NamedSport HydraFit Electrolyte Drink Powder

NamedSport HydraFit Electrolyte Drink Powder is a hypotonic drink mix with added carbohydrates, a dose of vitamins and some salts to keep you fuelled, hydrated and refreshed while on the bike. It's palatable, easy on the stomach and quite the bargain against some of its rivals.

• Pros: Not overly sweet, good price per serving
• Cons: One flavour only, others have larger carb servings

I tend to avoid a lot of energy drinks purely because I'm not a huge fan of the sweet, manufactured taste, but I quite liked the HydraFit. The Red Orange flavour has a citrusy touch to it with a hint of sweetness from the orange. It mixes well too, so there is none of that powdery taste.

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It's quite refreshing, especially if you chill your bottles before use and even when getting through the maximum recommended servings of three 500ml bottles in a 24 hour period, I had no issues with stomach cramps or anything. Aside from the flavour, that could also be down to the fact that this is a hypotonic drink first and foremost, designed to keep you hydrated rather than heavily fuelled.

With just 15.3g of carbohydrates per 500ml serving, it's a lot lower than the usual 30g-40g found in a lot of the competition.

When it came to energy though, I had no real issues while riding long over the Christmas period. Two bottles kept me suitably fuelled over a four-hour tough and hilly ride, and as it is so mellow on the stomach I always knew I could take a gel if necessary.

NamedSport says that the HydraFit's hypotonic formula, which includes sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium, provides better hydration alone, plus the whole mixture (you'll find a full ingredients list in the report section below) also replaces electrolytes lost through sweat that can cause cramping.

It's tough to gauge this through the winter months outside, but I did dust off the turbo trainer and manage a 90-minute hard session in the kitchen with no fan to test things out.

Being the day after Boxing Day, let's just say my hydration levels weren't at their best before I started, but by the end and two 500ml bottles I never really felt any issues during or after the session. Not hugely scientific, I know, but my thighs and calves can tend to cramp at night if I've had a hard session earlier in the day.

> What should you eat to recover after cycling?

Price-wise, things are also pretty good. This 400g tub has 20 servings which works out at 30p a throw, which is cheap in comparison to a lot we've tested. You also get a free bottle, but don't get overly excited as the plastic hinge on the lid snapped on mine after a few days' use.

Take the similar Scratch Labs Sports Hydration Drink Mix, which has a similar levels of carbs; it works out at 75p per serving if you buy one of the bigger bags rather than the single shots.

Torq's Hypotonic Tangerine, which has 15g carbs per serving, costs £1.16 a go, which makes the HydraFit look very good value.

The HydraFit is free of gluten, aspartame, lactose and acesulfame, if that is important to you. It is also 100 per cent batch tested, should you need to adhere to any doping controls.

Overall, it's a great tasting product that seems to do the job at a very competitive price.

Verdict

Gentle on the stomach with a pleasant taste and much cheaper than a lot of the competitors