PowerBar Isoactive Isotonic Sports Drink

We've tested Powerbar's flagship energy drink on road.cc before, but back then it was called 'Energize'. It's recently been replaced by this new 'PowerBar Isoactive Isotonic Sports Drink' variety, so we're testing it again.

The formulation is slightly different, but overall the principle is the same: this product comes as a powder which you add to water to get a drink that contains a mix of carbohydrates to deliver and sustain energy, plus a bundle of essential minerals to help you avoid cramp.

First up, let's look at those carbs. Along with several other brands, Powerbar include both glucose and fructose in the list of ingredients. Powerbar's marketing team have called this 'C2MAX'.

The amount of glucose you can convert to energy is normally limited to around 60g per hour, but the additional fructose means you can increase this amount because (to put it in layman's terms) fructose enter your bloodstream by a different mechanism.

The end result is more energy, which helps you go faster or further, or just go the same speed and distance more easily.

Next, those minerals. These are useful because they replace the essential minerals or electrolytes in your body that you lose via perspiration when cycling, and this replacement helps you avoid cramp.

Sodium, potassium and magnesium are commonly found in mineral/electrolyte drinks from other brands, but this PowerBar Isoactive drink also adds chloride and calcium to the mix, claiming to be 'the first sports drink on the market to provide the body with all five main electrolytes ... in the ratio lost through sweat.'

So does this mix of carb and minerals work? Yes. It definitely works for me.

I've used PowerBar Isoactive on several test rides, and I've found it provides a good supply of energy for long and medium rides, and also helps keeps the dreaded cramps at bay.

Will it work for you? That depends. Every rider has slightly different requirements in terms of carb and mineral intake, but based on my experience I'd recommend this drink as well worth trying.

It's available in three flavours: Lemon, Orange and Red Fruit Punch. I was testing the latter.

Despite looking like dentists mouthwash, this drink doesn't taste of much at all. It's neither sweet, sharp or sticky. I guess that means it's neutral.

If you don't like the strong taste of some other energy drinks, this will be a good thing. On the other hand, if you need a tasty drink to encourage you to keep hydrated, this neutrality may not be so useful.

PowerBar Isoactive is available in various quantities: a big 1320g tub costs £17.99 on the PowerBar website; a 600g tub is £8.99; a pack of five sachets (each holding 33g of powder, enough for one 500ml bottle) is £4.95; and a pack of 20 sachets is £19.80.

You can find the same stuff for around the same price at your local bike shop or a bit cheaper at the usual on-line stores.

Verdict

Gives a good supply of energy and minerals to help avoid cramp. Neutral taste, and good value too.