Science in Sport GO Hydro - Cola and Caffeine (20 Tablets)

Go Hydro + Caffeine is a product from Science in Sport (SiS) designed to help you stay hydrated when exercising, with the additional ingredient of caffeine which provides a small but noticeable increase in mental and physical performance.

Previously on road.cc we reviewed the 'normal' Hydro tablets from SiS. The caffeine version looks pretty much the same: a tube of tablets consisting of various minerals or electrolytes. You bung a tablet in a bottle of water, wait while it dissolves, then drink it.

SiS says that the electrolytes (sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc) replace those lost from your body via sweat and encourage you to drink the right amount, which in turn helps performance. And most sports science studies agree that dehydration can have a negative impact on performance (basically, you get tired sooner), and that drinking the correct amount of water helps avoid this.

But after this, there's a divergence regarding electrolytes. Some studies show that replacing the electrolytes helps further improve performance and avoid cramp. Other studies show that you don't need extra electrolytes, and that drinking water is enough. A middle way claims that the electrolytes in the fluid, even if not actually needed, still encourage you to drink the correct amount and stay hydrated. A fourth school of thought claims that it's the taste of hydration products, rather than the electrolytes, that encourage you to drink - because it's nicer than boring old water.

So that's the arguments for and against electrolytes. But the Go Hydro + Caffeine tablets have another added ingredient. As the name suggests: caffeine. According to SiS this provides an extra mental and physical boost, just like your morning Americano.

I first tested Hydro + Caffeine by drinking a 500ml bottle of water mixed with one tab (as recommended) at home. It comes in only one flavour: Cola. And although the SiS website describes this product as 'effervescent' it was nowhere near fizzy. Certainly nothing like big brand name colas. The taste was pretty bland too; like weak, flat Coke.

The next test was before a ride. I consumed about 300ml before a 100-mile sportive. On the up side, it definitely gave me a little kick, just as if I'd had a coffee, and I felt pretty good during the first hour, when normally I take a while to warm up. On the down side, I needed a pee after cycling about 20 miles, when normally I wouldn't.

Whether it was the fact I'd consumed more liquid than I normally would before a ride, or the diuretic effect of the caffeine, which may partly counter the hydration benefits, I don't know. And it might just be a personal thing for me (I am old, and male, so always follow the advice of Jack Nicholson's character in The Bucket List to 'never pass up a bathroom'), but at the end of the day it's the same for every rider: the only way of seeing if these Hydro + Caffeine tablets have an effect – positive or negative – for you is to try them.

If drinking before you start provides a boost in the early part of a ride, without any side effects, then stick with 'em. If they don't work for you, then leave them alone. It may also be a drink better suited to short fast rides than the more steady pace of an endurance sportive.

On the SiS website is another recommendation: to use Go Hydro + Caffeine during a ride – presumably sipping on it for an hour or two as you would on a normal drink. I tried this, but found no noticeable benefit. Again this may be a personal thing. Caffeine for me seems to be more effective if it comes as a hit (eg, in a gel) rather than a drip feed. But for other riders it may be the other way around. Once again, trial and errors for your own personal circumstances is the best way forward. And at £3.99 for a trial pot of 10 tabs, it's not going to break the bank, so on that basis, I'd recommend SiS hydro with caffeine as well worth trying.

Once you've decided to stick with Hydro + Caffeine, a 20-tablet tube costs £6.99 on the SiS website (or a penny under 30 quid for eight 10-tab tubes). As well as on-line, you can buy SiS products at your local bike shop or sports store, and in a few supermarkets.

Verdict

Handy drink to help you stay hydrated when exercising, with the additional benefit of caffeine to enhance mental and physical performance. May not suit all riders though.