While there were a host of new bikes on display at the Cycle Show, there were also plenty of products to help you pedal them faster. So what’s new in nutrition?
The most innovative product we spotted was this energy gel from new start-up company Qimmiq. The gel is held in a sachet about the size of two credit cards sat side-by-side and is opened by squeezing the two sides together, with the gel popping out of the middle. Opening gels on the move can be a dicey affair, often leaving half of the gooey mixture on your hands or gloves, but Qimmiq is designed to be opened with one hand. We grabbed a handful of samples so will see whether it’s as good as it sounds.
As for the gel itself, the company’s first flavour is raspberry, with no artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives. Each 36g serving delivers 22.1g of carbohydrate from 95 calories. Full nutritional info can be found here.
Nuun is a company specialising solely in electrolyte tablets. Fed up with high calorie carbohydrate drinks, the product was developed as a easily carried, sugar free alternative. Nuun contains no carbohydrate; the focus is hydration, leaving you to get you carbs elsewhere, whether from energy bars or a slice of cake at the cafe. Read the science behind Nuun here.
Anyway, Nuun’s dissolvable tablets been around for ages. What’s new are these five flavours: tropical, grape, fruit punch, strawberry lemonade and lemon tea. We had a quick taste and they’re all light and easy to drink, a far cry from many powdered or carb-heavy sports drinks.
That’s not to say powdered drinks don’t have their place. They can be a great way to pack in calories, carbohydrates and protein to give you more energy and aid recovery. Pictured above is Maxifuel’s range.
Maximuscle is a nutrition brand that’s a common sight in health clubs throughout the country, most likely gripped firmly in a hand of a weight-pumping gym obsessive. That’s not necessarily an image that sits well with cyclists, so the company rebranded its endurance range as Maxifuel. A wise move, we reckon.
The range is split into three categories: Focus, Energy and Recovery. Focus products contain stimulants like stimulants such as caffeine, guarana and taurine, Energy products focus on carbohydrates and electrolytes, with Maxifuel also launching their own lemon flavoured dissolvable tablets, while Recovery products look to boost your immune system and restore tired muscles.
While the Maxifuel brand separates itself from body building, click on USN’s website the and image is somewhat different.
USN is a South African company looking to make in-roads in Great Britain and the Energy & Endurance range is what’s of most interest to us. Pictured above is Recover XCell, which looks to aid rapid electrolyte, glycogen and amino acid replacement. That’s said to lower lactic acid levels, reduce muscle cramping and improve recovery rate, helped by 21g of whey protein.
Other products in the USN range include an electrolyte drink, carb drink and energy gels.
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