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Is more flavor in hydration drinks an advantage? or are subtler, less intense flavors the key to performance enhancement?
The decision hinges on what encourages you to drink more. For me, it’s nearly always a tastier hydration drink. With more flavorful options, I am sipping more often and consuming a greater volume per hour than I would with plainer water tastes. This holds especially true in the colder months and during indoor training sessions.
Advocates for the minimalist approach suggest that excessive flavor can lead to “flavor fatigue,” where you might drink less over time. Therefore, a drink closer to the taste of water might be preferable. This viewpoint becomes particularly relevant during extended workouts involving three or four bottles of the same flavored drink or in extremely hot conditions where a less intense flavor may be more appealing.
One critical mistake to avoid is using too much powder – avoid the temptation to “over scoop” in pursuit of a stronger flavor. Exceeding the recommended scoop amount for your bottle size can disrupt the drink’s osmolarity, hindering hydration efficiency and potentially causing gastrointestinal distress, not to mention the risk of excessive sugar intake.
Below, I’ve selected my top picks for highly flavored and more subdued hydration drinks. Leading the list of flavorful options is Mortal, a new hydration drink that stands out as the most delicious I’ve found.
Most Flavorful Hydration Options:
- Mortal Hydration
- Gnarly Hydrate
- TruWild Hydration
Less Flavorful Hydration Choices:
- Precision Hydration
- Victus During
- Skratch Hydration
What do you think is better? More or less flavor?
DRG
