Arginine

Flavor of Japanese Energy Drinks and Arginine

In Japan, Red Bull replaced taurine with arginine, and since then, arginine has been included in a variety of energy drinks. It has become one of the representative energy ingredients in Japanese energy drinks.

Each energy drink typically contains around 300mg of arginine. Regain Energy Drink (discontinued) contains the highest amount at 1,000mg (1g), which is by far the largest amount.

Since maca also contains arginine, if maca is included, a small amount of arginine may be consumed.

Effects of Arginine

• Increased blood flow due to vasodilation
• Promotion of growth hormone secretion
• Enhanced fat burning and muscle growth when combined with exercise

It is important to note that even about 1g will not yield significant effects. While 1g is better than 0g, for noticeable effects, around 5g should be taken at once. Therefore, the small amount of arginine in energy drinks is unlikely to produce noticeable effects.

The Trend of Adding Arginine to Energy Drinks

During the energy drink boom around 2014 in Japan, many follow-up products were released, and many energy drinks began to include arginine. Perhaps it was thought that simply adding caffeine and arginine would make it seem like an energy drink.

Even now, almost all energy drinks include arginine, as it is considered an essential ingredient.