Many gamers partake in a generic canned energy drink prior to an intense gaming session and feel that the caffeine boost gives them an edge over their competitors. The problem is that these drinks can be high in sugar and only come in the fizzy variety, which doesn’t appeal to some. The guys at Wraith sent us a lovely bundle containing a selection of their powdered energy drinks in different flavours. Wraith contains no sugar but does include 200 mg of caffeine – around the same amount as a large coffee – as well as taurine, amino acids and B-vitamins.
Wraith Energy has designed their drinks especially with gamers, content creators and esports athletes in mind and claim that they aid brain function, focus and energy levels.
So, we thought, why not put these claims to the test with a (not very) scientific test? We chose the least experienced gamer, but the most scientific, on the TheXboxHub team (me) to see if drinking Wraith could improve my gaming skills.
Next we needed to choose a couple of games. We settled on Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions and Just Dance 2022.
These games test the brain in different ways. Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a fast-paced multi-directional twin-stick shooter where you have to guide a ship to shoot enemies that appear from all directions while avoiding being shot at yourself or colliding into your enemies. This kind of game is not my thing at all. I play games to relax and this bombardment of my senses is anything but. It takes a serious amount of concentration to rack up a consistently high score. Could Wraith help me with my focus so I could keep up?
In contrast, Just Dance 2022 is a game I would normally choose to play. It is less tiring on the brain but requires more physical exertion. I have used it as a form of exercise especially in the long winter months when the thought of exercising outside is less than appealing. So, I wanted to find out if drinking Wraith could help me with my energy levels to dance for longer, and therefore burn more calories.
First up, what is Wraith actually like?
It comes as a powder, which you mix with 400-500 ml of water. It comes in a variety of flavours – we were sent a few single servings of their regular fruity flavours, such as Nitro Orange, Blueberry Lemonade, Voodoo Grape and Tropical Punch and more. Wraith also sent us a limited edition PUBG collaboration tub of Korean hotteok flavour. I enjoyed them all although my favourite was definitely Sour Apple because of its welcome tang to cut through the sweetness.
So, what did I find out?
First up I wanted to see if drinking Wraith helped with my focus. I played a good few rounds of Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions just to get some practice with the game as I had never played it before. Then I played a further five games. I decided to see how many foes I could kill, and therefore how many points I could accrue in 2 minutes. My mean score was (don’t laugh) 168,257. I saw an increase in my score as I played, due to practice with my last game the highest at 285,675, which was something of an anomaly and definitely skewed the mean.
Then I drank the required 500ml of Wraith, choosing the Voodoo Grape flavour, waited 10 minutes for the caffeine to kick in and then played another five games. I could definitely feel that I was more aware of what was going on in different parts of the screen, my shots were more accurate and I died a lot less. My scores were consistently higher than before drinking Wraith but my mean was less – 144,513 due to no single high score like before. Even though the results don’t go in Wraith’s favour here, how I felt during the game was noticeably different. If I wanted to perform my best at a game that required a lot of focus and attention, drinking Wraith could certainly help.
Next I wanted to see if Wraith could help with my energy levels. I played 20 minutes of Just Dance 2022 using one of my favourite high-energy playlists. I was flagging towards the end and willing it to be over. The next day, feeling more refreshed I repeated the test after drinking Wraith – Nitro Orange this time. I definitely felt more energised and motivated to complete the 20 minutes and achieve high scores.
Even though Wraith drinks are designed for esports athletes, could they also be useful for regular athletes? As many people choose to partake in an energy drink (or pre-workout) before exercise, I thought I would give Wraith a go before my usual 5K runs. Not only did drinking them hydrate me for my run but I felt that they gave me the extra boost I needed to complete them. I’m not saying that on every run with Wraith I was getting PBs, as other things come into play here such as the route, weather or how much sleep I had got the night before, but I definitely felt that the little jolt of energy I could feel running through my body made my perceived effort that little bit less.
Another bonus I found was that in the past I have drunk canned energy drinks for a bit of a boost, however they made me a bit jittery and feeling anxious – presumably due to the rapid influx of caffeine into my system. I found that I didn’t experience this when drinking Wraith. The high seemed a lot more even and long-lasting. They estimate that the effects could keep you at the top of your game for up to 4-6 hours. For me I don’t think it lasted quite this long, more like 2 hours, but this will vary for the individual. As well as this, buying a tub of Wraith ends up being a better deal than you would expect, coming in at around 75p a serving, with 40 servings in a tub.
In conclusion, I don’t think Wraith made me a better gamer – a lot of time, practice and desire would be required for this – but it did definitely help with my focus, concentration and energy which would help me along the way. If you are on the hunt for something that might help you in these areas I would say give Wraith Energy drinks a go.
Huge thanks go out to Wraith Energy for providing us a decent selection of their powders. If you wish to pick some up for yourself, hit them up direct.
