What causes the "kick" effect when opening a bottle of cold Coke and drinking some?

Question

I swallow some and it immediately "kicks". What causes this, is it the carbination or do I swallow air with it, or the cold....?

Answer 1

It's the initial reaction of the carbonation hitting your system.  Especially if you drink one on an empty stomach. Carbonation + air = kick

Answer 2

Well the carbonation is air and that causes the immediate effect you are talking about.

The next kick is the result of the sugar in it giving you energy.

The final kick is more like a kick in the pants. It is a result of the sugar rush ending in a crash and intensified by the dehydrating results of the caffeine. Drink water with it or within 30 minutes of the coke and you may not notice the sugar crash much at all.