At Sea Otter, my usual snacking habits sought out all the nutrition brands for free samples, and here’s all the new stuff for hydration, recovery, and fueling.
Above, the new Osmo Endurance Sample Pack contains a single-serve packet of each of their products in every flavor. This includes the Preload hydration, sports drink mixes, Rapid Recovery, and Fuel in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions. MSRP $24.00.
That bundle is possible because they just added single-serve packets for their Rapid Recovery drink mix and Preload pre-ride hydration drink mix. Yes, it’s more packaging, but they’re great for travel or stuffing in a jersey pocket when a big ride finishes somewhere other than at home and you need to get your protein in. You are getting enough protein, right?
Carbs Fuel
Carbs Fuel is a newer brand that started with their high-carb, flavor-free gel. They’re $2 each for 50g of carbs plus a bit of sodium, which is considerably more calories per serving than most other gels. We’ve been trying them and they work great. They’re mildly sweet, a good just-thick-enough consistency, and deliver more carb-per-dollar…what’s not to like?
Their sports drink mix is brand new, using a mix of simple and complex carbs to deliver 75 grams of carbs, 300 calories, and 500mg of sodium per serving. There’s no added flavor, just clean, simple fuel. MSRP is $36 for a 1,000g package, serving count depends on usage.
Spring Energy
Spring Energy is a different kind of energy gel, using real food (like organic basmati rice) as the main ingredients and carbohydrate source.
Their Awesome Sauce flavor uses real apple sauce and juice, plus yams and maple syrup, both for flavor and calories. Lemon juice subs in for citric acid as a preservative, making this one of the cleanest real food products I’ve seen. They taste pretty good, too.
UnTapped
If you haven’t tried UnTapped’s MapleAid sports drink but you like maple syrup, it’s worth a shot. And that’s exactly what these single serve packets offer, a liquid concentrate that you add to a water bottle (16-20oz, ideally), for a hydration mix that’s sweetened with maple syrup. Curious but not ready to pull the trigger? Make some lemonade and sweeten it with maple syrup. If you like that, you’ll like this.
Tactical ORS
From the makers of Fluid sports drinks, their Tactical product line is a lower-calorie, hydration focused mix aimed at fitness folks, first responders, and others who aren’t riding or running for hours, but need to stay hydrated. If you don’t mind Sucralose, they’re a tasty option that comes in four flavors.
Bucked Up
I’ve seen Bucked Up energy drinks before but had no idea they had a complete line of pre-workout, hydration, energy, and recovery products, too. Their Long Range endurance drink mix looks solid, so if you like your gainz with a heaping side of f&©k yeah bro brah branding, check them out.
Rec Pak
For ultradistance riders, bikepackers, or those who just really don’t want sweet, sugary gels but like a lot of calories (my hand’s up) on long rides, there’s Rec Pak meal replacement pouches.
You have to add water, but you can do that before you roll out, or keep your pack light and stow a few for later if you know you’ll have water stops. Each one has 700 calories with a mix of fat, protein, and carbohydrate sources plus vitamins and minerals. I haven’t tried them, but the ingredients suggest they’ll keep you feeling fuller for longer than carb/sugar-only products. MSRP is about $9.50 per pack.
Kodiak
Kodiak usually hands out their pancakes at events, which are great, but this year they had a new Crunchy Granola Bar.
Like their other products, these are higher in protein, mainly from wheat and pea proteins. They’re a bit drier and less sweet than, say, Nature’s Valley, but pack 10g of muscle-building protein and are slightly more filling. Plus, they’re only $1 per 2-pack, making them a bargain compared to most other sports nutrition bars.
Certified Piedmontese Beef Jerky
Certified Piedmontese Beef Jerky is delicious, grass-fed, and free of nitrates & nitrites. It comes from Nebraska cows, and is available in three flavors.
MSRP is about $9 per 3oz package, available in Hickory, Bold & Spicy, and Teriyaki flavors.
Pretty Great Instant Coffee
Pretty Great instant coffee is, actually, pretty great. It’s available in single-serve packets, but also in 50-serving bags, which I like better because I usually make bigger mugs of coffee and also hate all the single-serve packaging waste. I also really like that they make lighter roasts because a true “light roast” instant coffee is hard to find. They work great for cold brew, too. Boxes are $15 (5 packs), bags are $60 (50 one-cup servings).
Tecnu
This one isn’t nutrition, but it’s definitely something that can keep you going (and it’s small enough that it’s not really worth a standalone post). Tecnu’s new single-use Poison Ivy/Poison Oak wipes are a God-send for those of us who get destroyed by such plants (hand raised again). Keep a couple in your pack or car and use after riding in places like Santa Cruz where you can get a rash just by looking at the ground cover. Also great for trail work days where you’re traipsing through the woods getting into who knows what.
