Sponser Sport Food Liquid Energy and Liquid Energy Plus

Sponser Sport Food is a Swiss brand of nutrition products, now available in the UK. Liquid Energy is a carbohydrate gel served up in a tube with a cap, just like toothpaste, handy for refuelling on the go.

As with gels from some other brands, Sponser Liquid Energy consists of both glucose and fructose. This, claims Sponser, gives a mix of quick-release and slow-release energy, giving immediate an immediate boost followed by a more sustained supply of fuel.

After using these gels on a couple of test rides, I would say the claim is fair. With my legs tiring after about 35 miles of hard riding, squirting one of these babies down my neck helped me pick up the pace immediately, and then kept me feeling fine for another hour.

The gel's main ingredient is corn syrup, which provides 53g of carb and 210 kcal in a 70g tube. There's zero protein and zero fat, but there is a dash of sodium and potassium which Sponser says helps you absorb and metabolise the carb.

The taste is very pleasant; sweet by not sickly. It reminds me of a cross between honey and condensed milk - neither of which are actually included in the ingredients. (This gel is suitable for vegetarians, and is gluten and lactose free.) The texture is smooth, and the gel slips down very nicely indeed.

The toothpaste-style cap means this gel is perfect for refuelling on the bike without stopping. The cap is easy to open with your teeth, with no need to bite through plastic or ride no-handed to tear open a sachet, as with some other energy products. The cap also means you can have a squirt (as it were) then close the cap and have a bit more later on. Ideal if you find gels in conventional sachets too much to take in one go.

Liquid Energy is also available in a 'Plus' variety: the same base ingredients, plus caffeine, taurine and inositol, which together help give an extra boost. Caffeine and taurine were familiar names, but inositol was new on me. Apparently this substance occurs naturally in the human body, and in some fibre-rich foodstuffs, and can help treat a range of problems from anxiety to baldness. I'm honestly not clear if it made me go any better on my bike, but at the end of a long ride I definitely felt the benefits of a shot of caffeine.

Whether Liquid Energy or Liquid Energy Plus will have the same effect on everyone is impossible to say, but based on my experiences I'd recommend this gel as well worth a try. As with any new product, trial it first on a training ride before using them in a race or sportive.

Retailing at £1.99 each from Sponser's on-line shop, these gels are not cheap. A box of 20 tubes for £38.99 makes them more affordable.

Verdict

Quick, easy and effective for a quick boost and a more sustained supply of energy.