How Much Creatine Is in Bang? What the Research Says

Summary: There’s no usable creatine in Bang. Its “Super Creatine” was a different compound, creatyl-L-leucine, and the only human trial found it didn’t raise muscle creatine at all. A US jury found the “Super Creatine” advertising false, and the appeals court upheld that verdict in 2025. Bang’s real active ingredient is caffeine: 300 mg in a US 16 oz can. If you want the benefits of creatine, take 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day instead.

For years, Bang cans carried the words “Super Creatine” in big letters, so it’s no surprise people ask how much creatine is in Bang. The short answer is none that your body can use. Here’s what was actually in the can, what the courts and the research found, and what to drink (or take) instead.

How much creatine is in Bang?

Bang never contained creatine monohydrate, the form of creatine used in almost all research. Its “Super Creatine” was creatyl-L-leucine (CLL), a lab-made compound in which creatine is joined to the amino acid leucine. Bang never listed how much CLL was in each can.

The amount turns out not to matter much, because CLL doesn’t seem to work as a source of creatine:

• In people: In a double-blind trial, 29 healthy adults took 5 g a day of either creatine monohydrate, CLL or a placebo (a dummy powder) for 14 days while doing resistance training. Muscle biopsies showed that creatine monohydrate raised muscle creatine. CLL didn’t change it at all, the same as the placebo [1].
• In animals: Rats fed CLL showed no build-up of either CLL or creatine in their muscles, brain or blood, while rats fed creatine monohydrate did. The researcher concluded that CLL “is not a significant bioavailable source of creatine” [2].

That fits with what we’ve seen for other “improved” creatine forms. Creatine ethyl ester, for example, also failed to beat plain creatine monohydrate.

What happened with Bang’s “Super Creatine” claims

Monster Energy sued Bang’s maker, Vital Pharmaceuticals (VPX), and its founder over Bang’s advertising. In September 2022, a US jury found the “Super Creatine” advertising false and awarded Monster more than $270 million in damages. The court also issued a permanent injunction (a court order) banning VPX from advertising that Bang contained creatine or “Super Creatine” [3].

In November 2022, Bang said it would drop “Super Creatine” from its cans and advertising. It said the drinks still contained CLL and only the name was changing [4]. VPX filed for bankruptcy that year, and in July 2023, Monster bought the Bang brand and a production plant for about US$362 million [5].

In April 2025, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the verdict. Its decision describes the case as one about whether Bang was falsely advertised as containing “Super Creatine” when it “did not contain creatine—let alone some super version of it” [3].

Today, Bang’s website doesn’t mention creatine. It describes the drink as containing caffeine, electrolytes, CoQ10, B vitamins and amino acids [6]. If you want to know exactly what’s in the can you’re holding, check the ingredient list on the label, because older stock and different countries can differ.

What’s actually in Bang: caffeine

Bang’s main active ingredient is caffeine. A standard US 16 oz (473 mL) can has 300 mg [6]. That’s about three cups of brewed coffee, and three-quarters of the 400 mg a day that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says isn’t generally linked to harmful effects in healthy adults [7].

Caffeine can help your workout. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) says caffeine reliably improves performance at about 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight, usually taken about 60 minutes before exercise. The benefits are biggest for endurance, with smaller gains in strength, power and sprinting [8]. Lower doses, around 200 mg, can also help alertness and some types of performance, with fewer side effects [9]. We cover this in more detail in our article on caffeine as a performance aid.

The downside is that 300 mg in one hit is a lot, especially if you’re also drinking coffee or taking a pre-workout. Very high doses don’t seem to add any benefit but do cause more side effects, such as anxiety, a racing heart and poor sleep [8]. If you train in the evening, a can of Bang can easily keep you awake.

Bang in Australia and New Zealand

Energy drinks sold in Australia and New Zealand can contain no more than 320 mg of caffeine per litre. They must also carry a warning that they aren’t suitable for young children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people sensitive to caffeine [10]. A US can of Bang works out to about 634 mg per litre, roughly double that limit. Versions made for the Australian and New Zealand market have been listed at 160 mg of caffeine per 500 mL can [11]. So if you see a US import, it may have nearly twice the caffeine of the local version.

If you want creatine, here’s what works

Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition. The ISSN says it reliably raises muscle creatine and improves high-intensity exercise and training gains. They also say it’s safe for healthy people in both the short and long term [12]. You can read more about that in our article on long-term creatine safety.

• Dose: 3 to 5 g a day fills your muscle stores over about 3 to 4 weeks. Alternatively, a “loading” phase of about 20 g a day (split into four doses) for 5 to 7 days fills them faster [12].
• Form: Plain creatine monohydrate. It’s cheap, well studied, and no other form has been shown to work better [12].
• No need to cycle: You can take it every day. See our article on whether you should cycle creatine.
• Caffeine and creatine: There are some questions about taking both together. We look at the evidence in can you take caffeine and creatine together.

A 3 to 5 g daily dose is far more than a drink is likely to provide. So even a drink that did contain real creatine would be a poor way to get it.

The bottom line

There’s no meaningful creatine in Bang. Its “Super Creatine” (creatyl-L-leucine) didn’t raise muscle creatine in the only human trial, a jury found the advertising false, and the appeals court upheld that decision. Think of Bang as what it is: a high-caffeine energy drink. If it suits you, keep it to one can and count it toward your daily caffeine total. If you want creatine’s proven benefits, take 3 to 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day separately.

This article is for general information only and isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor or another qualified health professional before starting a new supplement. See our medical disclaimer.

References

1. Askow AT, Paulussen KJM, McKenna CF, et al. Creatine monohydrate supplementation, but not creatyl-L-leucine, increased muscle creatine content in healthy young adults: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2022;32(6):446-452. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2022-0074
2. da Silva RP. The dietary supplement creatyl-l-leucine does not bioaccumulate in muscle, brain or plasma and is not a significant bioavailable source of creatine. Nutrients. 2022;14(3):701. doi:10.3390/nu14030701
3. United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Monster Energy Co. v. Vital Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Nos. 23-55451, 24-244. Memorandum, April 15, 2025. cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov
4. BevNET. Bang to remove “Super Creatine” from packaging, advertising. November 4, 2022. bevnet.com
5. Monster Beverage Corporation. Monster Beverage completes acquisition of Bang Energy [news release]. July 31, 2023. investors.monsterbevcorp.com
6. Bang Energy. Cotton Candy product page (caffeine content and ingredients FAQ). Accessed October 2026. bangenergy.com
7. US Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much? Content current as of August 28, 2024. fda.gov
8. Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):1. doi:10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4
9. Spriet LL. Exercise and sport performance with low doses of caffeine. Sports Med. 2014;44(Suppl 2):S175-S184. doi:10.1007/s40279-014-0257-8
10. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Caffeine. foodstandards.gov.au
11. Caffeine Informer. Caffeine in Bang Energy. Accessed October 2026. caffeineinformer.com
12. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z