The RW Guide To Sports Nutrition
We tried over 100 sports nutrition supplements to find the options that will help you perform at your best – every time
35 best buys for fuel and recovery
Huel Ready-To-Drink £2.79 per bottle | uk.huel.com
TRAINING OR WHETHER YOU’RE RACING, run-commuting, early starts create a breakfast conundrum. Huel’s total-nutrition meal-in-a-bottle is one answer. No fussy food prep, 26 essential vitamins and minerals, 34g of carbohydrate, plus protein, fat, fibre and phytonutrients – and it’s liquid, so it won’t leave you carrying a food baby. This is perfect portable fuelling en route to early race starts. •
Motion Nutrition Energise Goji And Acai Pre-Workout £24.99 for 12 sachets (£2.08 per serving) motionnutrition.com
PRE-WORKOUT SHAKES aren't just for Crossfit fans. This plant-based, vegan-friendly powder combines Matcha green tea and guarana for a jitter-free, steady boost in energy and focus; raw beetroot to improve circulation; and antioxidant-rich Lucuma, Sea Buckthorn and maca to help protect the body from damage during tough runs.
OTE Anytime Bars £1.30 per bar otesports.co.uk
WITH 36G OF glycogen-tank-topping carbs in each crumbly flapjack bar, these make a great go-to when you can’t get a proper meal before you run. They are much less dense than a Clif or a Tribe bar, with energy from real fruit and gluten-free oats; and there are five appealing flavours, including banana, apple and cinnamon, caramel and cherry.
Quaker Porridge To Go £1 for 2 bars (50p per bar) quaker.co.uk
PORRIDGE IS AS MUCH a part of running as wonky race numbers and chafing. But if there’s no time to knock up your steaming oats, here’s the next-best option. Each bar packs 45g of carbs and a healthy portion of oats. What seals the deal is that they can be warmed up in the microwave and eaten hot ahead of cold winter miles.
Sur AltRed Betalains £60 (inc shipping) for 30 capsules (£2.00 per serving) | sur.co
BEETROOT HAS LONG been hailed as a natural performance enhancer and studies suggest it’s the phytonutrient betalains – which makes them red – that helps increase efficiency, reduce muscle damage and aid recovery. Taken before and during runs, AltRed capsules deliver 17 times more bioavailable betalains than most beet juices and powders.
Ancient + Brave True MCT Oil £29 for 500ml (34p per serving) ancientandbrave.earth
TRIGLYCERIDES, MCT STANDS FOR MEDIUM CHAIN good fats that offer general health benefits: they help you burn fat as fuel during exercise, as well as lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The oil in this blend has been sourced from coconuts, so it’s veganfriendly, contains no nasties and has a mild taste. Mix into your smoothie or juice.
O.R.S Sport £4.99 for 24 tabs (21p per serving) ors.uk.com
BASED ON A WORLD Health Organization oral-rehydration formula, O.R.S tabs contain three key electrolytes – 193mg of potassium, 350mg of chloride and 277mg of sodium. This is combined with just enough glucose to help the body absorb the salts and create a fast-hydrating hypotonic drink when mixed in 200ml of water.
Veloforte Attivo, Vivo & Solo £5.50 for 3 sachets (£1.83 per serving) veloforte.cc
THE CLEANEST, FRESHEST hydration solution we tried, Veloforte’s freeze-dried real-fruit powders get their electrolyte punch from dried coconut water and Himalayan pink salt. Solo provides straight electrolyte replacement, while Vivo has 22g of carbs for an energy kick and Attivo amplifies that with 75mg of natural caffeine. Great flavours, too.
SiS Go Electrolyte £24 for 18 sachets (£1.33 per serving) scienceinsport.com
A GREAT SINGLE SOLUTION for pre-hydration and pre-fuelling, these 40g packs deliver 36g of carbs, 27mg of calcium, 5mg of magnesium and 60mg of potassium in a hypertonic drink. The mix of energy and essential salts makes them useful during events where you can carry a bottle, drink steadily and there’s less of a need to take on loads of water quickly.
Precision Hydration £9.99 for 8 sachets (£1.25 per serving) precisionhydration.com
PRECISION HYDRATION’S range of fizzy tabs, hypotonic formula powders and salt pills can be combined to create a hydration plan for before, during and after a race, optimised for the event and conditions. Before you buy, you can fill out a questionnaire or take a simple sweat test to analyse your salt-loss levels and create a more personalised hydration strategy.
SOS Sticks £15.95 for 20 sticks (80p per serving) sosrehydrate.com
YOU CAN BUY SOS Electrolyte Mix in bulk tubs but these portable 5g stick packs are a great option for on-the-fly drinks-bottle refills. The powder dissolves quicker than classic effervescent tabs, won’t crumble in your pocket and each serving contains 330mg sodium, 190mg potassium, and magnesium and zinc. Perfect for fast hydration. •
Secret Training Stealth Big Energy £17.99 for 7 servings (£2.57 per serving) secret-training.com
IDEAL FOR RUNS over two hours; every 500ml mix of this isotonic energy solution contains 94g of dual-source carbs from a mix of maltodextrin and fructose, to maximise the quantity of carbs the body can absorb in an hour. There’s a bump of electrolytes to aid hydration, and the thinner consistency and fresh watermelon flavour doesn’t linger. •
OTE Super Carbs £27.50 for 10 servings (£2.75 per serving) otesports.co.uk
ANOTHER DUAL-FUEL COMBO of maltodextrin and fructose for increased hourly energy uptake, OTE’s formula packs in 80g of carbs per 500ml. It turns to gel in the stomach, transporting the carbs so they’re steadily absorbed through the intestine, reducing the risk of tummy troubles that can come with sports drinks that linger higher up in the gut.
Long Haul Endurance Sweet Potato £2.79 per pouch longhaulendurance.com
IDEAL FOR ULTRARUNNERS and multi-day adventurers, for times you might crave a savoury break from the sweet stuff. There’s steady energy from slow-burn carbs in the sweet potato, coconut oil with MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) helps boost endurance, while dates, turmeric and sunflower seeds pack a nutritional punch.
Tribal Energy Smoothies £9.99 for 6 pouches (£1.66 per serving) tribalsportsnutrition.com
THESE FRUITY AND fresh smoothies are great for pre-fuelling and long runs. The Morello Cherry and Baobab is delicious; it packs 34g of carbs, Baobab provides a hit of Vitamin C that can help support energy production, and there’s a hit of electrolytes from sea salt to support hydration. They’re resealable too, so you don’t have smash them all in one go.
SkratchLab Sport Energy Chews £22.50 for 10 packets (£2.25 per serving) skratchlabs.com
THESE SOFT JELLY CHEWS are flavoured with real fruit for a sweet but zingy hit of energy. Each chew contains 4g of dual-source carbs from fructose and glucose, and you get 10 in a pack, so you’ll need to eat a fistful to get the kick of an average gel. However, unlike a gel, they’re fantastic for a regular, tiny-top-ups approach to fuelling on the move.
Maurten Gel 100 Caffeine 100 £42 for 12 gels (£3.50 per gel) maurten.com
MAURTEN’S NEW GELS have the same texture as the non-caffeine variety (a bit like the inside of a jelly baby but softer) and they also pack a 100mg caffeine kick – that’s 1.5 espressos – to help reduce the perception of effort. Each gel provides 25g of carbs from a blend of fructose and glucose sugars to maximise energy uptake and to go easy on the gut.
GU Energy Hoppy Trails £1.80 per gel guenergy.com
YOU KNOW THOSE T-shirts saying ‘Will Run For Beer’? Well, now you can run with beer. Sort of. It’s not quite supping an IPA on the move but these gels offer brew-like hoppy notes for a less-sweet alternative to standard GUs. There are also BCAAs (branched chain amino acids) to help to reduce mental fatigue and decrease muscle damage.
KMC NRG Gel Chocolate Mint £15.99 for 12 gels (£1.33 per gel) kendalmint.co.uk
KENDAL MINT CAKE that classic adventurer’s – fuel – has been reimagined in gel form. This modern spin on the minty sugar slabs retains the peppermint flavour but adds chocolate and citrus twists. At 70g a tube, they’re a bit bulky to carry and you need to watch for mintburn when drinking water after, but if there’s a fresher-tasting gel, we’ve yet to find it.
Veloforte Doppio £14.99 for 9 gels (£1.66 per gel) veloforte.cc
AN ANTIDOTE TO gloopy gels, these all-natural nectars boast an almost-liquid consistency that slips down easy, and squeeze a 22g carb hit into a portable packet. Along with the energy from date nectar, brown rice and maple syrups, the Doppio packs 75mg of slowacting caffeine from guarana and Himalayan pink salt to replace lost electrolytes.
Hüma Chia Energy Plus £22.99 for 12 gels (£1.91 per gel) amazon.co.uk
THESE MALTODEXTRIN-FREE gels blend ingredients such as ground chia seeds, brown rice syrup and fruit purées to create a range of allnatural fuel with 22g of carbs. The texture is closer to real food than most gels and the flavours are cleaner. They also include sea salt and coconut water powder for a higher hit of sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium.
Mountain Fuel Sports Jelly £30 for 20 gels (£1.50 per gel) mountainfuel.co.uk
MORE LIQUID JELLY than traditional gel, these so-called hydrogels are ideal if you find gloopy gels hard to swallow. They’re loose in texture, almost vanishing in the mouth even without water. A gelling agent wraps the carbs so they pass through the stomach for easier digestion. Each isotonic tube serves up 20g of carbs, along with electrolytes.
Rawvelo Organic Blood Orange £35 for 20 gels (£1.75 per gel) rawvelo.com
RAWVELO’S TRIO OF passion fruit and coconut, blueberry and hibiscus, and blood orange gels are a far cry from the artificial dessert flavours such as banoffee pie. Made from a combination of organic fruit juices, coconut sugar and brown rice syrup, they’re almost runny and can be taken without water. You get 20g of carbs in each and they’re compact.
One Pro Nutrition with BCAAs £2 per gel onepronutrition.com
ANOTHER DUAL-FUEL gel that combines maltodextrin with sugars from fruit juice for an improved energy hit, One Pro’s BCAA gels also contain 400mg of amino acids for a performance boost and recovery benefits. They’re more liquid than gel, and the raspberry and watermelon is particularly tasty, with its pleasing hint of toffee apple. •
Montrose Benefit Chocolate Protein £3.25 per bar montrosechocolate.com
YOU CAN GET a protein dose from almost anything these days, even water. But if you want a bit of pleasure with your muscle repairing macronutrient fix, these treats are a tasty way to top up, with 15g of plant protein in one 80g bar. The 85 per cent cocoa solids can help improve fat metabolism, reduce inflammation and limit oxidative stress.
SiS Protein 20 £2.50 per bar scienceinsport.com
MANY RECOVERY BARS combine protein and carbs in a 3:1 ratio for optimal benefits, but the high sugar levels means they’re best suited to high-intensity or heavy sessions. On lighter, recovery-run days, when you need less carbs, these offer a low-sugar way, with 20g of protein and just 2g of sugar per bar, to top up your protein levels.
Feed Sport £15 for 4 servings (£3.75 per serving) feed.co
MORE LIKE A NUTRIENT-DENSE liquid meal than a protein shake, its vitamin and mineral list ticks pretty much every box for helping you recover from hard sessions. There are 50g of plant-based proteins from oats and peas for all your amino acids, vitamins A-K at close to 50 per cent RDA and 60 per cent of your daily fibre, all wrapped up in a gut-friendly drink.
Hotshot £51.68 for box of 12 (£4.30 per shot) teamhotshot.com
POSTRUN CRAMP pain-fests are caused by motor neurons sending signals to trigger your muscles to lock up. Hotshot’s mix of ginger, cinnamon and capsicum pepper aims to block that. The taste stimulates sensory neurons in the mouth, oesophagus and stomach, sending impulses to prevent those signals being sent to your twitching muscles.
Unived Elite Recovery Mix £13 for 8 sachets (£1.62 per serving) unived.in
EACH SACHET OF UNIVED contains 45g of rapidly absorbed carbs and 10g of pea protein. The 4:1 carbs-to-protein ratio is designed to work fast to support muscle repair, but this postrun mix also has electrolytes and vitamin K2-7 to prevent cramp; ashwagandha and curcumin extract to reduce muscle damage; and immune-boosting vitamin C.
Xendurance Immune Boost £42.95 per 180 capsule bag (23p per serving) xendurance.eu
WHILE RUNNING IS excellent for physical and mental health, intense sessions can suppress the immune system. This supplement crams 40 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients from green tea, tomatoes pomegranate, cranberry and spinach, into an easy-to-swallow soft-gel capsule, to give your body a helping hand to stay strong.
Motion Nutrition Power Up £24.99 for 60 capsules (42p per serving) motionnutrition.com
THESE CAPSULES are part of a fast-growing sector of the wellness industry called nootropics – supplements that improve brain function. Pop two of these a day with your morning cuppa and its vitamins, minerals, and amino acids (including B3, B5, B12, L-taurine, L-tyrosine and ginseng) will help keep you sharp throughout the day.
Bioniq Personalised Supplements £250 per month bioniq.com
INVESTING IN YOUR health doesn’t come much more serious than this bespoke supplement service. You start with a 33-parameter at-home blood test, followed by a consultation with a nutritionist or dietitian to discuss results, before being sent a personalised supplement formula with a mix of 120 micronutrients. The process is repeated every two months.
33Fuel Ultimate Daily Greens £19.99 for 30 servings (66p per serving) 33fuel.com
BLENDED INTO A smoothie, this powder is a simple and unexpectedly tasty way to get a big hit of nutrients without having to eat your body weight in veg. It’s packed with alkalising wheatgrass, barley grass, chlorella, spirulina, kale, spinach, broccoli for immune support and cinnamon, which stops it tasting like you’re chewing grass.
Mission Sleep Rooibos Matcha £6.99 for 14 sticks (50p per serving) we-are-mission.com
EXPERTS RECOMMEND a smart sleep routine for improving your shuteye. A hot drink can be a useful bedtime trigger as part of your winddown process. This Rooibos Matcha provides a caffeine-free cup of goodness, with gingko biloba and lavender to reduce stress and enhance relaxation, along with ginger, turmeric and hemp protein to fuel recovery.
GoodRemedy CBD Gummies £24.99 for 30 gummies (83p per serving) goodremedy.co,
RUNNERS STRESS their endocannabinoid system, a cell-signalling system that keeps the body’s internal state relatively stable. This can lead to pain and inflammation, but these gummies, made from CBD isolate (a non-psychoactive cannabinoid) not only taste great, they also help reduce those post-training aches and inflammation, and combat stress.