This is a novel approach to fuelling where the addition of 1g of L-Carnitine to 19g of carbohydrate is purported to encourage fat metabolism as an energy store to spare muscle glycogen. L-Carnitine has been linked to this but there’s limited evidence for sports performance enhancement in the literature. We certainly didn’t notice any tangible […]
Multipower is one of Europe’s largest sports-specific supplement manufacturers. Their Re-Charge powder mix is designed for fast recovery post exercise with a mix of carbs, proteins and a few added extras. Each 45g (500ml) serving provides nearly 30g of carbohydrate, which is relatively low compared to many recovery drinks. A total of 10g of protein […]
Until this product test, I’d never found a gel that delivered quite the right combination of intense energy without tickling the gag reflex due to a somewhat claggy overload of the mouth. The Carboshotz achieve this and then some. Pleasingly, there’s a good range of flavours, with Wild Bean (with 80mg of caffeine for tougher […]
Maximuscle and its Promax range is synonymous with protein. It’s always gone down well with us before, but how does this new flavour – choc and mint (908g tub) – measure up? Weighing in at 120kcals per serving, it’s relatively lightweight compared to its competition in this category. But, for a 70kg male, one serving […]
Normally associated with Wimbledon, tennis rackets and sports clothing, Slazenger has recently launched the S1 Hypotonic, marketed as a fluid replacement drink and coming in two flavours: orange and mixed berry. Hypotonic means the fluid in question has a lower concentration (or osmolality) than plain water or isotonic drinks. This allows for faster absorption into […]
The Lucozade brand is highly credible in terms of sports nutrition, producing great tasting and convenient protein shakes for someone looking to recover fast. What’s also going for the Sport Pro Muscle is the fact that it’s neither synthetic or powdery, as you so often find in similar products. The main reason for this it […]
SiS’s Super Hydro offering is a relatively low carbohydrate (20g), high sodium (700mg) drink. As a result, when mixed as directed, it doesn’t feel too heavy on the stomach, with the carbohydrate concentration equating to 2%, compared to typical isotonic sports drinks at 6%. Despite this, Super Hydro is surprisingly sweet and you’d be forgiven […]
Zipvit is a large vitamin and health retailer based online, and this powder-based energy drink is just one example of its extensive product range. When the powder is mixed as directed, the resulting fluid falls in line with typical sports drink carb content. Sodium levels, however, are elevated by 20%, taking it to 0.3g rather […]
Another Gatorade flavour finally makes its way over the Atlantic. At 6% carbohydrate, the composition is very much the same as our native Lucozade Sport, with just a slightly lower carbohydrate content (2g) per serving, contributing to a 15kcal-reduced energy content. Sodium levels are identical, while there is a slightly elevated amount of potassium (15mg), […]
SIS is among the leaders in nutritional supplementation, with credible clients including the all-conquering GB cycle team. SIS’s Go Electrolyte has a carb content in line with the literature recommendations, a healthy dose of sodium to balance high sweat losses and, most notably, a new organic status – the first sports nutrition product to meet […]
Milk can be a perfect recovery food, but these super-enriched cartons of milk are more for the gym-goer than runner or triathlete. This is because they contain a whopping 33g protein due to the added whey protein concentrate; 27g more than an equivalent serving of ‘regular’ milk. This exceeds the needs of most endurance athletes […]
Energy-wise this product packs an impressive punch, with a 686.6kcal hit per 500ml. A significant level of this is contained within the carbohydrate content at 73.8g. This product also contains a high level of protein at 35.6g, making up more than a third of your required daily intake. There’s a decent level of sodium in […]
One of the more expensive recovery drinks, Torq has provided us with the classic chocolate and orange flavour. Sadly, the resulting taste is fairly basic, with the orange edge ruining the fresh cocoa flavour. Combined with the slightly synthetic ‘chemical’ aftertaste, it isn’t the easiest drink to swallow. It has an about average energy content […]
The first thing you notice when you open this big tub is that it’s rather empty! Much like a packet of crisps, you’ll be disappointed with the amount of goodies inside. The product, once mixed, is also then extremely frothy with a 50/50 split of drink and froth. These problems aside, there’s a good level […]
This product from PowerBar tastes better than most but doesn’t pack as much ‘power’ as the name suggests, weighing in at the lower end of the spectrum with 199kcal, 35.9g carbohydrates and 12.6g of protein per serving. There’s also zero sodium content, with just 150mg of potassium, so make sure you replenish these from other […]
The Isostar recovery drink is one of the more basic concoctions on the shelves, based upon the classic milk powder ‘home brew’. It contains a relatively low 183kcal for 250ml serving and also has quite low carbohydrate and protein content at 34.7g and 9.8g, respectively. The recommended 250ml does is fairly small, but like most […]
The Will is a bar with energy at the heart of its formulation. The ‘coco-a-go-go’ flavour, which we tried, includes caffeine (0.2%) and taurine (1.8%). And at those levels the bar will definitely put a spring in your step and make an evening or lunchtime session easier to get through. See it like a solid […]
Packed mainly with rice crisps and oat flakes, the Maxim bar has a crispy, moist texture. Simple sugars in the form of glucose syrup and dextrose provide additional carbs, while use of vegetable fat raises calorie intake slightly and probably makes for an easier-to-chew bar. The bars are still low fat but added fat and […]
The incredibly moist Torq bar is based on a simple list of ingredients that includes oats, raisins, maltodextrin, fructose syrup, apricot and puffed rice. This makes for a low fat, high carb, easy-to-chew bar with very little aftertaste or stickiness. It also includes a small supplement of ribose (which aids cell and muscle tissue renewal), […]
Built on sound science, the Go Bar is ideal for carb-loading energy during training on cooler days and for straight after training. It’s made using mainly natural ingredients, including grape juice, cherries, rice, soya crisp, organic dates, oats and pineapple. No hydrogenates, added sugar, flavours, preservative or colours are added, and the fruit-loaded recipe provides […]
Having kick-started the American energy bar market, the PowerBar brand has now diversified across various nutrition products. But the original bar remains the same, albeit with a few ingredient tweaks. As with PowerBar’s gels, the Performance bar has increased in sodium, from 100mg per bar to 230mg, which improves fluid absorption and compensates for sweat […]
In every issue we bring you the best training and racing advice, as well as all the cutting-edge kit you need to perform at your optimum.
For a limited time you can try your first six issues for just £15.00!
