a mainstream energy drink or 4 shots of espresso?. As a result, the benefits our wellness drink offers can accumulate over time, making you more resilient to stress mentally and physically. Mainstream energy can’t say that.

Pricing

The Logistics: Cost-Benefit Ratio of MTE vs Typical Energy Drinks

Here’s where things often fall apart with new holistic health products entering the market and promising a lot; they expect you to spend a lot. And when it comes to MTE, the idea is to take it every day so the adaptogens and nootropics can perform to their fullest extent, so we really should talk about cost.

Let’s break it down per drink. If you have a daily Starbuck’s habit, you’re looking at $4/day minimum. It’s more like $6 for any kind of espresso-based drink. If you have a daily energy drink habit, you’re looking at about $3/day for a Monster®, Bang!® or 5-Hour ENERGY®. 

So, we’re spending anywhere from $3-$6 on average simply for a humongous and arguably unhealthy dose of caffeine. A subscription to MTE's daily feel-good drink mix comes to about $2/day in cost. We’re sitting well within the cost of mainstream energy drinks and caffeine shots, but we’re offering the potential for way more benefits with way less side effects. 

MTE is also convenient. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so you can keep it in your supplement cabinet, grab a scoop and mix it up on the fly, whenever. And because the caffeine content is so low, most users are able to drink MTE in the afternoon and not worry about being wired well into the night, which is something you can’t say about a 200mg caffeine shot of 5-Hour ENERGY®.

Packaging

Another Cool Thing About Us? 

Our packaging is carbon conscious! Having 30 servings in one package saves on material and manufacturing emissions. And we ship in cardboard boxes without any stabilizers like plastic, styrofoam, or other bad-for-the-environment-and-sea-turtles materials. So we’re just as sustainable as Monster® and Bang!® recyclable cans; no issue there.

Other Highlights

But Wait! There’s More…

A few last thoughts and specs on MTE that set us apart from the other guys:

• No sugar bombs or artificial sweeteners
• Less than a cup of coffee’s worth of caffeine
• Vegan
• Keto
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Kosher
• Halal
• Organic

In the end, we’re not really trying to compete in the energy drink market; we’re trying to change it. Right now, we’re an orange in an apple cart. Well, more of a basket of bioactive plants floating in a sea of sugar-packed high-octane drinks.

MTE isn’t about supporting a temporary energy boost; it’s about supporting feeling better so we have the energy and the opportunity to live our best life. If you’ve been looking for something to replace that energy drink habit, reduce your coffee intake, stop feeling exhausted, or otherwise just boost your well-being, check out the new normal in energy.