Ghost Energy Drink Ingredients: What's In This Stuff?

Here at Supplement Warehouse, Ghost Energy drinks are some of our most popular drinks. Not only online, but in our retail stores as well. Heck, it is my personal favorite energy drink too. I used to drink them twice per day...now just once, but still, Ghost did an amazing job at the flavoring behind these drinks.

One common question we get is about the ingredients. Customers and visitors to our website want to know what is exactly in these drinks. And it's beyond just 200mg of caffeine or zero sugar. They want a break down of every ingredient that they are drinking. And this is why we decided to create this post.

Energy & Focus Ingredients (Active and Purposeful)

These are why Ghost Energy feels like it works:

• Natural Caffeine (200 mg) – Sourced from coffee beans. Clean energy with less crash than synthetic caffeine.

• Carnipure® L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (1000 mg) – Helps with fat metabolism and energy production.

• Taurine (1000 mg) – Supports energy, hydration, and cardiovascular function. Popular in pre-workouts.

• Alpha-GPC (150 mg) – Boosts acetylcholine (focus neurotransmitter). Great for mental performance.

• NeuroFactor® (100 mg) – Coffee fruit extract shown to increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which supports cognitive function.

• AstraGin® (25 mg) – Enhances absorption of nutrients and supports gut health.

Verdict: These ingredients are solid for energy, focus, and mental clarity. Dosed reasonably well.

Questionable Ingredients

These aren’t necessarily toxic, but they’re more controversial or unnecessary:

• Sucralose & Acesulfame Potassium – Artificial sweeteners. Generally safe in small doses, but long-term effects are debated, especially on gut health and insulin response.

• Sodium Benzoate & Potassium Sorbate – Preservatives. Approved for use but can become problematic in high or frequent doses, particularly when mixed with ascorbic acid (can form benzene—a carcinogen—in rare cases).

• Artificial Flavors – Not energy-boosting and may cause sensitivities in some people.

Verdict: These are the "watch list" items. Probably fine in moderation, but not beneficial for performance.

Filler or Non-Essential Ingredients

Included for taste, preservation, or appearance—not performance:

• Carbonated Water – Base liquid, no impact on energy.

• Citric Acid & Tartaric Acid – Flavor enhancers.

• Natural & Artificial Flavors – Taste only.

• Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) – 100% DV, mostly antioxidant. Doesn’t directly contribute to energy.

• Niacin, B6, B12 – Common in energy drinks. Helps energy metabolism but mostly overkill if you eat a balanced diet.

Verdict: Not harmful, but not driving performance either—mostly label fluff.

Ghost Energy vs. C4 Energy

C4 Energy is a popular pre-workout-style drink that focuses heavily on performance. It uses 200 mg of caffeine (same as Ghost), but swaps in Beta-Alanine (1.6 g) for muscle endurance — which Ghost skips entirely. However, C4 lacks strong nootropics: it doesn’t contain Alpha-GPC or NeuroFactor like Ghost does, so the mental focus aspect is weaker. C4 also uses artificial sweeteners and preservatives similar to Ghost, but generally has a shorter, less advanced ingredient list. Overall, Ghost offers a more well-rounded blend for both brain and body, while C4 leans more toward traditional pre-workout effects.

Ghost Energy vs. Bang Energy

Bang hits harder with 300 mg of caffeine, compared to Ghost’s 200 mg, making it more intense but potentially crashier. It includes CoQ10, BCAAs, and Super Creatine, but the doses and bioavailability of those extras are questionable — Super Creatine, in particular, is heavily disputed. Bang lacks meaningful nootropics and absorption enhancers like Alpha-GPC or AstraGin, which Ghost includes. Bang also uses sucralose and preservatives, and has been criticized for label transparency. So while Bang delivers raw energy, Ghost delivers a cleaner, more purposeful experience focused on energy + cognitive support.

Ghost Energy vs. Reign Total Body Fuel

Reign is also loaded with 300 mg caffeine, targeting serious athletes. It includes CoQ10, BCAAs, and electrolytes, making it solid for hydration and endurance, especially during long workouts. However, like Bang, Reign lacks true nootropics—no Alpha-GPC, NeuroFactor, or similar brain-boosting ingredients. Reign uses natural caffeine (like Ghost), and it’s low-calorie and sugar-free, but also uses artificial sweeteners. Compared to Reign, Ghost is more about clean daily energy + mental clarity, while Reign is better for high-stim workouts or cardio-intensive sessions.

Final Thoughts

Ghost Energy does a great job combining nootropic and physical energy boosters into one can. It gives solid clean energy, enhanced focus, and some metabolic support. If you're chugging this daily, maybe rotate it or detox periodically due to the preservatives and artificial sweeteners—but otherwise, it’s one of the better-formulated energy drinks out there.

Author

Jeff has been in the fitness and supplement industry for almost 20 years. He is an avid bodybuilder and helps others with lifting techniques, as well as the best vitamins and supplements they should take for the goals they have. You can find him on LinkedIn and Youtube.

Jeff Moriarty