Bang Energy and C4 Energy are energy drinks that are especially favoured by fitness fanatics and athletes as they are known to enhance physical and mental performance. However, they can be used by anybody who needs an energy boost.
At first glance, these drinks look very similar so it may be hard to know which one is better for your needs. In this article, we will compare Bang vs C4 to help you decide which is better for you.
About Bang
When Jack Owoc, a former high school science teacher, created the brand Bang Energy, his mission was simple: “to make the highest quality nutritional supplements on the market, backed by scientific research”. In the beginning, his main focus were sports nutrition supplements but later on, he introduced Bang Energy drinks to the market which included the Redline product line and Quash™ shots. The popularity of Bang Energy drinks has quickly risen and today these low-sugar drinks rank in the top three best-selling energy drink brands in the USA. However, they are also popular in other parts of the world.
Bang Energy drinks come in a variety of flavours with all flavours containing 300mg of caffeine per can which makes Bang one of the strongest energy drinks in the market.
About C4
C4 Energy is a younger energy drink brand compared to Bang Energy and is also based in the USA. Their energy drinks come in different flavours and varieties and include options that are naturally sweetened with stevia.
C4 Energy is their best seller which comes in 11 flavours. This drink is designed to be used as a pre-workout and is recommended to be consumed 20-30 minutes before exercise although you can also use it in other ways, whenever you need an energy boost.
Apart from energy drinks, C4 also sell pre-workout powders and other sports nutrition supplements.
Bang vs C4 – Ingredients comparison
To determine which energy drink is better, Bang or C4, we first need to look at their ingredients side by side. As both drinks come in different varieties, here we will compare the most popular varieties and see how they differentiate from each other in terms of their ingredients.
| ENERGY DRINK NAME | INGREDIENTS |
| Bang Energy | Carbonated Water, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate (Preserves Freshness), Potassium Citrate Monohydrate, EAAs (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, L-phenylanine, L-histidine, L-methionine, L-tryptophan), Sucralose, Potassium Phosphate Dibasic, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), Potassium Sorbate (Preserves Freshness), Magnesium Chloride, Super Creatine (Creatyl-L-Leucine [Creatine Bonded to L-Leucine]), Calcium Chloride, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) and Vitamin B12 (MethylCobalamin). |
| Natural Bang® | carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, phosphoric acid, caffeine, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), potassium citrate monohydrate, EAAs (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, L-phenylanine, L-histidine, L-methionine, L-tryptophan), sucralose, potassium phosphate dibasic, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), potassium sorbate (preserves freshness), magnesium chloride, Super Creatine (Creatyl-L-Leucine [Creatine bonded to L-Leucine]), calcium chloride, calcium disodium EDTA, vitamin B3 (niacinamide), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), and vitamin B12 (mthylcobalamin) |
| Bang Keto Coffee | Coffee (Water, Coffee Extract), Protein Blend (Milk Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate), Soluble Corn Fiber, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Gellulose Gel, Caprylic Triglyceride (Straight 8), Cellulose Gum, Mono And Diglycerides, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Sweet Cream, Carrageenan, Caffeine, BCAA (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine), Sucralose, And Sunflower Lecithin. |
| C4 Energy | Carbonated Water, Carnosyn Beta-Alanine, L-Citrulline, Malic Acid, BetaPower® Betaine Anhydrous, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Tartaric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (preservative), Caffeine Anhydrous, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Niacinamide, Cyanocobalamin (B12). |
| C4 Smart Energy | Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Natural Flavors, Cognizin® Citicoline, Potassium Benzoate (preservative), Sucralose, InnovaTea® Green Tea Leaf Extract, Acesulfame Potassium, Niacinamide, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Sodium Citrate, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12). |
| C4 Smart Energy Natural Zero | Carbonated Water, Natural Flavors, Malic Acid, Cognizin Citicoline, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Caffeine (from InnovaTea Green Tea Leaf Extract), Stevia Leaf Extract (High Purity Steviol Glycosides), N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Niacinamide, Cyanocabalamin (Vitamin B12). |
Both energy drinks, Bang and C4, are made from carbonated water and contain sweeteners, a variety of amino acids, and natural flavors. They both also contain preservatives and acidity regulators.
The difference between Bang and C4
At first look, it seems that Bang Energy drinks are nutritionally richer since they contain more vitamins, minerals and a wider variety of amino acids. However, some of these drinks contain artificial flavors, for example, Sour Heads flavour. C4 energy drinks, on the other hand, contain only natural flavours.
Natural energy drinks?
Both brands, Bang Energy and C4 Energy have created versions of their energy drink containing mostly natural ingredients: Natural Bang and C4 Smart Energy Natural Zero.
C4 Smart Energy Natural Zero seems to be more natural than Natural Bang since it contains natural sweetener Stevia while Natural Bang still contains artificial sweetener sucralose, despite being marketed as “all-natural”. Both drinks contain naturally-derived caffeine.
Other types of energy drinks
The Bang Energy brand also offer a Bang Keto Coffee drink which is a drink for those who enjoy their cup of coffee, only that this drink offers more benefits since it has added protein blend and amino acids.
C4 also offer other types of energy drinks such as C4 Smart Energy which is designed to boost your mental performance.
So, which energy drink is better: C4 or Bang? Let’s take a look at their nutritional information as well to draw the final conclusions.
Bang vs C4 – Nutritional Values
For the purpose of this comparison, we will compare the classic Bang Energy drink vs C4 Energy. Here is how they compare side by side when it comes to their nutritional values:
Nutritional values for 1 can (16 fl oz – 473ml)
| VALUES (Serving Size 1 can) | Bang Energy | C4 Energy |
| CALORIES | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL FAT | 0g | 0g |
| – Saturated Fat | 0g | 0g |
| SODIUM | 40mg | 0mg |
| TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE | 0g | 0g |
| – Total sugars | 0g | 0g |
| FIBER | 0g | 0g |
| PROTEIN | 0g | 0g |
| Niacin (B3) | 5mg / 30% | 30mg / 190% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.5 mcg / 60% | 6mcg / 250% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.5 mg / 30% | 0mg |
| Vitamin C | 27mg / 30% | 0mg |
| Magnesium | 5mg / 1% | 0mg |
| Calcium | 5mg / 0% | 0mg |
| Potassium | 85mg / 2% | 0mg |
Nutritionally, Bang and C4 are both calorie-free and contain no fat, sugar, protein and fiber. They do contain some vitamins and minerals though and also added amino acids.
Bang vs C4 – Sodium content
Bang Energy contains 40mg of sodium per can while C4 contains no sodium at all.
Sodium intake is not something you should normally worry about as our Western diet contains more than enough salt and most people consume too much every day. However, some people who participate in intense exercise for longer periods of time may need a sodium boost. The same goes for people who sweat a lot, especially in hot climates.
It’s recommended to consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day but ideally, we should not exceed 1,500mg per day. Taking this into account Bang Energy contains only a very small amount of sodium that will not contribute much towards your daily recommended intake.
Bang vs C4 – Vitamins and minerals
Both Bang Energy and C4 Energy contain B3 and B12 vitamins but Bang Energy contains only 30% of the recommended daily intake of B3 while C4 contains much more – 190%. C4 also contains much more B12 – 250% of the recommended daily intake – while Bang contains only 60%.
Bang Energy contains the following vitamins and minerals which are not found in C4: vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and potassium.
Bang Energy vs C4 Energy – Amino acid profile
| ENERGY DRINK | AMINO ACIDS |
| Bang Energy | EAAs (L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L-lysine, L-threonine, L-phenylanine, L-histidine, L-methionine, L-tryptophan) Super Creatine (Creatyl-L-Leucine [Creatine Bonded to L-Leucine]) |
| C4 Energy | CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine, L-Citrulline, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine |
Bang Energy and C4 contain different types of amino acids. Bang Energy contains EAAs (Essential Amino Acids) which our body cannot produce itself so they need to be consumed through food. Bang Energy also contains Super Creatine which is a special ingredient found only in Bang Energy drinks. This is a special type of creatine that has been bonded to the amino acid L-Leucine. It’s meant to be water-soluble and should be able to get to the brain very quickly to enhance mental focus but it’s not clear how much creatine there actually is in Bang.
C4, on the other hand, contains CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine which is proven to improve athletic performance, enhance mental focus and build muscle faster.
There is also a non-essential amino acid L-citrulline in C4 Energy, which gets converted into L-arginine in the body. This amino acid helps boost nitric oxide levels and consequently improves blood flow which improves exercise performance.
C4 Energy also contains a form of L-tyrosine – N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine. This amino acid helps to improve cognitive function during stressful times.
Bang vs C4 – Caffeine content
There is 300mg of caffeine in Bang Energy vs 200mg in C4. This makes Bang Energy stronger than C4.
What is better for you: Bang or C4?
Is Bang better for you or C4? This will pretty much depend on your needs and preferences. If you are looking to consume more caffeine in one drink, then Bang is a better option as it contains more caffeine than C4 (300mg vs 200mg in C4).
If it’s important to you to drink an energy drink containing more vitamins and minerals, then again Bang is a winner here. Although it contains only very small amounts of the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium. C4 Energy, on the other hand, will provide you with much more vitamin B3 and B12 which are both crucial for energy production in the body.
The other thing to consider when trying to decide between Bang and C4 is the type of amino acids they contain. Bang contains Super Creatine, a type of creatine that should quickly enhance your mental performance. However, the studies on this ingredient are limited and it’s questionable how well it really works. C4, on the other hand, contains CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine which has been scientifically proven to be effective in boosting athletic performance. For this reason, C4 has a stronger amino acid profile and along with N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine also helps to support cognitive function.