The 6 Best Energy Supplements of 2023

It was quite a ride, early 2000s energy drinks, but the world is now wise to your jittery (and extremely unhealthy) ways.

In the interest of a calmer, but still more productive future, we curated this list of the 6 best energy supplements of 2023 with a focus on balanced, safe energy supplements that facilitate your body’s natural energy production instead of simply overclocking your motor with copious amounts of caffeine and sugar.

If you’re looking for a clean, effective energy drink that gives you a sustained boost without the crash—Hi-Health Metabolic Fusion takes our top spot in this regard—here are the best energy supplements on the market today.

The 6 Best Energy Supplements

	Best Overall	Energy + Multivitamin	On-the-Go
Product	Hi-Health	Solaray	Protekt
Price	$1.33/serving Shop Now	$0.50/serving Shop Now	$1.25/serving Shop Now

Best for: Busy/working folks who want a safe, crash-free energy supplement that comes with weight-loss benefits.

Hi-Health Metabolic Fusion sponsors a multi-fronted war on fatigue that savvily takes advantage of more than one of the body’s energy-producing mechanisms using the following ingredients:

• Green Tea Extract
• Green Coffee Bean Extract
• Raspberry Ketone
• Olive Leaf Extract
• Caffeine Anhydrous Powder
• Bacopa Extract
• Garcinia Extract
• CLA Oil Powder
• L-Theanine
• Forskolin Root Extract
• BioPerine Black Pepper Extract

The green tea and coffee bean extracts provide a strong shot of antioxidants, which help protect the brain against damage while improving cognition. 

The calming amino acid L-theanine helps to take the jittery edge off of the generous, but measured helping of caffeine (150mg) infused into each serving.

The active ingredient in olive leaf extract (oleuropein), the bacopa extract, and the garcinia combine forces to naturally spin up your metabolism, promote weight loss, and even lower LDL (bad/low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol.

Finally, the BioPerine black pepper extract provides a potent brain-boosting effect, and is often used to enhance the absorption of other nutrients.

Hi-Health Metabolic Fusion hits three of the major energy production pathways we look for—brain detangling, classic pep (stimulation), and cellular energy production—all while staying clear of nasty ingredients.

Best for: Those who want the nutritional benefits of a multivitamin alongside the functional advantages of an energy-boosting supplement.

Too often, attempts to bridge the gap from multivitamin to energy supplement amount to a half-hearted sprinkling of extra B vitamins, but Solaray Multi Energy is our model for merging these two (multivitamin and energy supplement) the right way.

Of course, Solaray Multi Energy provides 8 B vitamins, but it also includes the following key micronutrients, to name a few:

• Vitamins A/C/D/E
• Calcium
• Iodine
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Copper
• Manganese
• Chromium

Collectively, these nutrients cover all the major functional targets we want to see addressed by a multivitamin, including immune system health, vision, heart health, and more.

The lack of caffeine, while a con for those looking for that extra edge, makes sense for a twice-daily multivitamin, and the B vitamins at least partially make up for it.

You might miss the caffeine if you’re looking for a more intense burst of energy to get you through a workout, long workday, etc., but the other side of the trade-off is the advantage of a well-rounded multivitamin that still provides sustained, focused energy. This makes Solaray Multi Energy one of the best energy supplements for chronic fatigue syndrome and other long-term use cases.

Overall, Solaray Multi Energy is the best multivitamin + energy supplement we’ve seen to date, compromising very little on either front.

Best for: People looking to liven up their water with a clean, energy-boosting supplement (with caffeine) that’s easy to take to work, the gym, etc.

It might take a bit of getting used to—being greeted with a spurt of liquid, not powder upon opening each sachet—but once you’re acclimated to Protekt Energy, you can rest assured you’ve got a convenient and clean option for sustainable energy.

A simplistic, balanced formulation blends B vitamins, taurine, and a hefty helping of caffeine (160 mg) that you can easily squirt into your water without that plume of powder coming back up to tickle your nose.

The organic caffeine is derived from green coffee beans, and though we don’t love umbrella terms like natural flavors, Protekt Energy is otherwise benign in its flavoring and other ingredients (stevia, citric acid, etc.).
If you’re busy, over the powder, and simply looking to hydrate on the go without the overpriced and sugar-laden “sports drink,” Protekt Energy gets our recommendation.

Best for: Anyone looking for a clean and effective pre-workout without the caffeine (or other stimulants).

Speaking of caffeine free, Zhou Lite Up took the spot for best caffeine-free pre-workout in our Best Pre-Workout for Women article.

Zhou Lite Up uses naturally sourced vasodilators like citrulline malate to increase blood flow to working muscles.

The fruit concentrates (tart cherry, bilberry, hawthorn berry) kick in a heaping helping of antioxidants to facilitate muscle recovery via inflammation control and other mechanisms.
Zhou Lite Up is clean (no artificial sweeteners or harsh preservatives) and, at two grams of carbs per single-scoop serving, keto friendly.

Best for: A clean, consistent energy boost for people with hypothyroidism. 

Though a cardinal symptom, fatigue isn’t the only bane that low-thyroid folks have to deal with; hypothyroidism can also cause constipation, depression, decreased libido, and more. 

Each person’s thyroid situation varies, and should be discussed with a physician, but in many cases, the hypothyroid crowd needs a way to supplement the key constituents of the thyroid hormone that they are deficient in—iodine and tyrosine.

While there are many iodine and tyrosine supplements out there, NOW Thyroid Energy is one of the few that also includes three cofactors (selenium, zinc, and copper) of enzymes that release thyroid hormones throughout the body.

This is a technical way of saying that selenium, zinc, and copper act as key facilitators in the reactions that allow the thyroid hormone to do its thing.

Also of note in the NOW Thyroid Energy ingredient list is a heavy shot of B-12 (60mcg/2500% RDA) and ashwagandha, an apt pairing for their complementary benefits (increased energy and stress reduction, respectively).
Finally, NOW Thyroid Energy takes our top spot for thyroid energy supplements because it’s clean, highly affordable, and backed up by NOW’s rigorous testing and sourcing standards.

Best for: Targeting energy production at the most fundamental level—the mitochondria of the cell—OLLY Daily Energy provides a caffeine-free route to sustained energy aided by Vitamin B12 (300mcg/12500% DV), Goji Berry Extract (100mg), and naturally fermented CoQ10 (30mg).

And hey, gummies.

CoQ10 stands for cofactor enzyme Q-10, an antioxidant produced in the body that protects the mitochondria. 

While it’s the mitochondria that directly produces energy (in the form of ATP), since CoQ10 is so integral to the proper function of the mitochondria, a deficiency is very likely to result in a drop in energy.

Goji berry offers a nutrient-rich cocktail of vitamin A, vitamin C, protein, potassium, iron, and more, including plenty of antioxidants.

Each Olly Daily Energy gummy contains a below-average (1g) amount of added sugar in the form of glucose syrup and beet sugar. 

If you’re looking for an affordably priced energy gummy that steers clear of the caffeine, OLLY Daily Energy is our top pick.

Energy Supplement FAQ

Key Takeaways

Increased energy can be achieved through several mechanisms, including increasing oxygen to the brain, optimizing chemical messengers in the brain to enhance alertness, fueling the mitochondria to generate energy on a cellular level, stimulation, and more. 

Plant-based nootropics are instrumental in promoting the above functions; understanding how to identify them in an ingredient list (and differentiate them from cheap stimulants) will help you discern between high-quality and low-quality energy supplements.

It’s important not to develop an unhealthy dependence on even high-quality energy supplements, as the core of your B12 (and other nutrient) intake should still come from whole food sources. Over-dependence on energy supplements can also foster bad habits, like staying up too late.
As always, make sure your energy supplement has a reasonable amount of caffeine (if any), little to no sugar, and high-quality ingredients that promote sustained energy through multiple mechanisms.