Energy & recovery drinks

High5 Zero electrolyte drink comes as a tube of 20 tablets. You mix one or two with water in your bottle and drink it to replace minerals in the body lost via sweat, which helps to prevent muscle cramp. We reviewed this product back in 2010, but it's recently been re-launched with a high-profile advertising campaign that heavily promotes this drink's ability to help you burn more fat.

Sponser Sport Food is a Swiss brand of nutrition products, now available in the UK. Competition Sports Drink is a powder to mix with water, containing mainly carbohydrate to provide energy, plus electrolytes to fight cramp.

Nectar Fuel Systems Sport Fuel Concentrate packs a punch. It is a fast acting and easily digestible energy drink that delivers on long training rides and on the race track.

Great taste and unparalleled mixability combined with an innovative and effective packaging system makes Nectar a real contender in the seemingly ever-saturated sports drink market.

High5 4:1 Energy Source is drink powder, with a mix of carbohydrate and protein at a ratio of 4:1, as the name implies. We reviewed this product back in 2010 (and some of what we said still holds), but it's recently been re-launched with a new emphasis on the nature of the carbohydrate, although not clear if the actual formula of the drink has changed.

High5 2:1 Energy Source is carbohydrate-based drink powder, available in small sachets or big tubs. We reviewed this product back in 2010, and some of what we said still holds. Since then, it's not clear if the actual formula of the drink has changed, but the product has been re-launched with a 'new generation' tag, and new claims regarding performance that are quite astounding.

CNP Pro Hydrate comes from an extensive range of cycling appropriate products, affiliations with both Team Sky and British Cycling plus a host of domestic teams having certainly pushed things along for the brand recently.

The Pro Hydrate comes in 500g containers for £11.39 a go. That gives you 12 servings, each one of which mixes with 500ml of water. To save you doing the maths, that works out at roughly 95p for each 500ml. That's more expensive than SiS or Powerbar products, for example, but there is a lot to like about Pro Hydrate.

This energy drink from Multipower is called Multicarbo firstly because it contains lots of carbohydrate (every 100g contains about 89g of the stuff) and also because it contains two types of carbohydrate: glucose and fructose.

Why two types? Because, while many energy drinks are based on glucose alone, some nutritional studies show that a glucose-fructose mix is a more effective source of energy. Here's why:

Here at road.cc we've tested various products from the strangely named Clif Bar & Company (why is the '&' in there?), including the well-known eponymous energy bars favoured by hikers and touring cyclists. The Clif team also produces a range of items under the Shot sub-brand, aimed more at the athletic end of the market, and recently we've been trying the Shot Electrolyte replacement drink in Lemonade flavour.

Some energy products emphasise their all-natural ingredients and present an image of wholesome goodness. Not so Multipower Iso Drink mix. The label looks like something from Bladerunner, and the image is one of no-nonsense scientific precision. Perhaps not surprisingly Multipower is made in Germany.

Some energy drink manufacturers offer different products for different stages of exercise, typically pre-ride, during-ride and after-ride. Bikefood’s energy drink is a one-stop shop, providing everything you need for the ride, and for recovery afterwards - you just mix different amounts depending on your needs.

This drink mix has been available in a big tub for some time, but it’s now available as a box of individual sachets too.