Dumb down or nerd out?
Whereas I applaud Maurten’s effort within the taste division, the model popularized a development that I’m not a fan of — complicating issues with science to market power gels at larger costs. As a former producer of sports activities vitamin merchandise, I do know the price of many substances, plus power gels are basically simply concentrated sugar water. Ought to they be so costly? (Listed here are some inexpensive alternate options)
Like a lot of you, I do take pleasure in nerding out on the science behind the power gels we take. For instance, the completely different pathways of glucose and fructose or how applied sciences resembling hydrogels and isotonic options can velocity up the processing of carbohydrates. It’s all very academic, and I admire all the nice movies and articles the manufacturers create.
I simply want they didn’t leverage the content material and advertising and marketing technique to justify charging extra.
Carbs Gasoline, a brand new model on the block, is bucking the development. Their product design and advertising and marketing message are additionally science-driven, however they “dumb it down” to simplify the science and supply affordability.
I hope we see extra manufacturers democratizing sports activities vitamin as a substitute of fostering exclusivity through pricing.
Separation as a substitute of integration
There are power gels that combine a boatload of extras: branched chain amino acids (BCAA), plentiful electrolytes, nutritional vitamins, unique substances, and many others. After which there are gels that strip it right down to the bones and comprise only a few gadgets resembling water, sugars, and thickeners.
A number of manufacturers following the latter path sometimes separate their merchandise into two classes:
- For replenishing carbohydrates
- For hydration and sustaining electrolyte steadiness.
Their power gels present sugar and little or no else. And when you want one thing for hydration, they’ve separate product traces, normally near-zero sugar drink mixes and tablets filled with sodium and different important electrolytes.
They cause that athletes needs to be extra exact with their fueling. By dividing carbohydrate and electrolyte consumption into separate merchandise, you may higher preserve monitor of what you devour to forestall over-fueling that might trigger abdomen points and electrolyte imbalances.
There may be fact to that, nevertheless it’s additionally intelligent advertising and marketing. As a substitute of shopping for one merchandise, you now want two. And the stripped-down power gels aren’t essentially cheaper than choices with all of the bells and whistles.
