Electrolytes | Old Roots, New Routes

N8 Endurance Drink Mix

Posted on August 9, 2016 by alchemyrider

Graphic courtesy of Egonutritions Sdn Bhd

A couple of weeks ago, a representative of N8 Sports Nutrition emailed me. He had read my posts about hydration and sports drinks. He asked if I would review N8 Endurance, a drink mix product that hydrates and improves recovery for cyclists, runners, and other endurance athletes. N8 Endurance is one of a range of sports nutrition products manufactured and marketed by N8 Sports Nutrition.

The product is designed to help endurance athletes increase stamina, reduce muscle fatigue, improve recovery, prevent cramping, and remain hydrated throughout their chosen activity.

N8 Endurance provides Branched Chain Amino Acids to aid in muscular recovery and muscular efficiency, Electrolytes to prevent or minimise muscle cramping, a “Smart Carb” in the form of Palatinose to sustain energy levels, and Creatine Monohydrate to increase muscle growth, muscular endurance and recovery.

I said I would be happy to review N8 Endurance. Within a few days a complimentary box of the product was at my doorstep.

N8 Endurance is in powder form, packed in single serving sachets. There are 20 sachets per box.

Photograph courtesy of bicyclebuysell.com

The directions for use are straightforward.

RACE DAY/ ACTIVITY DAY

Take 1 sachet of N8 Endurance with 250ml of water 30 minutes before your activity. Mix another sachet with water in your tumbler/hydration bag/ or water bottle to be consumed throughout your activity. Consume 1 sachet for every 45-60 minutes of activity.

CRAMP PREVENTION

Take 1 sachet of N8 Endurance with 250ml of water the day before your activity before bed. Take 1 sachet of N8 Endurance with liquid of choice when you are about to experience muscular cramp.

I have not had problems with cramps for some time now. Probably due to increased fitness levels and proper hydration. So I followed the Race Day / Activity Day directions.

The powder dissolves rapidly in water. The product is not effervescent, so there is no pressure buildup if you cap your water bottle immediately.

N8 Endurance has a pleasant, light, blackcurrant flavour (the only flavour available). When I first tried it I thought the taste was too light. However after a few sips I appreciated the lighter taste as compared to other sports hydration products. N8 Endurance has no lingering aftertaste. Nor does it have that slightly bitter taste that products using artificial sweeteners tend to have.

A pleasant tasting product is important. It is hard to finish the recommended 500 to 600ml of fluid an hour if you don’t like the taste.

I have done four rides so far with N8 Endurance in my water bottles. The total distance was 300km, with 4,700 metres of climbing. All the rides were in the morning. A 100km ride finished in the heat of the day at 1.30pm.

My conclusions about the effectiveness of N8 Endurance are of course qualitative and unscientific. I can only compare how I felt while riding and consuming N8 Endurance with how I have felt while using another hydration product.

With that proviso in mind, I can say that N8 Endurance did a good job of keeping me hydrated. I didn’t feel unusually thirsty after my rides, despite sweating a lot.

I did not suffer any cramps, so the electrolytes did what they were supposed to do.

My energy levels stayed high, even after 1,200 metres of climbing. That must have been due, in part, to the Palatinose.

Overall I felt good while riding, although I do admit that I felt like throwing my bike into a drain during the long climb in Hulu Yam. Just as important, I felt pretty good the day after each ride too. It is hard to say for sure without scientific analysis, but I do think that the Creatine Monohydrate made my recovery a little easier. At 58 years of age I can use all the help that I can get.

So in summary, I think N8 Endurance does what it claims to do. Help endurance athletes go further, stronger, longer, faster.

N8 Endurance Recommended

N8 Endurance is available at these locations:

Fitness Zone
Taman Selayang Utama

Johnson Fitness
1 Utama
Sunway Pyramid

Anytime Fitness
Solaris Mont Kiara
QLIQ Damansara
Oasis Ara Damansara

Anabolic Gym
Aman Suria Damansara

Merican Muay Thai Gym
Solaris Mont Kiara

One More Rep Fitness Centre
Ampang

Body Factory
PJ21 Commercial Centre

Ultimate Gym
Wangsa Maju, KL

Muscle Brothers Gym
Desa Sri Hartamas

Yokkao
Taman Danau Desa

Fever Fitness
Teluk Intan

For further information please contact:

EGONUTRITIONS SDN. BHD.
G-36 Aman Suria Damansara, PJU 1/45,
47301 Petaling Jaya, SEL, Malaysia
Telephone: +(60)3-7804 8970
FAX: +(60)3-7804 0970
E-mail: sales@n8.com.my

1 Comment

Posted in Gear and Tools and tagged Cramp, Egonutritions Sdn Bhd, Electrolytes, Hydration, N8 Endurance. Bookmark the permalink.

Then and Now

Posted on June 5, 2014 by alchemyrider

I arrived at the finish of the Kuantan Century Ride 2014 in much better shape that I was at the finish of the 2013 edition. One reason was the difference in the routes. The last 40 km / 25 mi of the 2013 route included a 25 km / 15.5 mi out-and-back section along the Gebeng Bypass. That section seemed interminable, and especially hot. It was as much a psychological battle as a physical one to complete that part of the ride. Everyone who rode in this event in 2013 was glad that the Gebeng Bypass was not part of the 2014 route.

2013 Route 2014 Route

Another difference was that the 2013 route had more climbing, and most of its elevation was in the last half of the ride, when legs were tiring.

2013 Route Elevation

The 2014 route had less climbing, and those climbs came in the early kilometers.

2014 Route Elevation

I think the crucial difference for me in 2014 was that I stayed much better hydrated. A week or so before the event I read an article that said that if your perspiration stings your eyes, that is a sign that your body excretes unusually high amounts of electrolytes in your sweat. My eyes sting like crazy when sweat gets in them. So for this ride I put two Nuun tablets instead of the recommended one tablet in each 21 oz / .62 liter bidon.

I went through five bidons during the 160 km ride. Plus two cans of 100 Plus, two cans of Red Bull energy drink, five servings of iced cendol and one bottle of plain water. I estimate that I drank at least six liters during the ride. I drank often, and I drank a lot.

A trick that I learned a few months ago is to loosely tie a bandana around your neck, with the knot to the front. Then regularly soak the bandana with water. That keeps your neck cool. The water dripping from the knot keeps the front of your jersey damp, so evaporative cooling happens. I confirm that this worked. Augmented by emptying a bottle of water over my head at each stop.

I also made a conscious effort not to go into the red during the ride. As it turned out, my 2014 average speed of 27.9 kph was not much slower than my 2013 average speed of 28.4 kph. But there was a big difference in effort, as measured by heart rate. In 2013 I spent more than half of the ride in the Tempo Zone: 133 to 149 beats per minute. More exhaustingly, I did almost a quarter of the ride in the Threshold Zone: 149 to 165 beats per minute zone. In other words, in the red.

2013 Heart Rate

By comparison I spent no time riding in the Threshold Zone in 2014. More than half the ride was spent in the Moderate Zone: 100 to 133 beats per minute.

2014 Heart Rate

There was little difference in my moving time. 5 hours 40 minutes cycling in 2013. 5 hours 49 minutes cycling in 2014. But I spent 30 more minutes at rest stops in 2014.

The lesson for me is clear. I can’t do anything about the terrain, or the weather. But I can manage my fluid and electrolyte intake, and manage my exertion levels. Drinking six liters sounds like a lot, but I lost that much fluid through sweating. I certainly didn’t pee much.

I’ll continue the two Nuun tablets per bottle routine. The extra electrolytes seemed to make a difference. I had some cramps in my thighs after the third and fourth rest stops, but the cramping didn’t last long, and my riding wasn’t compromised.

I finished behind most of my Flipside companions, but finished strong. Very much preferred over chasing hard, finishing fast but feeling shattered afterwards.

Photograph courtesy of Cycling Evolution

Old Roots, New Routes

Tag Archives: Electrolytes

N8 Endurance Drink Mix

RACE DAY/ ACTIVITY DAY

CRAMP PREVENTION

Then and Now

Previous Posts

On the Wheel . . .

Follow Blog via Email