Choice supplements for performance and hydration on the trail
ENERGY POWDERS
OTE ENERGY DRINK
£25/1.2kg bag (£1.14 per serving)
OTE Energy is a good-performing drink for use during moderate exercise. It’s easy on the stomach, with a 2:1 blend of maltodextrin and fructose – 40g per 500ml serving – to provide the necessary carbohydrates, plus added electrolytes. The brand offer a genuinely neutral-tasting option, on top of the orange, lemon-and-lime and blackcurrant flavours, which are lightly sweet without becoming cloying on the palette. We can stick with a flavoured OTE drink for a day-long ride and not get bored of it, if taken with food. It’s relatively pricey per serving, though, and lacks Informed Sport certification to prove it’s free of banned substances, although OTE say it’s produced in a factory that tests for these.
PRECISION FUEL DRINK MIX
€19.99/510g (£1.33 per serving)
Precision say their mix is best for hard riding in hot weather, when you need to ingest a moderate amount of carbohydrates from the fluid you take in. It contains 30g of carbs per 500ml – a 2:1 blend of glucose and fructose – along with 500mg of sodium, to help prevent cramp when you’re sweating a lot. Mineral salts, citric acid and natural flavourings are added, too, resulting in a taste like slightly salty orange squash. We found the mix perfectly palatable and digestible. Informed Sport certified, it shouldn’t contain banned substances. It’s also vegan and free from artificial ingredients. However, it’s expensive compared to the other options here, plus higher carbohydrate servings can be found elsewhere.
TORQ ENERGY DRINK
£37.95/1.5kg bag (£0.84 per serving)
Per 500ml serving, this is one of the best-value easy-to-drink options available. TORQ intend you to use it as part of their ‘Fuelling System’. One bottle equals one unit, which you can then top up with a gel, bar and/ or chew to make up the two to three units required per hour (depending on how intensive your rides are). There are no artificial sweeteners in the recipe. Our lemon-and-lime sample had a tasty flavour, and was light enough that we didn’t feel the need to swig water alongside it. A cola flavour with caffeine is available, should you want an extra kick on a hard ride. TORQ do their own testing for banned substances. Our only complaint is that some newer drinks offer more carbohydrates per serving.
HYDRATION TABLETS
HIGH5 ZERO
£7.99/20 tablets (£0.39 per serving)
The ZERO tablets from High5 are designed to be added to 750ml of water to replenish typical sweat losses from cycling in moderate conditions. A single serving of the medium-strength mix contains sensible quantities of the necessary salts – 250mg of sodium, 70mg of potassium, 56mg of magnesium and 9mg of calcium. Each tablet also includes a third of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C, to help support your immune system. The slightly sharp citrus flavour is among the best we’ve tried. It’s readily drinkable and stimulates thirst – ideal for an electrolyte tab. There are eight other flavours to choose from, plus batch-tested tablets are available. The price per serving is one of the lowest on the market, too. However, there are better options for hot-weather use.
STYRKR SLT07 HYPOTONIC
£9.99/12 tablets (£0.84 per serving)
Styrkr’s standard-strength electrolyte tablets contain twice as much sodium per serving (500mg) as most competitors. The brand say the SLT07 mix – which also includes 100mg of potassium, 25mg of magnesium and 15mg of calcium – replicates the proportions in the average person’s perspiration. While the tablets are designed for sweaty work, you can split them in two for more chilled rides. The mild berry flavour is spot-on for an electrolyte drink – fairly tart and not too sweet. There’s a mild citrus option, too. The effervescent tablets dissolve swiftly in water. While the price per serving is high, when you consider they’re twice as strong as other options here, they’re not bad value for money. The brand say they’re batch-tested for banned substances, too.
KINETICA ELECTRO-C
£6.99/15 tablets (£0.47 per serving)
These medium-strength electrolyte tablets from Kinetica are tasty and cost-effective (especially if you buy the £59.99 12-pack). With 250mg of sodium, 50mg of potassium, 50mg of calcium and 75mg of magnesium per serving, they’re designed to compensate for average salt losses in moderate temperatures. The brand also add 80mg of vitamin C to each tablet – that’s 100 per cent of your recommended daily intake – claiming that this helps maintain energy metabolism. These tablets are only available in a single flavour, ‘lemon fizz’. Fortunately, this has a great, zingy taste. Kinetica say the Electro-C tablets are Informed Sport-certified to not contain any banned substances. They dissolve well in 500ml of water.