Lucozade Recovery StickPack 24x38g

Recovery is very much the buzz word in sports nutrition these days Lucozade are very much on that bandwagon with an expensive marketing campaign led by Steven Gerrard and a range of powders and bars that includes this Recovery Protein and Carb drink.

Lucozade have come up with something a bit different too. Most recovery drinks take a thick milk shakey form not the lucozade offering though, it is refreshingly light and watery. The tropical flavour is pleasant enough and gives a feeling up significantly better hydration after exercise than a dense chocolate alternative. Each sachet mixes to 250ml and is really easy to transport in your kit bag to races without bringing a great big box full of magic powders although for regular use after rides from home then probably not the most environmentally friendly.

Cycling is an endurance sport in most of its forms and with that comes significant calorie burn. One sachet provides around 150 calories and 25 grams of carbohydrate. By Lucozade's own “recovery calculator" they recommend from a light/moderate intensity ride that 78-94 grams of carbs in the first hour is best for recovery making it obvious that this drink shouldn’t be relied upon as a direct meal replacement. I did often use it as light refreshment and some quick calories to give me time to wash my bike and shower before cooking a meal - rather than cooking eating in smelly kit and then neglecting the bike. All sports nutrition brand stresses the importance of speed of refuelling after training after all – that’s why recovery drinks sell.

So it won't meet all your post-ride recovery need but it will buy you some time and it does slip down well chilled and is perfect to keep you sugar levels up directly after you ride as your post training ritual. Although at £1 a sachet you may think twice and just opt for some supermarket chocolate milk.

Here comes the stats....

Ingredients

Sugar (65%), Whey Protein Isolate (from Milk) (30%), Citric Acid, Flavourings, Anti-caking Agent (Tri-calcium Phosphate), Soya Lecithin, Colour (Beta-carotene).

May contain traces of Celery (well, makes a change from nuts - ed).

Nutritional Information

Typical values per 100ml:

Energy, kJ/kcal 249/59

Protein 4.1g

Carbohydrate 10.2g

of which sugars) 10.0g

Fat Nil

(of which saturates) Nil

Fibre Nil

Sodium Trace

Verdict

A pleasant tasting and easy to mix way to help you recover after a ride. Worked great when used as a bike wash or shower buffer after a long ride just don’t forget to eat a good snack or meal as well.