Enervit Sport Carbo Flow

Enervit Sport Carbo Flow is designed to be taken before exercise to assist with intense and sustained performance. The chocolate flavoured powder can be mixed with water, milk or natural yoghurt to provide a low-fat source of carbohydrates, as well as 400mg of cocoa flavanols – studies show these help with the elasticity of blood vessels. Although quite expensive, it's convenient and seems to work.

Carbo Flow is 77% isomaltulose, which is a carbohydrate consisting of both glucose and fructose – it's derived from sugar beet. If you're diabetic you may have heard of it, as it has a low glycemic index and provides a steady flow of energy without spiking blood sugar levels the way simple sugars do.

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This is good for cycling, as glycogen stores can be preserved, leading to increased power outputs at the end of longer rides (over 90 minutes).

I opted to take Carbo Flow almost immediately before riding, and felt good on long rides during testing. Of course, this could be coincidence and is hard to quantify, but there are plenty of scientific studies showing the benefits of isomaltulose for sports. I wouldn't be at all surprised if we see its use increase in coming years.

Flavour Flavanols

But wait, I hear you cry, tell me about the flavanols! Oh, okay. Flavanols are a plant nutrient found in things such as tea, red wine, blueberries, apples, pears, cherries and peanuts. All of which sound more fun than a tub of powder.

Flavanols in cocoa, meanwhile, have have been shown to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain and heart, prevent clots, and fight cell damage... unless they don't. Some conflicting studies show little to no improvement in these areas.

Whatever the truth, one portion of Carbo Flow contains 400mg of cocoa flavanols, surpassing the commonly recommended 200mg daily amount. For reference that's 188.7mg flavanols per 100kcal, which stacks up well against sources such as milk chocolate (14/100kcal), dark semi-sweet chocolate (85mg/100kcal) or apples (130mg/100kcal).

Although there are plenty of other sources of flavanols, Carbo Flow is a quick and convenient one with a relatively low fat and sugar content.

Lukewarm reception

Enervit says that Carbo Flow can be mixed with either water, skimmed milk or low-fat natural yoghurt. However, they also say it should be at room temperature to prevent the degradation of the flavanols... mmm, room temperature milk.

Personally, I found it quite hard to get down mixed with yoghurt, as it make a thick paste that's on the cusp of chewy. With skimmed milk the taste is good, but having to leave milk out of the fridge requires more planning, and it still doesn't mix as well as with water.

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Dissolving it in water works best for me, and usually takes about 30 seconds. Also, 150-200ml really isn't much, so it's easy to get down in a few gulps. The chocolate flavour is perfectly palatable and not ridiculously sweet.

I took two scoops each day during an intense training block, almost immediately before riding, so I could benefit from the slow-release carbohydrates as well. By the weekend I was very pleased with my power numbers, but once again it's hard to prove a genuine correlation. Either way, it didn't have a negative effect on me.

Value

At £26.09 for 400g, Carbo Flow isn't cheap, but from what I can see it lacks any direct competition. This tub contains roughly 14 portions, so lasts either a week at two scoops or a fortnight at one. If you've got a big target event coming up, you may well find it's worth a go – in comparison to some race entries it's peanuts (though sadly not the kind with more flavanols).

There are sound, scientific reasons to think Carbo Flow might give you an advantage, and for my part I had a positive experience using it.

Verdict

Effective slow-release carb drink with added flavanol benefits, but it's pricey