Most of us should avoid the hype of recovery foods/drinks if only doing moderate effort activities and duration up to 90 minutes. It's those harder/longer efforts where all the science behind these recovery products kicks in and they actually deliver benefits, not just calories. I've rotated through a few similar products to this over the years for post-ride recovery any time I'm out 2 hours or more, and tend to keep coming back to this brand/flavor. Tastes great and does the job--I sleep better, bounce back a bit more quickly.
Have tried just about every variation of these, and they're my go-to for a boost after about an hour of riding. The mixed box is good choice for someone curious how these taste - or just like a variety. I always carry them and consume up to 3-4 no problem during long rides. The caffeinated ones are great; at 20-40mg are just the right amount extra pep you want before/during a ride. Just be sure to drink lots of water during and/or after ingesting these, as the gel is highly viscous and the last thing you want is to choke on it while riding. Small; perfect when you don't want to bring larger chewable / solid food on rides. Recycleable packaging.
Skratch Labs Hydration sports formula is the first mix I genuinely look forward to putting in my bottles. My body generates a good bit of sweat with fairly high salt loss. Other products did not prevent occasional electrolyte loss-related muscle cramping, especially in hot weather. (Won�t mention the competition, their products may work fine for you!) Skratch Labs options do a great job replenishing electrolytes, I haven�t cramped since. The number of ingredients is limited to what you need, you aren�t filling up your body with artificial ingredients. It tastes refreshing, even when the bottles� contents have long since warmed up a bit. I actually look forward to taking a drink, rather than knowing I ought to.
Been using "during ride" drinks since the late '90's along with water. I tried a lot of them and Cytomax and Endurox were my favs for years. Maltodextrin (simple sugar: "energy") is the go to ingredient in everything, it's cheap, easy to produce, etc. But it's not good for you (stomach issues for some of us, "processed", etc. Been using Hammer Nutrition (gels, Recoverite, etc.) since late '90's and have always been happy. NOW finally they got rid of the processed corn syrup (causes inflammation) and replaced with tapioca. Got "Cherry Bomb" flavor with caffeine and LOVE it. Mild cherry flavor is good. If they got rid of the Xylitol it would be perfect. Thanks Hammer Nutrition.
