My three main priorities for energy supplements on the bike are:
- Does it taste good?
- Is it doing me good?
- Can I remove the packaging easily whilst cycling?
With the above in mind I recently road-tested the latest range of supplements from Etixx during a 45-mile Winter Mini Series sportive in Cirencester. I had three different products to try - isotonic drink powder, energy gels and energy bars.
When I started sportive riding three years ago I had virtually no idea about energy supplements, what should be taken, and when. The labeling for the Etixx range helps with this. Each product is clearly labelled as to whether it is designed for daily support, for before, during or after the ride.
The packaging is smart and modern with a white background and a clear font so that the relevant information stands out, particularly the amount of carbohydrates contained within. There are also five different shapes and coloured symbols to indicate whether a product is for health, strength, endurance, performance or recovery.
The three products I tested were all for during the ride. The isotonic drink powder was part of the Endurance range and came in a 1kg tub containing a small plastic scoop. The recommendation was to dissolve two scoops or 35g of powder in 500ml water. The drink was orange flavour and had the powder has a strong colour, the same when dissolved. I've recently been using weaker tasting energy drinks and visually this looked like it might be overpowering in comparison, but the taste was a pleasant surprise. It was a strong flavour but quite moreish and with an aftertaste that was easy on the palate.
I knocked back two full bottles on the ride with no problems or after effects. So it tasted good, contained 30g of carbs as well, and was easy to consume - that's three "yeses" from me.
Etixx Isotonic Powder 1kg Tub, £24.99 from etixxsports.com
On to the energy gel, and initially I had some minor problems pulling off the tab whilst riding with gloves on. However, that turned out to be operator error rather than product deficiency as subsequent tabs were speedily torn and the contents dispatched.
The gels are fairly compact, which is a positive, and contain 24g of carbs in an agreeable lime flavour. The gels also contain vitamin C, electrolytes and a statement that they are "triple action". The latter appears to be a reference to the release of different carbs at different times. Hard to assess, but I took the recommended two an hour for the three-hour ride and made it back in one piece after a month off the bike.
The label also claims that no drink is needed to help the gel go down because of its consistency. It's true it did go down better than a lot of more gloopy gels I've tried, but a bit of liquid did assist things further. The gels I had were caffeine-free, but caffeinated versions are also available in the range.
Etixx Triple Action Isotonic Gel 40g, £2.49 from etixxsports.com
The final item was the lemon-flavour energy bar. I found this harder to open with one hand whilst cycling. Not having the best bike handling or balance skills, I rarely (i.e. never) take both hands off the bars. I eventually got it open using one hand and my teeth.
The bar is a good compact size containing 30g of carbs. This is contained in a flapjack type bar with a solid lemon yoghurt type coating on one side. The first bar I had felt dry and chewy, but subsequent bars were a lot more moist and edible. My enforced absence from cycling meant I had the Etixx products stashed in my kit bag for a while, and when I checked the sell-by date in March it was February 2016! However, apart from the rogue first bar (probably aided by my dry palate) they were still fine to eat.
Overall, I would definitely use all of these Etixx products again. I would be interested to see how they hold up over a 100-mile sportive in terms of being easy on the tummy. At half that distance there were no problems, so I'm optimistic.
Etixx Energy Bar 40g, £1.49 from etixxsports.com
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