Celsius Heat Review: Ingredients, Cost & Does It Work?

Time to turn up the heat — Celsius Heat is a thermogenic pre-workout fitness drink marketed to support weight loss. Our research team appreciated that Celsius promotes exercise and a balanced diet alongside its product, but we had real questions about the caffeine content. Is 300mg too much? What side effects come with that dose?

The makers point to six university studies as proof the product works, so our team dug into those directly, alongside hundreds of user reviews. Is this a genuinely different pre-workout drink, or just another caffeine-heavy product with good marketing?

What Is Celsius Heat?

Celsius Heat is a pre-workout energy beverage built to boost fat-burning capability during exercise, packing 2,000mg of L-citrulline and 300mg of caffeine — roughly the equivalent of three cups of coffee — into each can.

The drink relies on Celsius’s proprietary MetaPlus formula, marketed as thermogenic and said to deliver both physical performance and cognitive benefits, according to the manufacturer. In short, it’s positioned to boost endurance during workouts while also sharpening mental focus, with L-citrulline and caffeine as the two headline ingredients.

Thermogenic supplements work by raising basal metabolic rate, pushing the body to burn more energy — but does the research actually back that up? L-citrulline supplementation has been linked to improved exercise performance specifically in young healthy adults, per Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. Taurine, taken chronically at higher doses, may carry some adverse effects, according to Birth Defects Research. And guarana seeds may provide even more stimulation than straight caffeine, per PLoS One.

How Did Celsius Heat Start?

Celsius launched in April 2004, releasing its first line of soda-flavored fitness drinks in 2005 before growing into a global brand recognized with 16 industry awards spanning taste, health, and innovation, produced by Celsius Holdings Inc.

Celsius Heat itself launched in March 2017 as a carbonated, 16-oz thermogenic pre-workout drink built on the same 2,000mg L-citrulline and 300mg caffeine combination, categorized as a dietary supplement and marketed as speeding up metabolism, boosting energy, and supporting fat burning when paired with exercise — claims that reflect the manufacturer’s own positioning. The product earned Beverage Industry’s “Innovations of the Year” award for 2017 in the energy drink category.

Celsius and the Better Business Bureau

Celsius holds an “A-” BBB rating without formal accreditation, with no customer reviews on file. Over the past three years, the company has resolved four complaints, one of them within the past 12 months.

Celsius Heat Claims

Marketed to burn fat, boost metabolism, deliver long-lasting energy, and avoid jitters.

Celsius Heat Nutrition Facts

Across the product line, expect roughly 15 calories and 2g of carbs per serving. The rest of the label is essentially an ingredient list — worth noting the 2g of carbs is listed as less than 1% of the daily value, a figure worth double-checking given the potential for labeling inconsistencies.

Celsius Heat Ingredients

The Celsius Proprietary MetaPlus Formula includes 2,000mg L-citrulline, guarana extract, taurine, green tea extract, caffeine, ginger root, and glucuronolactone.

L-Citrulline (2,000mg) — A naturally occurring amino acid found in watermelon that converts to L-arginine in the kidneys, according to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, potentially boosting sports performance, supporting cardiovascular health, and helping treat erectile dysfunction.

Guarana and Green Tea Extract — Both natural caffeine sources.

Taurine — An amino acid essential to the body’s metabolic processes, per Biomolecules & Therapeutics, though more research is still needed to fully confirm supplementation safety and efficacy.

Does Celsius Heat Work?

We appreciate when a company backs its claims with real science, but in this case, the marketing appears to stretch the underlying studies further than they support. The first study, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, compared Celsius to Diet Coke on metabolic rate, finding Celsius had more thermogenic potential thanks to its higher caffeine content — but the study authors also flagged that the metabolic boost wasn’t necessarily sustainable, meaning Celsius Heat’s effect may fade once the body adjusts to regular high caffeine intake.

A second study, also in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, examined Celsius’s effect on lipolysis and energy expenditure, again showing potential — though more research is needed to confirm the results are both safe and sustainable over time.

Celsius Heat Benefits and Results

A University of Oklahoma study found that carbonated thermogenic pre-workout drinks may improve body composition, cardio-respiratory fitness, and endurance in previously sedentary women, provided they actually exercised. A separate study on sedentary men from the same university’s Department of Science and Exercise found no body composition change from daily use over ten weeks without exercise — unsurprisingly, the men who added regular exercise did lose weight. In short, Celsius Heat may offer a genuine boost, but it works best alongside regular exercise, not in place of it.

User reviews were largely positive, with people generally liking the taste and price, though the Orangesicle flavor drew more than one complaint about an unpleasant taste.

Celsius Heat and Weight Loss

A 28-day study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests Celsius Heat use may lead to a positive change in body composition, though the study didn’t track participants’ diet or activity levels separately, leaving open questions about how much of the effect came from the drink itself versus other factors.

Celsius Heat Pros and Cons

Pros: Reasonable price, some genuine research support, and wide availability.

Cons: A high caffeine dose, potential side effects, incomplete long-term research, and inconsistent taste across flavors.

How to Use Celsius Heat

Drink before exercising. Available flavors include Blueberry Pomegranate, Strawberry Dragonfruit, Jackfruit, Inferno Punch, Orangesicle, and Cherry Lime.

Where Can You Buy Celsius Heat?

Available on Amazon and in stores, averaging around $27 for a 12-pack.

Potential Celsius Heat Side Effects

The biggest concern is caffeine — 300mg per can is roughly equivalent to four cups of coffee. “At about 3x the caffeine found in a cup of coffee, I’m sure this product does provide a pick me up. However, this may not be safe, particularly if you’re not used to consuming caffeine or if you have pre-existing cardiovascular conditions. Seek the advice of your physician before adding this supplement to your daily routine,” says Dr. Anthony Dugarte. Possible caffeine-related effects include ringing in the ears, agitation, erratic heartbeat, nausea, nervousness, restlessness, and stomach irritation.

The Bottom Line on Celsius Heat

Celsius Heat is more than a flavored energy drink — there’s reasonable evidence it can enhance workout performance. Our main hesitation is the high caffeine content, paired with a lack of long-term studies confirming the sustainability of its effects. It isn’t a scam, but it’s best treated as a short-term workout aid rather than a standalone weight-loss solution. Trendy fitness drinks come and go, and rather than chasing whatever’s popular at the moment, a genuinely personalized, sustainable weight-loss approach will always serve you better long-term.

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For general guidance on healthy weight management, see the resources available from the CDC.