Skratch Labs

REVIEW BY:  Alexis Oosterhoff

TRAIL DRINK//Skratch Labs

Skratch labs is all about making and designing sports nutrition to help athletes perform better without offending the gut or tastebuds, and I’ve been converted already.

And game was on like Donkey Kong, because this time around for TRM51, testing was done on their Foster 01 Trail Shorts, and they were sublime, sublime, sublime.

Always one to try something different, the lemon+lime super high carb sport drink mix was my fuel for the first (12.5km) lap of the True Blue (Australia Day) 50km Ultra held in Australind, Western Australia,, in January earlier this year. 

It mixed easily with 500ml of water in my hand held, and was the perfect blend of flavour, hydration and nutrition, setting me up for a good race. I liked this so much that I’ve since purchased both flavours of the multi-serve bag, and will use this as part of my field strategy for an upcoming multi-day solo run. 

The ingredients list is simple: cluster dextrin, fructose, cane sugar, raspberry juice, sodium citrate, citric acid and malic acid for the raspberry flavour mix, and lemon oil, lime oil, lemon juice and lime juice in place of the cane sugar and raspberry for the lemon+lime mix. The cluster dextrin is described as a highly-complex carbohydrate that digests easily and steadily, and that was certainly my experience when using this product.

Supplied as a single-serve packet, providing 200cal, 50g of carbs and 200mg sodium when mixed with 500-600ml of water, the skratch labs super-high carb sport drink mix is both gluten and dairy free, and vegan. Formerly marketed as ‘superfuel drink mix’ this is a new name, but the same fuel.  

I also had a go at testing the sour cherry energy chews with caffeine. Containing 160cal in a 50g packet, skratch labs’ energy chews can be described as a candy gumdrop made of sugar and pectin, with a side of caffeine!  

The sour cherry flavour is exactly what you’d expect: on the first bite there’s a sharpness from the flavour which gets your saliva flowing. A slight bitterness follows from the caffeine, and has you questioning your choices for a moment or two. But as soon as you’re done with them, you want more, and more, and more! 

My initial mouthful was just a couple of the bites, but a few minutes later I was craving more…eating three/four at a time. I found the energy chews digested easily, and the caffeine boost was welcome – I had them on the final lap (four) of the True Blue 50km Ultra, and they were exactly that I needed to finish this race.

The ingredient list is simple here too: sugar, glucose syrup, water, pectin, cherry powder, citric acid, lactic acid and green tea extract. The chews are gluten and dairy free, and suitable for vegans.

VITALS

RRP: super high carb sport drink (lemon+lime, raspberry) 53g Packet $3.25 AUD

RRP: super high carb sport drink (lemon+lime, raspberry) 840g Bag $41.95 AUD

RRP: energy chews (raspberry, sour cherry, orange, lemon+green tea) 50g $2.45 AUD

WEBSITE:  skratchlabs.com