A recent viral post on social media about the ingredients in Celsius Energy Drinks has caused MLB to dispel any concerns that consuming it would trigger a positive drug test.
Emily Waldon, who covers the Detroit Tigers’ High-A affiliate in West Michigan, wrote on Sunday in a since-deleted post on X that Whitecaps players were discussing a list of MLB-approved energy drinks in the dugout before a game.
“Was told MLB provides a list of drinks that have been tested to not flag during drug testing. Most popular among the West Michigan [Whitecaps] players on the acceptable drinks list: C4 and Red Bull,” Waldon wrote (h/t Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports). “Celsius has an ingredient known to flag as cocaine in MLB drug testing and although it’s not officially banned, it’s ‘strongly discouraged,’ I’m told.”
Fleming noted that both MLB and the MLB Players Association said they are “not aware of any specific ingredient in Celsius that would cause a positive test result, and have not communicated this view to any Club or player.”
Both parties did add that non-certified energy drinks are considered “risky to consume” and players have been “urged” to only use those on the approved list.
Waldon posted a link to a list of NSF-certified energy drinks approved by MLB and the MLBPA, which includes C4 and Red Bull. Celsius is not currently on the list.
A spokesperson for Celsius denied the “spurious second-hand claim” the drink would trigger a positive drug test in a statement to Fleming:
“Celsius is completely safe and is enjoyed by professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and college students as part of their fit lifestyles. Claims that Celsius could cause one to fail a drug test have been proven false, and there is no merit to these claims.”
It’s worth noting Celsius has sponsorship deals with athletes in various sports, including Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles and 136 college basketball players who participated in the men’s and women’s NCAA tournament this year.
There has been no public indication that anyone has failed a drug test in general, let alone for anything in Celsius Energy Drink.
