It has been way too long since the last Tried It Tuesday… and not because there are a lack of products to review!! There are a a handful stacked in the “draft/to finish” pile, including my hands-down favorite ever (so far) running shoe, some compression wear, and more on the hydration. (It’s supposed to be 100° on Thursday – gotta keep those fluids going!)
But on THIS particular Tuesday, the review is in, and we’re talking about Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Fizz.
While this is not a brand new product (I think they came out ~October, 2010), they’re new to me. What took me so long to try them? Well, it just so happens that there’s a very similar product I happen to like a lot. Rhymes with the word moon, comes in flavors like kola (which others have likened to “armpit”, but I think is delicious. Bigger question – why do you know what armpit tastes like?), is linked right over there (—-> glance page upper right), and was featured in Train On Top Volume 4: Hydration. You know the saying – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – which is why I have been a little hesitant to make the jump when I have something that works so well for me already.
But then there’s that other saying - Never be afraid to try something new. Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic. – (or something like that… 
) so I decided to give them a shot. Below you will find my review on Hammer Nutrition’s Endurolyte Fizz tablets, as well as a comparison between the Endurolytes Fizz and Nuun’s Electrolyte Enhanced Drink Tabs.
According to the Hammer Nutrition blog, the Endurolyte Fizz tabs were one of the products to take the longest from a nice idea to a finished, fully functional hydration/electrolyte choice. Obstacles to overcome were taste, the chemical stability and breakdown, as well as combining everything into a product that gives you a bang for your buck. Regarding the economics, I’ll quote the Hammer Blog so you can see what they had to say:
Endurolytes Fizz is economical as well, with 13 effervescent tablets in each tube—not 10 to 12, like some of the others—at a cost of $6.50 per tube, or 50 cents per tablet. One of the reasons why Endurolytes Fizz costs less is that, unlike other effervescent electrolyte products, it doesn’t contain inconsequential amounts of vitamins or other nutrients, which only serve to increase the price. Instead, you get the full-spectrum electrolytic mineral support that you need, along with adequate amounts of auxiliary nutrients, just like you do with Endurolytes capsules or powder, but without the hefty price tag. Compare Endurolytes Fizz to the competition and you’ll see that you’re saving a lot of money!
Originally available in Grapefruit, Mango, and Lemon-Lime, the Endurolyte Fizz’s also now come in Peach. I’ve had the joy of trying all the different flavors, and according to my personal tastes I would rank them (from best to worst) as follows: Grapefruit > Lemon-Lime > Peach > Mango.
LIKES: I like the subtlety of the fizz and flavor. I like that you get a bonus tablets (13 in Hammer, vs. 12 in Nuun), and I really like the Grapefruit flavor!! I also like that this is a [practically] calorie / carb free product. As I explained in the HYDRATION issue of Train On Top, I like to be able to control the amount of extra energy I need (depending on the length/intensity of the workout) by adding my own magic to the mix.
DISLIKES: There are only four flavors, and I really dislike one of them (coughmangocough). I know Hammer touts the affordability of these little tabs, but at $6.50 a tube (or 50 cents/tablet), I guess I dont’ feel that it’s worth quite that much. (You could by 34.2 bananas at Trader Joe’s for $6.50.) Nor is it any more affordable than “the other” product. That “bonus” tablet doesn’t really seem like a bonus anymore once you realize both products cost $0.50/tab, and the product with 13 tabs instead of 12 costs $0.50 more. Doh!
How about a little Nuun vs. Hammer throw down? Lets look at just the facts:
Nuun flavors: banana, fruit punch, lemon lime, tropical, kona kola, orange, citrus fruit, tri berry, grape, lemon tea, strawberry lemonade
Endurolytes flavors: lemon-lime, peach, grapefruit, mango
Nuun tablets per tube: 12
Endurolytes tablets per tube: 13
Nuun cost per tube / tablet: $6.00 / $0.50
Endurolytes cost per tube / tablet: $6.50 / $0.50
And the less objective measures….
Nuun flavor intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 7
Endurolyte flavor intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 4
Nuun fizz intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 7
Endurolyte fizz intensity (scale of 1-10, 10 being highest): 4
Nuun flavor options: 11 choices. My favorites = Citrus Fruit, followed by Kona Kola. Least favorite = Tri-Berry*
Endurolytes flavor options: 4 choices. My favorite = Grapefruit. My least favorite = Mango
*I have not tried several of Nuun’s new flavors, including Lemon Tea, Grape, Raspberry Lemonade, or Tropical, so can’t give a fair opinion on those. Nor can I be held responsible if you try them and think they taste like “armpit.”
FINAL GRADE: I’d give the Hammer Endurolyte Fizz tablets a B. The three factors bringing the grade down are 1) cost, 2) limited flavor options, and 3) the Mango. Ick.
But the score that really matters (to Hammer at least) is the amount sold. After all, a business is a business and they need to make a profit. Good, solid products typically have no problem selling! It is up to YOU to decide that for yourself, so if you’re curious about these little electrolytning fizzy drink tabs, I’d suggest you give them a try!
Reader Qs:
Have you tried the Endurolyte Fizz tabs? What did you think? Which was your favorite? Do you use electrolyte products like these during your workouts or racing? Do you have a different favorite drink product I haven’t talked about yet? I’m definitely open to other reviews!
Take care amigos,
-E
As a biochemist and nutritionist, I make my own products: customized, flavorless, and in comparison to Nuun and Endurolytes, only 2% of the cost! Every ultra I run, they have some horrible thing to drink – the only palatable replacement drink is Hammer’s berry (strawberry? I forget, as no one ever seems to have it) and I am amazed at people downing all these chemicals when they claim to be “eating clean.”
Then again, you don’t like bananas, so your tastebuds are different from mine!
SteveQ´s last [type] ..Afton Shirt
I love the Nuun Strawberry Lemonade. And the ginger orange. But the rest of them are yuck. I prefer plain water though.
maggs´s last [type] ..Win/Win. Well Sort Of.
@SteveQ: Care to share your recipe Mr. Bionutritionist?
My favorite ever (insert sarcasm here) is the lemon Ultima at Grandma’s. It tastes like someone peed in the water and decided to bottle it. “Hey, we don’t even need to add any coloring!”
@Maggs: I have such high hopes for the strawberry lemonade – probably my favorite flavor combo!
My standard replacement drink for training runs of 5-8 hours: 8 oz. corn syrup (1000 cal.), 1/2 tsp. table salt in 1 gallon of water. The fancy version for races uses maltodextrin and malic acid from homebrew supply stores, plus baking soda for the sodium and fizz. Recovery drink includes orange juice (or “lite” salt substitute) for the potassium (and, in the oj, magnesium and calcium).
Ultima IS the worst. Tastes bad and has no electrolytes or calories. The only race I know that uses it does so because they get it for free. 99 out of 100 runners complain afterward.
SteveQ´s last [type] ..Afton Shirt
Ive never tried them. But I think I would. I never used electrolyte products during workouts or racing. I’ve never even do the whole goo thing when I run marathons. However, that’s not to say I shouldn’t. I need to do better at fueling and refueling my body better. I’m horrible. I eat crappy stuff, don’t drink enough water….I know I’d run so much better if I did. I probably made myself sound like I eat nothing but cheetos and pop. That’s not true. I just have a lot of improvement when it comes to eating right. I can’t expect my body to run fast if I don’t give it what it needs. Thanks for the encouragement! I love your blog because your inspire me so much.
Ugggggh Gu. <> I probably sound like a broken record when I say it’s all “trial and error”, but let me tell you: I have tried and errored with Gu so many times that I just don’t touch it. It turns my GI system INSIDE OUT. And I will leave it at that before we get into TMI zone.
There is a lot to be said about “good nutrition” and the way it affects performance … but there is also a lot to be said about just plain ol’ macronutrient percentages and overall calorie intake. This is something I’d really like to get into more in future posts, especially after taking Applied Nutrition for Sport Performance last semester and read so many interesting studies!! In the interim – don’t over think it too much, and try to listen to your body.
Thanks for reading!
Just did a race (well, DNF’ed) that had Heed. Still tastes like armpit (I have several older bothers – THAT’s how I know what armpit tastes like… and how long I can hold my breath underwater in a toilet). I tried to survive on water and Coke.
Races that take under 4 hours, one really doesn’t need to worry about electrolytes and fueling during the race. In the monster 24-48 hour events, it becomes critical, as I’ve learned the hard way.
I felt it was a b as well. Most others are not much better IMO…since have fake sugars and that for me means pass..nathan’s is pretty good, light taste but best ingredients thus far..but the U by nuun ain’t bad