Not a fan of sports drinks? Try Nakedade instead

For many runners, finding a product that keeps them fuelled and hydrated during hard workouts and long training runs can be like searching for the Holy Grail — you know it’s out there, but you’re going to go through a lot of trial and error to find it. If traditional sports beverages haven’t made the cut for you, perhaps something a little different, like Naked Nutrition’s Nakedade, will be the solution you’ve been searching for.

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Beet sugar for an endurance boost

What separates Nakedade from many other sports beverages is its source of carbohydrates. Instead of table sugar and artificial sweeteners, Nakedade uses Palatinose™, a smart sugar derived from sugar beets. This sucrose has a low glycemic index, which means it won’t cause your blood sugar to spike (and eventually crash), but instead provides sustained, long-lasting energy. It also improves your body’s ability to break down fatty acids for fuel, which allows you to run longer before reaching fatigue.

Electrolytes for post-run hydration

Many parts of the country have been experiencing intense heat waves this summer, which makes your post-run hydration strategy even more important than usual. Nakedade contains pink Himalayan sea salt, potassium chloride and potassium citrate to help you replenish the electrolytes you’ve lost after a hot, sweaty run to help you kick-start your recovery, so you’ll be ready for your next session.

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Our thoughts

I had the opportunity to try Nakedade, and overall was very impressed with the product. I’m always a bit hesitant when taking a carbohydrate beverage before a run, for fear that I’ll end up with cramps or be running for the nearest washroom halfway through my run, but Nakedade sat very well in my stomach and didn’t cause any GI distress. I also used it after my run, which is where the product really shone, in my opinion. I find re-hydrating after a hot run can sometimes be difficult, and pure water often doesn’t cut it, but Nakedade helped me get more liquid down than I normally can and prevented me from hitting that post-run energy slump that so often happens after a hard, hot run.

Of course, palatability is often the biggest hurdle for runners when it comes to pre- and post-run fuel, and as someone who is fairly picky in this area, I found Nakedade’s flavour to be quite tasty. I tried the Blueberry Lemonade flavour, and while it was quite salty, I welcomed that aspect of it after a steamy summer run. It wasn’t overly sweet-tasting, and since the flavour came from natural ingredients like lemon juice and monk fruit extract, there was nothing artificial about the taste.

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By the numbers

• Serving size: 18g (one stick)
• Calories: 60
• Sodium: 330 mg (14%)
• Carbohydrate: 14 g (12g of sugar)
• Calcium: 25 mg (2%)
• Potassium: 285 mg (16%)

For more information about the Nakedade products, visit their website at nakednutrition.com.