OTE Super Carbs Energy Drink

The OTE Super Carbs Energy Drink has one of the highest carbohydrate-per-millilitre ratios out there. Even so, it's easy both to prepare and to get down, plus it's available in either blackcurrant or lemon and lime flavours. This 10-serving bulk pack is on the expensive side though, so is best reserved for race day or special events.

Like many of the latest high-carb drinks, OTE Super Carbs has a maltodextrin and fructose composition. Fructose is proven to increase absorption of carbohydrates (up to 90g per hour), which is beneficial for fuelling endurance rides and intense efforts.

I've been using this drink over the last month during road races, endurance rides of 3-5 hours, and intense training.

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Super Carbs is a beast, containing 80g of carbohydrates per 500ml. That equals the very best in the field, such as Maurten Drink Mix 320 and SiS Beta Fuel. When compared to cheaper drinks – such as the ever-popular High5 2:1 Energy Source – the benefits are obvious, as a 500ml bottle contains twice as much energy.

This means I was able to ditch the usual gels during races, and leave my pockets slightly less crammed with flapjacks on long rides.

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OTE details three occasions when high-carb drinks are particularly useful: when intensity is high; when it's cold and you don't need much hydration, but do need energy; and when opportunities for drinking are restricted, such as during team sports or endurance events.

I can certainly relate. During the winter months I certainly drink less during rides, and as a result my energy intake usually drops. I also find the OTE drink ideal for racing, especially on technical courses, where spending less time with hands off the bar is an advantage.

Mixing

Preparation is easy: add three scoops to 500ml of water and it dissolves easily, with minimal shaking required. Once mixed, the drink avoids the funny consistency of some, such as the Maurten Drink Mix 320.

Once it's in, your stomach acid actually turns the Super Carbs drink into a gel, which supposedly allows a smoother transition through to the intestine – which is where the water, salt and carbohydrates are absorbed. I didn't have any stomach issues, and really don't fancy any method of taking a look inside, so I can only assume it works.

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I've had the blackcurrant flavour on test, but Super Carbs also comes in lemon and lime. The blackcurrant is quite sweet, with a flavour I found similar to Vimto.

Value

At £28.50 for 10 servings (£2.85 per serving), it's slightly more expensive than the equally-carby SiS Beta Fuel (£2.50 per serving) and a fair bit more than Enervit Isocarb 2:1 During (£1.79 per serving). The latter, however, only gives 60g of carbs. For me at least, the expense means reserving Super Carbs for race days and the very hardest of training rides.

Overall, The OTE Super Carbs Energy Drink is great for those looking to maximise their carbohydrate intake per mouthful. The direct competition is cheaper, but for me this beats Maurten's version in the palatability stakes. Whether it beats the slightly cheaper Beta Fuel, however, will simply come down to flavour preference.

Verdict

Delivers a huge amount of carbs with no fuss or issues, but it's expensive