If you’ve been watching the Giro d’Italia and wondering what is passed from the team car into the sticky mitts of Wiggins, Uran, Puccio et al, the chances are it’s most of this little lot.
CNP are the nutrition partner to British Cycling and Team Sky, and a fair chunk of their range has arrived at RCUK Towers, alongside a steady flow of products from other nutrition brands.
Is there more to the performances of Brailsford’s army than energy bars and recovery drinks? We suspect supreme talent, expert coaching, and a lifetime of sheer hard work will bear more than a passing relation to Grand Tour victories and gold medals, but here’s a look at some of the endurance-oriented products in CNP’s Energy range, one whose marketing campaign is fronted by a certain mutton-chopped Sir.
CNP Elite Hydro Max Gel
A gel designed for a certain Mark Cavendish, we’re told, the Hydro Max Gel is, as hinted at by the name, one designed to overcome the sickly thickness of some of its rivals.
Its high on carbohydrate (22 grams of the stuff per gel) and, as such, is a product designed for use during the ride. Available in any flavour you like, as long as its pineapple, the Elite Hydro Max Gel costs £2 each, or £48 for a box of 22.
CNP Elite Energy
Available as a “tri-source” carbohydrate powder, to be mixed with water and drunk, or as a cereal bar with dried fruit, the Energy component of CNP’s Elite range contains products for consumption during the ride.
The 56-gram bar contains 39 grams of carbohydrate (the sample shown here is the berry flavour, but banana is also available). A box of 30 bars costs £42. Samples are available at £1.40 each.
It’s also available an isotonic drink, so one with claimed properties for hydration and restoring the balance of electrolytes lost through sweat. To that end, it contains a mix of magnesium, calcium, potassium, and salt.
A 1.6kg tub costing £24.99 contains enough for 50 servings and is available in lemon and lime, tropical, and mixed berry favours. Thirty-two gram sample sachets, each containing 30 grams of carbohydrate, cost £1.20 each. A box of 20 costs £24.
CNP Elite Peptide
The Elite Peptide container holds 908 grams of powder for “time released protein”, enough for twenty-one 30-gram servings, chocolate flavoured in this case, but vanilla also available. It costs £40.
CNP describe it as their “flagship protein product”, one intended to promote leanness and strength, and market the product as “Bradley Wiggins’ favourite”.
CNP Elite Recover
Another product available as a powder to be mixed with water and drunk, or as a bar to be eaten, unlike the Energy range, it’s intended for consumption after the ride rather than during it.
The Elite Recovery bar comes in the chocolate flavour shown here, or caramel. Each bar contains 30 grams of protein and claims for low sugar. A box of 12 bars costs £36. Samples are available at £3 each.
The powdered format is sold as a 1.3kg tub, enough for twenty servings. CNP claim it can be used as a meal replacement for those following a weight management strategy, although we’d strongly recommend seeking the advice of a GP before embarking on such a programme.
Each serving contains a mix of 25 grams of “time released” protein and 30 grams of carbs, say CNP, one they claim provides amino acids necessary for recovery. This 1.3kg tub contains enough for 30 servings, and costs £30.
CNP Elite Pre Boost
The Elite Pre Boost formula is another to be mixed with water (250ml in this case, with a 25 gram scoop), but consumed before exercise.
CNP claim a product “to assist high intensity exercise”, essentially a mix of grape and apple extract, which they say improves blood flow at peak intensity. This 304 gram tub – enough for 15 servings – costs £25.
CNP Elite Flapjack
The flapjack is another cereal bar, but this time with an emphasis on protein: 18 grams of it per 75 gram bar. There are carbs, too, of the low GI variety, intended to promote the slow release of energy.
Four flavours are available: chocolate, chocolate orange, cherry and almond, and lemon meringue, shown here. A box of 24 bars cost £36. Single sample bars cost £1.50 each.
CNP Elite Gel
Another product for use during the ride, the Elite Gel contains 24 grams of carbohydrate per 45 gram sachet, and comes in two flavours: black cherry, and orange and mandarin.
A box of 24 gels costs £31.20. Sample sachets are available at £1.30 each.
