Enervit Sport Maltodextrin During

Enervit Sport Maltodextrin powder mixes with 500ml of water to provide 50g of carbohydrates, and a few bottles give a noticeable boost in energy over long rides. At £1.11 per serving it stacks up pretty well against the competition, especially if you dislike the sweetness of most energy drinks.

Unusually for an energy drink, Maltodextrin is flavourless – I reckon mid-ride you could easily convince people it was water. That means you don't have to wash any sickliness away with actual water, and it doesn't flavour-stain your bottles... I may have just made that terminology up.

But you know what I mean. A quick rinse and the next bottle of actual water still tastes of water, and not the energy drink from last weekend.

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Enervit recommends four scoops (52g) per 500ml, resulting in 50g of carbs and 384Kcal per bottle. That's slightly more than High5's 2:1 Energy Source (44g carbs per 500ml) and OTE Energy Drink (40g of carbs per 500ml), but lower than Enervit's own more expensive Isocarb 2:1 (60g per 500ml).

It's also lower than SiS Beta Fuel (80g per 500ml).

What the fructose?

However, it is worth noting the body can't actually absorb more than about 60g of maltodextrin carbs (per hour) without the assistance of fructose, and this drink doesn't have any. Add fructose and your body can use around 90g of carbs per hour.

As pure maltodextrin this drink is best on 2-3 hour rides, for my money – anything longer (or racing) is better served by something with fructose as well.

Value

At £1.11 per serving, this drink comes in a fair bit cheaper than the carbier competition, with SiS Beta Fuel at £2.50 per serving and Enervit Sport Isocarb 2:1 During at £1.79. That makes it pretty good for training rides, too. If you don't mind forgoing a few more carbs, the OTE energy drink is cheaper still at 86p per serving.

Preparation is simple, too; the powder dissolves easily and without lumps, and as with most powders you get a measuring scoop.

Overall

Enervit Maltodextrin is a good compromise between carbohydrate content and cost, although larger tubs would be nice – 450g is only enough for nine bottles – and buying bulk would presumably save you money. Yes, it lacks an exciting flavour of its own, but it also avoid the sweetness and potential unpalatability of its many rivals.

Verdict

Easy to mix, effective carbohydrate energy drink that tastes like water