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If you need some help before you buy, read our Energy/Recovery Drink buyers guide. It’s packed with useful info to help you make the best decision.
PSP22 gets its carbs from maltodextrin, which is particularly easy on the stomach so it shouldn't pose too many problems if your digestion is on the delicate side.The original flavour contains just the maltodextrin, with no flavours or additives, and a more expensive organic fruit punch version is also available. Sachets provide convenient refills when on the move.No electrolytes are included but its companion product SIS GO is isotonic. The orange, lemon and blackcurrant flavours all contain the sickly chemical sweetener aspartame.
Tolerable mixed at a lower concentration than recommended - otherwise it becomes nauseating
PSP22 fizzes a little when being shaken up but produces a completely flat drink. It's a complex carbohydrate drink made from high specification maltodextrin that's simple to mix and light on taste. We liked the orange best because it sat most comfortably even under hard conditions. It's perfect for long rides as well as for carbo loading before a long ride or race, as you can easily vary the concentration with an SIS measuring bottle. It can be used post ride as well, although SIS also produces good recovery drinks.
High quality, versatile and easy to drink
Used by many top performers, SIS has created a powdered drink that is among the best...Available in a range of distinct flavours, this easy-mix formula providesa refreshing drink all year round
Everything you need from a sports drink
"Used by many top performers, SIS has created a powdered drink that is among the best...Available in a range of distinct flavours, this easy-mix formula provides a refreshing drink all year round"
Rego recovery is already a decade old, with other versions available for nightime and lean mass building.
Superb recovery after hard racing and training
GO is the perfect drink to swig down when riding in hot conditions with its Isotonic carb and electrolyte mix. It has all the essential salts for replacing what you lose through sweating - Sodium, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Chloride - for quick hydration and electrolyte replacement. It's easy and quick to mix and produces a light tasting liquid whatever flavour you choose. We found GO to be one of the easiest to glug down in the heat when so many others were too sweet or sloshed heavily in the gut.
Great hot weather drink that is easy to quaff
This drink is four parts carbohydrates to one part whey protein. High Five claims that this is combination gives up to 29% increase of carb take up over a straight carb drink because the protein causes insulin to be released, resulting in more carbohydrate beingsent to the muscles when you're riding. The added protein in the drink also stops protein being used to fuel muscles while riding during longer events, when your energy levels start to run low.
A great tasting long distance energy fuel
As the name suggests, this drink from High5 contains carbohydrate and protein in a 4:1 ratio. Confusingly the carbohydrate element is made up of another 4:1 ratio - 'Super Carbs' glucose and fructose - designed to increase energy delivery to working muscles and reduce dehydration.We're told the protein element boosts available energy for endurance athletes. With antioxidant and electrolyte compounds too, there's a mouthful of science to digest, so it's a good thing citrus and summer fruit flavours taste good. It's a bit on the pricey side though.
Mind-boggling amounts of technology for a drink. It does the trick, but the cost is a bit prohibitive
The latest release from the midlands fitness and nutrition collective Torq is the natural Vanilla pod energy drink. It's a complex carbohydrate fuel with a 6% carbohydrate mix of maltodextrin (glucose polymers) and fructose (2:1 ratio), along with a healthy balance of essential electrolyte minerals. Many independent studies have shown that the 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin and fructose makes more carbohydrate readily available for the muscles, as opposed to using maltodextrin or fructose on its own. Servings that make up 500ml, 750mm and 1ltr of drink provide 30,45 or 60g of carbohydrate, making it ultra easy to adjust to your type of workout or race. The Vanilla flavour is a mild and refreshing taste, so it's an ideal choice if you're looking for a well formulated energy drink and especially if you're looking for one that lacks colouring, artificial sweeteners or flavourings. On that note alone, this energy drink certainly gets our vote.
No nasties, refreshing and a good combination of electrolytes.
Torq combines both carbohydrate and electrolytes to a offer pleasantly flavoured easy-to-mix drink. This natural mix contains no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives and is suitable for vegans as it doesn't contain dairy. There's no wheat or nuts for that matter so its perfect for those with allergies too. For a 500ml bottle you'll need two scoops of powder for a six percent carb' mix. Once mixed, and despite the strong smell, the pink grapefruit flavour was palatable even in the heat.
Light tasting, natural drink that's easy to get down
It's a comples carbohydrate fuel with a 6% carbohydrate mix of maltodextrin (glucose polymers) and fructose (2:1 ratio), along with a healthy balance of essential electrolyte minerals. Many independent studies have shown that the 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin and fructose makes more carbohydrate readily available for the muscles, as opposed to using maltodextrin of fructose on its own. Servings that make up 500ml, 750mm and 1ltr of drink provide 30,45 or 60g of carbohydrate, making it ultra easy to adjust to your type of workout or race.
High 5's X'Treme is a legal stimulant enhanced version of its Energy Source drink that if mixed as per instructions provides a 9.5% carbohydrate solution.It contains L-Carnitine, taurine, bitter orange peel and high levels of caffeine, which means it gives you a big lift and helps to mask the hurt when things get tough. It's good for hard sessions and races but you need to make sure you drink it an hour before short races. This is a great race drink but we preffered to dilute it a little more than suggested for palatability.
Great race drink that helps keep you focused
Sleep, no one will be surprised to hear, is a vital part of the process of recovery from exercise. It is the time the body rests, recuperates and repairs itself, and lack of sleep has a raft of negative effects on athletic performance. These may include a reduction in cardiovascular performance and endurance, impaired coordination and even an increase in perceived exertion, or how hard a given level of effort feels.Getting the most out of a good night's sleep needs - well - a good night's sleep, for a start. It also needs proper nutrition, which is where Nocte, a night time-specific drink from Science in Sport, comes in. Part of the SiS Protein Kinetics system, it is formulated to provide slow-release proteins, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6 for absorption during the night.Science aside, Nocte certainly has a noticeable effect on the body. Taken as a cold drink about 20 minutes before retiring to bed, it invariably sent the reviewer into a deep, untroubled slumber from which it was hard to wake in the morning. Hard to say whether there was any improvement in physical condition after a week or so of nightly consumption, but this would be a subjective judgment in any case without some sort of proper test protocol.Assuming SiS have done their research, Nocte has to be worth considering either as part of preparation for a big event or as part of the nutritional intake during a training camp. Sachets bought singly are a bit expensive, so buy by the box of 20. The vanilla flavour tastes quite nice last thing at night. Beats the usual malted hot drink. Also available in chocolate flavour.
Slumber-inducing
This is a straight carbohydrate and electrolyte drink mix for sustained energy. Energy Source contains all the essential electrolytes and is rapidly absorbed. Added 'super carbs' are said to offer 25% more energy than normal sports drinks but this was hard to quantify. Easy to drink and sits easily in the stomach thanks to a light flavour. We found this drink - with it's 9% concentration - worked well in cooler conditions but also did a good job when it warmed up - especially the neutral flavour.
Easy to drink and great in cooler conditions
Energy drink is useful stuff for the longer ride or race - easy to digest, keeps the tank topped up and some of it's even vaguely palatable. We like Torq's energy drinks as they're not too gloopy and the flavours are fairly subtle. The usual packaging is the usual big tub with a measuring scoop inside, but there are circumstances (like in the middle of a ride) where that's not a wholly convenient format.That's where Single Shots come in. Torq has sourced some highly pocketable three inch tall screw-top canisters (complete with natty Torq logo stamped into the lids) holding 48g of powder - just the right amount to make up a 750ml bottle of energy drink. Fill bottle with water, unscrew top of canister, tip in powder, close lid, shake, done.Clearly it's not the most economical way to buy energy drink, but that's not really the point. The cans are reusable, so you can get a normal bucket-sized bucket of powder and top them up as you need them. Then you can just take as many Single Shots with you as you're likely to need - pop two or three in a jersey pocket or pack and you'll be covered for a pretty long ride.Performance5/54/5Value
We can't see ourselves ever needing 24 of these, and the big box isn't a terribly economical way to buy energy drink.(which is why we at Wiggle sell them singularly) The one-per-flavour (plus a bottle) sample pack for a tenner, though, strikes us as a winning setup - decide which flavour you like, get a normal big tub of that one and refill the Single Shot canisters to your heart's content...