Applied Nutrition ABE Energy Performance

What is Applied Nutrition's ABE Energy Performance?

ABE Energy Performance is a ready-to-drink sparkling drink, sold in a 330 ml can. One can brings 200 mg of caffeine, 2 g of citrulline malate, 2 g of beta-alanine, 200 mg of anhydrous betaine, 200 mg of taurine and 200 mg of L-tyrosine, for zero calories and zero sugar. ABE stands for "All Black Everything", the name of the pre-workout range from Applied Nutrition, a British brand based in Liverpool.

The idea behind the product fits in one sentence: take the actives you usually find in a powder you have to scoop, and put them in a can. You open it, you drink it, there is no shaker to wash and no scoop to level off. It is a format as much as a formula.

The flavours in the catalogue: Grape Soda, White, Blue Lagoon, Apple Burst, Cloudy Lemonade, Orange Burst, Cherry Slushie, Fruit Candy and Slush Puppie. Each is available singly or in packs of twelve. The rest of the brand can be browsed in our Applied Nutrition aisle, and the other ready-to-drink formats in our energy drinks aisle.

What does a can of ABE Energy contain?

** Nutrient reference values not established for these components. The values above are those declared by the manufacturer on the label.

200 mg of caffeine is the equivalent of two short espressos in a 330 ml can. That is not trivial, and it is precisely the threshold beyond which the European authorities consider that a single intake deserves attention in adults. If you are sensitive, if you already drink coffee during the day, or if you train in the evening, take it into account before opening a second one.

On the other actives, the dosages have to be read honestly. 2 g of citrulline malate and 2 g of beta-alanine are real amounts, but they stay below the dosages found in a powdered pre-workout, where the figures are more like 6 to 8 g of citrulline and 3.2 g of beta-alanine. The can is a convenience format, not a complete booster compressed into 330 ml. If you are after high dosages, look instead at our pre-workout boosters aisle.

Two authorised claims can, on the other hand, be quoted as they stand, because they rest on the declared amounts: niacin and vitamin B12 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness. Those are the official wordings from the European regulation. By contrast, no claim exists for caffeine, beta-alanine, citrulline, betaine or tyrosine: what we are describing there are ingredients and quantities, not promised effects.

Ingredients list

Carbonated water, beta-alanine, citrulline, anhydrous betaine, acidity regulator (citric acid), natural flavouring, caffeine, taurine, L-tyrosine, sweetener (sucralose), preservative (potassium sorbate), niacin, vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin).

The manufacturer declares the absence of common allergens. High caffeine content: not recommended for children or for pregnant or breastfeeding women (200 mg per 330 ml).

How do you take ABE Energy Performance?

Dose: 1 can of 330 ml. Liquid: none, the drink is ready to drink. Timing: 15 to 30 minutes before training. Frequency: one can a day, without stacking another source of caffeine. Duration: the manufacturer does not set out a course, it is a training-day drink.

Drink it very cold. This is not a comfort tip: taken from the cupboard at room temperature, the beta-alanine and the acidity make the taste distinctly less pleasant, and many people who find these drinks undrinkable have simply drunk them lukewarm. The fridge changes everything.

Expect tingling on the skin, and do not worry about it. The 2 g of beta-alanine cause, in most people, passing pins and needles on the face, neck or forearms, appearing some twenty minutes after drinking and going away on their own. It is a well-known reaction to this molecule, and it is harmless. Nobody ever warns you, and yet it is the first question we get asked at the counter.

One can a day, and not two. At 200 mg of caffeine per unit, two cans put you at 400 mg, which matches the maximum daily reference for a healthy adult — before counting the morning coffee. And no late-day intake: caffeine stays active for several hours, and an 8 pm session paid for with a broken night is a poor trade.

Who is ABE Energy for, and who is it not for?

It suits a trained adult who wants energy before a session without preparing a drink, and who tolerates caffeine well. The can format has a real practical advantage: it slips into a bag, it can be drunk in the car or in the changing room, and the zero sugar makes it compatible with a controlled diet.

It is not for children, nor for pregnant or breastfeeding women — that is the mandatory statement tied to the caffeine content, and it is not decorative. It is strongly discouraged for people sensitive to caffeine, as well as in cases of high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, anxiety or ongoing medical treatment: in all of those cases, a doctor's opinion comes before the purchase.

Do not stack it with any other source of caffeine. A coffee, a powdered pre-workout, a fat burner in capsules, a tea: it all adds up. That is the situation where we see the most unpleasant surprises, with palpitations and a sleepless night at the end of it. If you train in the evening, there is a simple solution: our caffeine-free pre-workout aisle offers exactly the same vascular actives without the stimulant.

What not to expect from it. It does not make you progress, it does not replace structured training or adequate food, and it does not make up for a short night. It contains zero calories, therefore zero fuel: on a long session it will supply no energy in the metabolic sense of the word. It is a pleasant stimulant before training, nothing more.

ABE can or powdered pre-workout?

Both answer the same intention, but not the same need, and the choice becomes clear once you lay out the figures.

The powder wins on dosages, no argument. A classic pre-workout brings 6 to 8 g of citrulline and 3.2 g of beta-alanine, against 2 g of each here. You can also adjust the dose: half a scoop on the days you are tired, a full scoop before a big session. Our creatine-free pre-workout aisle and our citrulline selection cover those formulas.

The can wins on everything else: taste, simplicity, consistency. No lumps, no shaker rolling around in the bag, no approximate scoop. And a pleasant drink actually gets drunk, where a tub of mediocre-tasting powder ends up at the back of the cupboard. For someone training three times a week who simply wants a lift before the session, it is the most honest format.

A third route is worth mentioning: if what you are mainly after is beta-alanine, it is taken every day and not only on training days, which a can does not reasonably allow. Our beta-alanine aisle offers dedicated powders for daily use. And for what gets drunk during the session rather than before it, look instead at EAA.

Frequently asked questions

How much caffeine is in a can?

200 mg per 330 ml, roughly two short espressos. That is a high content, which requires a mandatory statement on the label. One can a day at most, without stacking a coffee, a powdered booster or a fat burner in capsules, since it all adds up.

Which flavours are available?

Grape Soda, White, Blue Lagoon, Apple Burst, Cloudy Lemonade, Orange Burst, Cherry Slushie, Fruit Candy and Slush Puppie. The formula is identical from one flavour to another, only the flavouring changes. Each is available singly or in packs of twelve.

Why do I get tingling after drinking it?

That is the beta-alanine, present at 2 g per can. In most people it causes passing pins and needles on the face, neck or forearms, some twenty minutes after drinking. The sensation lasts a few tens of minutes and goes away on its own. It is harmless.

Zero calories, is that really possible?

That is what the manufacturer's label declares, and that is what we report. The drink contains neither sugar, nor fat, nor protein: the sweetness comes from sucralose. What matters most is that it supplies no fuel, which makes it unsuited to a long session where you need carbohydrates.

Can you drink it on non-training days?

Nothing forbids it, but it is not the intended use and it is an expensive way to consume caffeine. The formula is designed to be drunk 15 to 30 minutes before training. On rest days, an ordinary coffee does the same job for a great deal less.

Is it suitable for a vegan diet?

The ingredients list contains no component of animal origin and the manufacturer declares no common allergen. We do not, however, have a certified vegan statement on the label: if that point is decisive for you, check the wording on the can you receive.

Does it need to be drunk cold?

Yes, and that is the most useful tip on this page. Lukewarm, the acidity and the beta-alanine dominate the taste and the drink becomes unpleasant. Straight from the fridge, it goes down easily. That is the main reason some people find it excellent and others undrinkable.

Where to buy ABE Energy Performance

The can can be ordered singly or by the pack of twelve from this page, in the available flavours, and we ship throughout France and Europe. In the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, we always advise trying a single can before buying a pack: at 200 mg of caffeine, tolerance varies enormously from person to person, and a flavour you do not like bought twelve at a time is a bad memory. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition aisle.