The Feed Station Blog

GU Launch Roctane Energy Drink

2012-01-19T15:01:00.001Z

GU Energy have just launched their new Roctane Energy Drink, there's no word on UK availability yet but it's interesting to see what new products are coming down the line.

Roctane Energy Drink is a carbohydrate intensive energy drink for ultra distance and intense efforts. It contains the critical carbs and electrolyte replenishment that ultra endurance athletes need to compete at high levels. And it comes in a super light tasting, easy to mix formula for fueling hour after hour after hour. It also contains caffeine, taurine, and beta-alanine to help increase performance, by decreasing perceived effort, helping to prevent heart and muscle fatigue, and increasing muscle buffering capacity.

Each serving contains 240 calories of complex and simple carbs that is optimized for rapid absorption and energy accessibility and key electrolytes such as sodium and potassium so you can get your calories and hydration all in one drink. Here’s a breakdown of Roctane Energy Drink’s key performance ingredients:

Ideal carbohydrate ratio - Unique ratio of complex and simple carbohydrates are podium-proven to better maintain glucose levels than simple or complex carbs alone
Key electrolytes - Sodium and potassium properly maintain hydration Taurine - Can help maintain heart and muscle performance during prolonged exercise which would otherwise lead to fatigue and decreased performance
Caffeine (except grape flavor) - Stimulates the central nervous system and reduces pain perception leading to prolonged exercise, delayed fatigue and increased performance
Beta-Alanine & Histidine – Helps buffer acid caused by going over lactate threshold; amino acids help prevent muscle damage and aid with muscle recovery
Branch Chain Amino Acids (Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine) – Shown to serve as an additional fuel source (when taken with carbohydrates), reduce muscle damage, enhance recovery and delay fatigue – all critical during intense or long efforts

Whilst the new Roctane drink contains many of the same elements as the populer GU Roctane Energy Gel the two have been designed to work together and compliment each other.

If you already use Roctane gel, you can substitute some Roctane gel for Roctane energy drink. This will help tailor energy intake to your needs and provide the beneficial ingredients found in both the gel and drink. While many ingredients are similar in the two products (carbohydrates, branched chain amino acids, histidine, and caffeine) each has unique ingredients which may also help improve performance (gel – OKG for muscle recovery, vitamin E as an antioxidant; drink – taurine to help heart and muscle function, beta-alanine to help increase muscle buffering capacity). Therefore, using both products will help provide every nutritional advantage possible to athletes who demand the best from themselves and their nutrition. For many athletes, all they may need during prolonged exercise is one 21oz bottle of Roctane drink and 1 Roctane gel per hour for 340 calories and extra nutritional support to maximize performance.

SiS to fuel GB Rowing Team

2012-01-13T09:20:00.002Z

Sports nutrition brand SiS has signed a new five-year deal to continue as the Official Supplier of Sports Drinks and Sports Nutrition of the GB Rowing Team. The partnership renews SiS’s commitment to the high-performance arm of British Rowing, a relationship which was launched in 2009 since when the Team has won 15 World Championship Gold medals.

As a result of the partnership, SiS will continue to provide all of the GB Rowing Team’s Senior, Adaptive and top Development rowers with the nutrition they require to ‘prepare, perform and recover’ in their gruelling training and competition regimes until the end of 2016. This includes a full range of nutritional products for hydration, energy and recovery, all developed by SiS’s highly-trained team of sports scientists, food technologists and physicians.

GB Rowing Team Performance Director David Tanner CBE commented, “We are an ambitious team and know that the rest of the world will raise their game in London so winning medals will be tough. As host nation, and a leading rowing nation, we will be a target for the rest of the world. I am confident that our rowers – with our outstanding coaches and team support – are in good shape for the Games and will do us proud on home waters in front of a passionate home crowd at Eton-Dorney in July and August”.

“Nutrition is a key part of this, and we’re thrilled to have SiS’s continued support. We have worked with them for a number of years, and they are incredibly proactive in working with our nutritionists to develop new products specific to our needs to help get the best out of our rowers.”

SiS Sales Director Tim Lawson said of the partnership, “We’re really pleased to be working with the GB Rowing Team for another five years. A key aspect of this relationship for us is development, and we’re keen not only to support the Seniors who did us proud at the World Championships earlier this year, but also the younger rowers coming up through the ranks. We look forward to working with and supporting all of these individuals in the next five years to contribute to the long-term success of the GB Rowing Team.”

SiS to help develop new British talent with Rapha Condor Sharp

2012-01-06T09:28:00.000Z

Sports nutrition brand SiS has signed a new two-year deal to continue as Official Supplier of Sports Drinks and Sports Nutrition to Rapha Condor Sharp, the number-one-ranked British Continental cycling team.

The partnership renews a relationship which was launched in 2008 and which in the last year alone has seen major U.C.I. wins in Africa, Asia and Europe as well as an overall win in the Halfords Tour Series.

SiS will continue to provide all of Rapha Condor Sharp’s cyclists with the nutrition they require to ‘prepare, perform and recover’ in their gruelling training and competition regimes until the end of 2013. This includes a full range of nutritional products for hydration, energy and recovery, all developed by SiS’s highly-trained team of sports scientists, food technologists and physicians.

After a number of successful years, Rapha Condor Sharp has this year decided to pursue a change in direction, with youth development the central focus for the team moving forward. SiS Founder Tim Lawson commented, “We have partnered Rapha Condor Sharp during some incredibly successful years and we now fully support the team’s commitment to the development of young British talent. This is an exciting time for the team and we’re thrilled to be on board again. We look forward to contributing to the progress of young riders such as Felix English and Mike Cuming and are equally pleased to continue working with such talented individuals as Ed Clancy MBE and Andrew Tennant.”

Rapha Condor Sharp Directeur Sportif John Herety commented, “Despite the number of new young riders in the squad, we will be training and competing just as intensely this year, so rider welfare is key. The larger squad this year means that the younger riders will have more room to recover, but nutrition is also crucial. We’ve worked with the sports scientists at SiS for a number of years and we will continue to rely on their products to make sure our riders are getting the best nutrition available.”

Hosting Upgrades

2012-01-04T20:51:00.002Z

Our web host is upgrading their routers this evening, we're expecting a short period where the website will be unavailable at around 10pm.

ZipVit to fuel BMC Racing

2011-11-29T09:42:00.001Z

ZipVit have announced they'll be sponsoring the BMC Racing Team in 2012. Full press release below -

We are proud to announce BMC Racing Team will be fuelled exclusively by Zipvit Sport after signing a three year deal this week. Beginning in 2012, riders will use the entire Project ZV range and work closely with Zipvit Sport on new product development.

Zipvit Sport CEO Warren Bailey said the company is proud to be chosen as the nutritional partner of one of the top ProTeams, whose roster includes Tour de France champion Cadel Evans.

“We look forward to working closely with the BMC Racing Team over the coming seasons,” Bailey said. “The progressive approach we have in working with teams and using their feedback and experience to drive development ensures we continue to produce advanced sports nutrition to maximize performance in endurance sports at all levels.”

BMC Racing Team President and General Manager Jim Ochowicz said Zipvit Sport will play an integral role for the team in races of all types around the globe.

“Fulfilling the nutritional needs of pro cyclists is one of the most important aspects of the sport,” Ochowicz said. “Whether it’s a one-day classic or a three-week grand tour, we will rely on Zipvit Sport to keep our riders fully fueled and hydrated in all kinds of weather conditions.”

World Record for Alfie

2011-11-17T11:22:00.001Z

Earlier in the year we were asked to support 'Alfie' who would be running the London Marathon for Guide Dogs for the Blind, little did we know he'd turn out to be a Guiness World Record Holder!

Well done to Wendy Shaw, I'm sure Alfie couldn't have done it without her :-)

Awesome Asics Advert...

2011-11-17T08:21:00.001Z

Just seen this Asics advert with Olympic marathon runner Ryan Hall which challenges people to try and keep up with his marathon pace for 60 feet...

Website Upgrades

2011-11-15T11:27:00.001Z

We'll be upgrading our website later this week (starting 16th November), whilst we're hoping to keep disruption to a minimum, however, the store is likely to be unavailable for a short period.

All orders and deliveries will continue to be processed as normal during the upgrade.

Night of the Knobbly Tread

2011-10-17T12:09:00.001+01:00

If you're free on Saturday evening and fancy some night time mountain bike racing then check out West Drayton MBC's Night of the Knobbly Tread event. Press release with event details below -

This Saturday it’s the West Drayton’s night time short cross country racing at Black Park Country Park, the event features two classes, open for those experienced in cross country racing and fun for those new to mountain biking and the exhilaration of racing in the dark.

Start times are 7pm for the fun class and 7:50pm for the open event which will incorporate a veterans class, the racing at this popular venue is expected as always to produce close racing round the fast and tight circuit with the tracks in superb condition.

Generous sponsorship will see some good prizes given out, thanks to sponsorship from Beyond Mountain Bikes, Exposure and Payfones, with the men and women’s open winner taking home a rugged Land Rover mobile phone valued at £400 each.

Exposure are not only providing some prizes but will also be on site to give out advice on lights and also will be hiring out lights to those needing a bit more candle light.

Pre entry closes Wednesday night but entry on the day will available.

Online entry available at www.blackparkraces.co.uk

Clif Shot Energy Gel and Turbo Energy Gel Now In Stock

2011-10-11T20:33:00.001+01:00

We've just received stock of the new Clif Shot Energy Gel and Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gel.

The Clif Shot Gel is available in Chocolate, Citrus or Razz with the Chocolate and Citrus being caffeine free whilst the Razz provides a mild 25mg of caffeine boost. The Turbo Energy Gel is only available in Double Expresso flavour and packs 100mg of caffeine per sachet which we believe is the highest caffeine content of any gel (100mg is roughly equivalent to an espresso coffee).

Which ever flavour you go for you're getting 100 calories per 34g sachet to provide a quick energy hit along with essential electrolytes to aid proper hydration. The gels have been available in the US for sometime and based on customer feedback they now feature a new thinner consistency making them easy to eat.

We've tried them, the flavours are good, it seems the consistency varies a bit by flavour and depends on how warm you keep them, they're thicker than an SIS Go Gel or High 5 Isogel but not as thick as a GU Energy Gel.

Like most Clif products the Shot Gels contain no artificial flavours or sweeteners and are made from 90% organic ingredients (85% for the Turbo Gel)

One neat feature is the "Litter Leash" packaging which basically keeps the tear tab attached to the packet after you open them so helps reduce litter.

The gels are available in single sachets or 24 packs and we're also offering mixed flavour packs.

Clif Shot Energy Gels
Clif Shot Turbo Energy Gels

Powerbar Isomax in Cycling Fitness

2011-10-09T09:27:00.001+01:00

Just been reading the article on Powerbar IsoMax is the latest Autumn edition of Cycling Fitness magazine -

"The latest Isomax sports drink from Powerbar is designed to replace all the main five electrolytes lost through sweat, promising more efficient hydration.

The new high-performance drink from the energy giant has been reportedly selling our fast, and looks to offer a number of technical benefits. The main factor that jumps out at us is that the ingredients - sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium and calcium - are said to feature in the correct ratio akin to that which you'd sweat out on the bike. Replacing lost fluid is crucial and water just doesn't cut it when your losing essential salts and sugars; so in theory we like the sound of this promise.

Other key ingredients are caffeine, of which 70mg features per serving - not excessive but a moderate dose to boost alertness - 41.5g of carbohydrate and 3g of protein, which Powerbar say will help you "perform for longer". The Blood Orange flavour is pretty palatable and comes in handy sachets or 1,200g tubs."

Powerbar IsoMax is available from our store in 1200g tubs, 5 sachet packs or 20 sachet packs -

Powerbar IsoMax

New Clif Shot Bloks Tropical Punch

2011-10-07T10:45:00.000+01:00

Clif Shot Bloks are now available in the new Tropical Punch flavour, like the current orange falvour they contain 25mg of caffeine per serving (3 bloks).

Shot Bloks are a great no mess, no fuss way to get a burst of energy and make a great alternative to gels when you fancy something a but different. Each pack delivers electrolytes to help keep you hydrated along with a 50/50 mix of complex and simple carbs.

Each pack contains 6 Bloks - equivalent to 2 servings of traditional gel but unlike a gel you don't have to eat them all at once, just pop a blok in your mouth as and when you need it.

Like all Clif products, Clif Shot Bloks contain no artificial flavours or sweeteners, and because they use pectin (a fruit extract) rather than gelatine, and they are suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

High 5 Bottle Bundle Offer

2011-09-29T09:57:00.000+01:00

We're currently have a limited special offer on the High 5 Bottle Bundle, a chance to sample some of the High 5 energy products in this bundle pack complete with High 5 750ml water bottle. The pack represents a saving of over 50% compared to buying the products separately.

Along with the 750ml bottle the pack contains -

1 x High 5 Energy Gel Sachet
1 x High 5 Iso Gel Sachet
1 x High 5 Isotonic Sachet
1 x High 5 Energy Source Sachet
High 5 Zero tablets sample packs

High 5 Energy Gel - an ultra concentrated sports fuel for instant energy, delivering carbohydrates and the electrolytes essential to maximise fluid and carbohydrate uptake. It's been formulated to not be too sweet and is based on natural fruit flavours designed to be easy on the stomach when racing.

High 5 Iso Gel - designed to be used without needing the additional water necessary with many gel products. It has a consistency and taste more like an energy drink than an energy gel but still delivers the concentrated carbohydrate hit of a gel.

High 5 Isotonic - developed to provide fast fluid replacement and energy for exercising in hot conditions.

High 5 Energy Source - a concentrated carbohydrate drink mix, designed to provide maximum sustained energy and based on High 5's 2:1 fructose formula (2:1 maltodextrin to fructose carbohydrate formula) that helps you absorb more carbohydrate per hour than normal sports drinks.

High 5 Zero - a zero-sugar low-carb anti-cramp electrolyte drink with added magnesium designed to help athletes maintain proper hydration.

Gu Peppermint Stick

2011-09-29T09:46:00.000+01:00

We always thought mint would make a great flavour for an energy gel, it's just a shame that the limited release GU Peppermint Stick gel isn't going to be available in the UK, maybe one day...

We do have a range of GU Energy Gel in other flavours including a special offer on GU Espresso Love at £1 per pack.

No matter which flavour you pick GU provides athletes with a shot of 100 calories in the form of a patented carbohydrate blend (70-80% maltodextrin and 30-20% fructose) to deliver high-quality, easily-digested and long-lasting energy. GU also includes electrolytes to ensure proper hydration, an antioxidant blend to stave off muscle tissue damage and an amino acid blend to delay muscle fatigue.

Each packet of GU is engineered to do one simple thing: provide your body with the essential requirements it needs to keep going for miles and miles and hours and hours. It goes down easy, and it goes to work fast so you don’t have to slow down.

Free Isostar Energy Gels with Isostar Purchases

2011-09-26T13:16:00.000+01:00

We're currently running a special offer on Isostar purchases, buy any Isostar product and for every one you purchase you'll receive a 4 pack of Isostar energy gels worth £3.59 completely free.

Qualifying products -

GU Espresso Love Intro Offer

2011-09-15T12:31:00.000+01:00

Espresso Love is the latest GU Energy Gel to be available in the UK and it's currently available at the special introductory offer of £1 per sachet (normally £1.35).

Like all GU gels it's got a blend of carbs from fructose and maltodextrin sources, electrolytes to aid hydration, citrates to help speed the conversion of carbohydrates into energy and mitigate performance sapping acid build up in muscles and Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) which act as another fuel source, aid in recovery and can help reduce fatigue.

Get yours here -

GU Espress Love Energy Gel

Powerbar IsoMax Now In Stock

2011-09-14T22:13:00.000+01:00

Powerbar's new IsoMax sports drink is now in stock.

Each serving of IsoMax delivers -

All 5 key electrolytes (Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium) to aid proper hydration
Powerbar's C2 Max carbohydratre blend to maintain energy levels
70mg of caffeine per serving to boost focus and alertness
PeptoPro protein hydrolysate to help you perform longer by delaying the onset and fatigue and kick start recovery

It's available in Blood Orange flavour and can be purchased in 1200g (24 serving) tubs, 20 x Single Serving Sachet Packs or 5 Single Serving Sachet Packs.

To browse all IsoMax Products - Powerbar IsoMax Sports Drink

Cycling Plus Rocket Fuel Article

2011-09-08T18:37:00.000+01:00

Cycling Plus recently road tested a selection of popular energy bars and gels in their September magazine.

Out of the gels it looks like Torq Gel came out top thanks to it's taste followed by Science In Sport Smart 1 Gel. In the bars Clif Bar Chocolate Chip took the top spot scoring full marks again complimented on its taste followed by MuleBar Apple Strudel and the SIS Go Bar in Cherry Vanilla.

Click on the images to enlarge -

Clif Bar Experts Weigh In on Top Sports Nutrition Questions

2011-08-24T09:48:00.001+01:00

Clif bar have just published some great resources offering sports nutrition advice based on Q&A's with some leading sports nutrition experts, they're well worth a read -

A proper nutrition strategy can mean the difference between a personal best and hitting the wall, but all too often conflicting opinions and decades-old myths leave athletes without concrete answers to their most-asked food questions.

To make expert nutrition guidance accessible to athletes of all levels, Clif Bar asked its 1,500 sponsored athletes, coaches and dietitians what questions they are asked most often, then posed those questions to a multi-disciplinary panel including a world-class climber, the sports dietician for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and two top endurance coaches.

While the experts bring different perspectives and philosophies to their nutritional approach, on four of the most-asked questions they agree across the board. To read an in-depth Q&A with each expert, including personal insights and usable advice on a dozen frequently-asked questions about training nutrition, visit http://www.clifbar.com/sportsnutritionqa.

“Should I change my diet or carb load before a big event?”

Sports nutritionists and athletes agree that the menu the week and night before a big event should consist of the same well-balanced and well-tolerated foods that you’ve consumed during training. What about the age-old notion of carb-loading? The CLIF BAR panel of experts says skip it. Assuming a well-balanced diet while training, there’s no need to attack that trough of spaghetti.

“The simple fact that you are reducing training as an event approaches should allow normal eating patterns to replenish your glycogen stores before the big event,” according to Matt Hart, ultra-distance runner and coach at CoachingEndurance.com. “Eating a massive carb meal will leave you lethargic and likely running for the bushes shortly after the race start.” (Read Matt Hart’s Q&A here: http://www.clifbar.com/matthart)

“I’ve been hearing conflicting information about sodium. Am I taking in too much? Not enough?”

Outside the athletic world, sodium gets a bad rap, but athletes and coaches know electrolytes are necessary for peak performance. The CLIF BAR panel notes that how much a person sweats, how salty that sweat is and how much sodium is consumed in a daily diet will determine the amount of sodium and electrolytes that should be replaced during training or racing. The panel suggests athletes determine their electrolyte needs and create a personalized plan before race day by experimenting with electrolyte replacement during training.

“Sodium not only helps with fluid intake, but also with carbohydrate uptake,” said Adam Korzun, sports dietitian for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “I generally recommend at least 100 milligrams of sodium per 8 ounces of fluid—more if you are a high salt sweater or training in extreme environments.” (Read Adam Korzun’s Q&A here: http://www.clifbar.com/adamkorzun)

“Are some foods better than others for training or event nutrition?”

For optimal performance, the CLIF BAR panelists agree that a year-round diet of well-balanced, whole foods is an essential part of building a nutritional base, but notes these foods can be inconvenient or unpalatable during a long run or tough climb. During an event, they suggest taking in a blend of easily digested and quickly available carbohydrates in an easy-to-carry and palatable way.

Alli Raney, world-class climber and author, says she struggled with bonking mid-climb until she started taking in her fuel as a liquid. “Some people (like me) find it hard to eat while trying to perform athletically, which makes electrolyte replacement fluid a great way to take in fuel,” she said. (Read Alli Raney’s Q&A here: http://www.clifbar.com/allirainey)

“What should I be eating after a hard training day or event?”

Consuming a recovery meal or snack within 30 minutes of finishing a strenuous activity is imperative, according to the panelists.

“The goal is to replenish muscle glycogen and branch chain amino acid stores,” said Joe Friel, endurance coach, author and co-founder of TrainingBible.com. “Doing so in this 10-30 minute window after activity will promote a quick and full recovery and give you the ability to perform at a high level in the next workout or event.”

Muscle glycogen is the fuel that powers endurance activity, and branch chain amino acids aid in muscle repair. Eating for recovery is just as important as your pre-race and race day nutrition plan. (Read Joe Friel and registered dietitian Amy Kubal’s Q&A here: http://www.clifbar.com/friel_kubal)

Gu Espresso Love Review

2011-08-23T13:47:00.001+01:00

We sent triathlete Kevin Holt some sachets of the new Gu Espresso Love energy gel to try. Espresso Love has been available in the US for some time but it's only just recently become available to us over the UK. Here's what Kevin thought -

I recently tried the Gu Sport Energy Gel "Espresso Love" flavor that thefeedstation sent me to test out.

The GU Chocolate Espresso flavor is now one of my favorites,by miles and that's over 11 years of racing :) lam a massive coffee fan witch helps, but you just need to be careful about eating it late in the afternoon/early evening if you are sensitive to caffeine (i.e., it will keep you up all night).

The GU website states that the caffeine is beneficial because "it acts as a stimulant— let’s call this the caffeine-kick effect—and it helps the body metabolize fat during exercise, providing the body with an additional fuel source." I had no idea that caffeine was not only great for performance, but also the waistline. Interesting, huh?!

The "Espresso Love" flavor has 40 mg of caffeine. This is quite a bit of caffeine -- a cup of coffee typically has about 75 mg of caffeine. The other GU flavors also have 20 mg of caffeine, except for the strawberry banana and lemon sublime, which have none.

If you are looking for a larger dose of caffeine, you might want to consider the single serving packet of Hammer Gel Espresso flavor, which has 50 grams of caffeine for the same size packet

For those of you who are not familiar with energy gels, they are a product that is used to provide "fuel" for sports activities. The gel consists of a combination of maltodextrine (a complex carbohydrate) and fructose. The maltodextrine is digested more quickly than simple sugars, which means that you won't get a large insulin spike that will cause you to crash.

The fructose is used to sweeten the product, but it doesn't make it too sweet. If you go to www.guenergy.com, they have a lot of information about the ingredients/benefits/usage of the Gu gels. The website explains that the GU can be used for energy during activity, as well as for recovery.

The use of the gels training day -
85mile club bike ride ( over north downs kent ), 6km run pm.

I took one with a coffee and my favorite breakfast weetabits.

The ride its self was a hard fast ride with some of the *a.b cat road racers so was on my max limit most the time for the ride, as l am a sponsored powerbar athlete I had a few powerbar gels to use as well so dropped another gel 40mins in to the ride then didn't have another gel till 2hours in as felt didn't need one.

I was using the powerbar drink as well which when carrying two bottles i make one weaker the other stronger the idea is to drink the weaker one so builds to stomach then when needing the sugar and carbs you have more in the second bottle, any way back to the gu gel I took it 2 hours in to the ride , the effects were great straight away I felt the hit of the gel and I loved the taste in fact drinking these with the orange powerbar made it taste like chocolate orange. I didn't take any thing else on part from a snickers bar and a can of coke at the coffee stop (and a coffee of course) . The run in the evening went great bit tired from the ride but no cramping would have been good to try a gel on run but will have to wait, will also test out before a 4km swim set.

The instructions on the GU packet state to eat it 15 minutes before activity, and then every 30-45 minutes to sustain your energy. I have been eating a GU packet fifteen minutes before going out for a hard bike ride/race, and it has worked great. It hasn't given me a stomach ache, and it digests easily. I should note that I only eat a GU packet when I'm a little hungry, and I am concerned that I might run out of energy. If I've eaten beforehand and feel full, I do not eat anything before my activity. I once ate a packet of GU even though I already felt full, and it didn't make me feel very good when I started to put in some hard efforts. Needless to say, it is always better to be a little hungry than a little full.

The GU "Espresso Love" flavor has a distinct coffee flavor, like a really strong coffee ice cream. The consistency of GU is thick, sort of like frosting.

The GU "Espresso Love" only has 100 calories per packet. This is a lot less than other sports bars (for example, Power Bars, Zone Bars, Luna Bars, etc.) which typically have about 200 calories. A packet is one serving, and it has 32 grams per packet. There is O grams of saturated and trans fat. It also has 50 mg of sodium, 40 mg of potassium, 25 grams of carbs, 5 grams of sugars and 0 grams of protein. It also provides 100% of your daily Vitamin C, 125% of your daily Vitamin E and 1% of your daily calcium.

When using gel, just make sure that you consume it with a few sips of some water. It not only helps wash it down, but insufficient levels of water may slow the absorbtion of the carbohydrates.

The "single serving" packet of the GU is easy to use and transport. It is great if you are looking for something carry with you while doing an activity, or to quickly throw into your sports bag to take with you. The GU packet is also easy to open -- the top of the packet is easily torn off.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Espresso Love I have historically used powerbar products (another type of energy gel), but I am now starting to use the GU products more frequently because they taste great and the 100 calorie packets are convenient.

Mulebar Energy Pack Now Available

2011-08-12T09:38:00.001+01:00

We're now able to offer the Mulebar Energy pack, a great way to try the Mulebar range of bars, energy gels and protein bars.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Clif Bars

2011-08-11T09:36:00.000+01:00

Clif bar have just launched a new flavour over the US, shame they're not likely to be available in the UK anytime soon :-(

We do currently have Clif Bars available in Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin or Peanut Butter.

Gu Espresso Love Now Available

2011-08-10T14:17:00.000+01:00

We've grown quite found of GU energy gels over the last 12 months, the taste pretty good and just seem to work so we're excited about the GU Espresso Love flavoured gel being available in the UK.

They're available now in single sachets, packs of 12 or packs of 24. We've also updated our mixed packs so if you want to try all the flavours we have mixed 12 or 24 pack sachets.

Ingredients - Maltodextrin (Glucose Polymers), Filtered Water, Fructose, GU Amino Acid Blend (Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine, Histidine), Potassium And Sodium Citrate, GU Antioxidant Blend (Natural Vitamin E And Vitamin C), Natural Coffee Flavor, Citric Acid, Sea Salt, GU Herbal Blend [Chamomile, Cola Nut (Has Caffeine), Ginger], Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Pectin

Nutritional Information per serving -

Energy - 100kcal
Protein - 0g
Carbohydrates - 25g (5g sugars)
Fat - 0g
Fibre - 0g
Sodium - 50mg
Potassium - 40mg

Sports Beans Fruit Punch

2011-08-09T14:55:00.000+01:00

Sports Beans are now available from us in Fruit Punch flavour.

Sport Beans have been specially formulated to fuel your body during exercise delivering carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins. The small pack size makes them easy to carry and eat on the move.

Mark Cavendish, Powerbar and SIS

2011-07-20T16:09:00.000+01:00

Just been reading Cycling Weekly, it looks like Mark Cavendish must really like his sports nutrition products, he features in the advert for the new Powerbar Iso Active and Iso Max energy drinks then a few pages later he's also in the Science In Sport advert. I think his personal sponsor is Powerbar but the HTC team sponsor is SIS; I definately saw him taking a Powerbar Gel on todays stage before the first climb.

Some interesting stats in the SIS advert on what an average SIS sponsored rider consumes during a Grand Tour -

93 litres of Go Electrolyte, PSP22, Rego and Nocte
60 Go Bars and Build Bars
130 Go Gels and Smart 1 Gels