Update Energy Drink Review: 300 mg Paraxanthine, Examined

Update Energy Drink Review: 300 mg Paraxanthine, Examined

Update is a zero-caffeine, zero-sugar energy drink built around 300 mg of paraxanthine, the primary compound your liver makes when it metabolizes caffeine. Each 12 fl oz can also contains 315 mg of alpha-GPC, L-theanine, vitamin B12, and sucralose. The human evidence behind paraxanthine is small, short-term, and mostly funded by the ingredient's maker. A can runs about $2.99 one-time or $2.69 on subscription. Below is what the label actually says, what the trials actually measured, and what nobody has tested yet.

Key Takeaways

• Update replaces caffeine with its downstream metabolite, paraxanthine. "Caffeine-free" does not mean "stimulant-free." Paraxanthine still blocks adenosine receptors and raises blood pressure at higher doses.
• The only published human study at Update's 300 mg dose was a single-dose, three-hour monitoring session in 21 adults. No trial has tested 300 mg daily for more than seven days.
• Three of the four human paraxanthine cognition studies have authors affiliated with Ingenious Ingredients, the company that makes enfinity (the branded paraxanthine in the can).
• The formula has changed since launch. The current version uses sucralose instead of stevia and drops several ingredients from the original lineup.

What Is Update Energy Drink?

Update was founded by Daniel Solomons and originally launched in 2022 as a paraxanthine-based energy drink sweetened with stevia. The brand relaunched on February 24, 2026, with Kim Kardashian joining as co-founder, taking on roles in brand building, product design, and consumer insight according to the press announcement. Walmart began stocking Update in more than 4,000 stores starting March 1, 2026, per Food Dive's reporting.

The current lineup has five flavors: Berry, Grape, Peach, Mandarin, and Pineapple, plus a Variety 12-pack. Every flavor is zero calories, zero sugar, and caffeine-free.

Update Energy Drink Ingredients: The Full Label

The brand's product page lists the full ingredient panel. Here is what is in the current can:

A note on the formula change. BevNET's earlier review describes the original Update with stevia (Reb A and Reb M), plus N-acetyl L-tyrosine, taurine, 5-HTP, and a longer active list. The current product pages show sucralose and only four actives. The brand FAQ says Update contains "zero artificial flavors or colors," which is accurate, but the drink does contain an artificial sweetener (sucralose). Worth knowing if you read "clean" as meaning no artificial ingredients.

Does Update Have Caffeine?

No. Update contains zero caffeine. Its active stimulant is paraxanthine, the compound your body already produces when it breaks down caffeine. On average, about 80% of ingested caffeine is metabolized to paraxanthine (Benowitz et al., 1995, Clin Pharmacol Ther, n=12).

That metabolic relationship is why paraxanthine works as a stimulant: it blocks adenosine receptors through the same general mechanism caffeine does. You are still consuming a xanthine that elevates alertness, raises blood pressure at sufficient doses, and triggers sympathomimetic effects. The brand calls it "Clean Energy" and promises "No Jitters or Crash," but those are marketing claims, not clinical endpoints measured head-to-head against caffeine at 300 mg. For a deeper look at the compound, see our explainer on what paraxanthine is.

Does Update Energy Drink Work? What the Paraxanthine Studies Show

Four published human studies are relevant. None of them tested the Update can itself.

The pattern: most studies tested 200 mg or less, sample sizes are small, durations are short, and the majority were funded or co-authored by the company that sells enfinity. The one independent trial found paraxanthine did not clearly outperform placebo for exercise performance. For a side-by-side breakdown, see our comparison of caffeine vs paraxanthine.

Gross et al. 2024 is the only study at 300 mg. It measured metabolic and cardiovascular markers over three hours after a single dose, not cognitive performance or repeated daily use.

Is Update Energy Drink Safe? Side Effects and Who Should Skip It

Safety data on paraxanthine is limited but growing.

Toxicology. A 90-day rat study by Purpura et al. (2021, PMID 34597720) found a NOAEL of 185 mg/kg/day for paraxanthine, with no mutagenicity. A peer-reviewed safety comparison (Yoo et al., 2023, Front Toxicol) reported that NOAEL, noting it was higher than caffeine's 150 mg/kg in the same study. The authors are affiliated with the ingredient maker.

Short-term human data. Xing et al. (2021) saw no significant differences in clinical chemistry or side effects over seven days at up to 200 mg. That is the longest published daily-use data available.

Blood pressure. Results are mixed. Benowitz et al. (1995) found both caffeine and paraxanthine raised diastolic blood pressure and plasma epinephrine in 12 subjects at 2 and 4 mg/kg. For a 70 kg adult, 4 mg/kg is 280 mg, close to Update's 300 mg per can. The authors concluded that caffeine and paraxanthine have "similar sympathomimetic actions." Gross et al. (2024) saw no blood pressure changes after single doses up to 300 mg, but monitored for only three hours.

Alpha-GPC. Healthline's expert review of Update lists potential alpha-GPC side effects at typical doses as headaches, acid reflux, nausea, and dizziness. For more detail, see our piece on alpha-GPC dosage and side effects.

Regulatory status. Ingenious Ingredients self-affirmed GRAS status for enfinity in November 2021, allowing up to 300 mg per serving in energy drinks, per NutraIngredients. Self-affirmed GRAS means the maker's own expert panel determined safety. The FDA has not reviewed it or issued a GRAS notice response. That is a legal pathway, not an FDA endorsement.

Who should skip it. The brand FAQ states Update "is not intended for use by children, pregnant, or nursing women." Dr. Jonathan Jennings, quoted by Healthline, noted that "appropriate dosing is still being investigated." Colin Davidson, Professor of Neuropharmacology at the University of Lancashire, wrote in The Conversation that human trials of paraxanthine "remain relatively small and short." If you take medications or have a cardiovascular condition, talk to your clinician before adding a daily xanthine stimulant.

How Much Does Update Cost and Where Can You Buy It?

The brand site offers free U.S. shipping, with delivery in about 5 to 10 days. No international shipping. The Walmart-exclusive price of approximately $1.83 per can has appeared on Walmart.com; check the current shelf or site price, as retail pricing may vary. Update is sold on drinkupdate.com, Walmart.com, and in Walmart stores.

Update vs a Regular Energy Drink: What Actually Differs

The difference is not "stimulant vs no stimulant." It is one xanthine versus another. Paraxanthine skips the liver's first pass, which is the brand's core argument for a smoother curve. Whether that holds at 300 mg in a real-world setting has not been published. For more options in this space, see our roundup of other nootropic energy drinks.

Conclusion: What We Still Do Not Know

• No published trial has tested 300 mg of paraxanthine daily for more than one session. The longest daily data is seven days at up to 200 mg.
• No long-term safety data (months or years of daily use) exists.
• No pregnancy or breastfeeding data exists for supplemental paraxanthine.
• No objective sleep data (polysomnography, actigraphy) has been published at 300 mg. The 2026 rowing study used subjective scales at 200 mg.
• L-theanine and B12 doses are not disclosed. You cannot evaluate whether they reach clinically relevant levels.
• No daily intake limit for paraxanthine has been set by the FDA or any regulator. The self-affirmed GRAS ceiling is 300 mg per serving, not per day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Update energy drink have caffeine?

No. Update contains zero caffeine. The active stimulant is paraxanthine (branded as enfinity), dosed at 300 mg per 12 fl oz can. Paraxanthine is a metabolite of caffeine and still a stimulant that blocks adenosine receptors, so "caffeine-free" should not be confused with "stimulant-free."

What is paraxanthine?

Paraxanthine is the primary metabolite of caffeine. Your liver converts roughly 80% of ingested caffeine into paraxanthine (Benowitz et al., 1995). It blocks adenosine receptors and raises alertness through the same general pathway. See also a 120 mg paraxanthine pouch reviewed on our blog.

How much paraxanthine is in Update?

Each 12 fl oz can contains 300 mg of paraxanthine. That is the highest dose tested in any published human trial (Gross et al., 2024), and that trial measured a single dose over three hours.

Is Update energy drink safe to drink every day?

Unknown. The longest daily-use study ran seven days at up to 200 mg. No data covers 300 mg taken daily, and no regulator has set a daily paraxanthine limit. The brand FAQ does not state a maximum number of cans per day. If you have any medical conditions, talk to your clinician.

Does Update break a caffeine detox?

Technically, Update contains no caffeine. But paraxanthine acts on the same adenosine receptors caffeine does. Whether consuming a downstream metabolite undermines the purpose of a caffeine detox depends on why you are detoxing. If the goal is to reduce adenosine-receptor stimulation, paraxanthine does not help.

Where is Update sold?

Update is available on drinkupdate.com, Walmart.com, and in more than 4,000 Walmart stores. U.S. shipping only; shipping is free.

If You Want the Long, Flat Curve Without Giving Up Caffeine

Update's pitch is that swapping caffeine's metabolite in directly gives you the energy without the crash. The hypothesis is reasonable, but the evidence base is thin at 300 mg and the per-can price runs $2.69 to $2.99.

There is another way to get a long, flat energy curve: keep caffeine, the most-studied stimulant on the planet, and slow how fast your body clears it. That is how Roon works. Each sublingual pouch delivers 80 mg caffeine alongside 60 mg L-theanine, 25 mg methylliberine (Dynamine), and 5 mg theacrine (TeaCrine). The duration mechanism: in a randomized, double-blind, crossover PK study (n=12), methylliberine co-administered with caffeine cut oral clearance from 41.9 to 17.1 L/hr and extended caffeine's half-life from 7.2 to 15 hours, with no increase in peak concentration (Mondal et al., 2022). That study used 100 mg methylliberine and 150 mg caffeine, roughly 4x and 1.9x Roon's doses, so the effect at Roon's lower amounts is directionally the same, not identical. The felt window is 6 to 8 hours. Same peak, longer tail. The trade-off: stop at least 8 hours before bed.

Roon is not caffeine-free, so if you are avoiding caffeine entirely, it is the wrong pick. It also contains sucralose, the same sweetener Update uses. Pricing starts from $9.16 per tin (15 pouches, $0.61 per pouch) on subscription, or $15.00 per tin one-time ($1.00 per pouch). If you want duration from a well-studied molecule rather than a bet on a new one, Roon is worth trying.

Related from Roon

• What Is Paraxanthine? The Caffeine Metabolite, Explained
• Paraxanthine Side Effects, Safety, and Dosage
• Caffeine vs Paraxanthine: How They Compare
• Best Nootropic Energy Drinks in 2026

Written by Roon Team