Product: Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix
Manufacturer: Skratch Labs
Where to Buy: Skratch, Amazon, or your friendly local run/bike/tri store
Price: $2 or less
Utilization: hydration/electrolytes
Rating: gold medal
Let's just get this right out in the open: I am a salty sweater. It's the truth! I sweat and form lovely salt crystals. My sweat smells a bit like chlorine. I'm a walking freaking salt lick. Let's compound this situation with the facts that: I live in hotter-than-hell Texas, I hate most electrolyte drinks, I don't add salt to my food, I LOVE plain old water. Let's just say, if you aren't familiar with hyponatremia then read that article and avoid it at all costs.
Once I figured out what my situation was (and suffered the aforementioned hyponatremia a few weekends in a row), I bit the bullet and decided to give electrolyte replacements a chance. I tried a ton of stuff - gels, chews, beans, liquids. Gels are just ... ugh. Lukewarm pudding that tastes like air freshener. Chews are okay, but I have a sensory thing with gummy texture so one quarter of a chew lasts me an hour. Not very effective, right? Beans are okay too, just not very effective. Liquids are easy, fast, and pretty broadly available. Let's go with liquids!
I do a lot of reading and participate on numerous triathlon forums. I pay attention when people make recommendations that just "changed their life" and decide if I should give things a chance. When I feel like trying something new, I look around online for decent deals or sample opportunities. When I first checked out Skratch, it didn't seem so cost effective to ship one single serving tube. So when I went to Tru Tri Sports for packet pickup, I was elated to find boxes of Skratch single serving tubes available for purchase. I grabbed a single of Lemons + Limes Exercise Hydration Mix and the same flavor of Rescue Hydration Mix. I believe they had a few more flavors, but I'm too picky for all of that.
I first tried Skratch on a long treadmill run. The single serving packet is designed for a large water bottle. Normally I cut the powder in half, but I went full strength to give it a fair shake. The first taste was a bit sweet, which concerned me. The first ingredient is cane sugar, so sweetness is to be expected. After that, subsequent swigs were just lemony lime goodness! The flavor components are provided by legitimate lemon and lime juice, not some artificial flavoring cooked up in a lab. You can tell the difference big time! The flavor is not overpowering and remains pleasant throughout the bottle. In fact, this is the first product that I have easily consumed the entire bottle of and that speaks volumes to me.
In the end, I love Skratch Lemons + Limes. It's delicious, the single serving packs are so easy to use, and I have zero gastrointestinal issues during training and racing when using this product. I've already ordered and started sharing a case of singles!
Gold medal awarded for: convenience, flavor, effectiveness
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