Rawvelo Recovery Drink Mix 1kg

Rawvelo Recovery Drink Mix is a chocolatey, fully organic and vegan drink powder that you can enjoy after a training session, or as a mid-afternoon snack. It's easy to consume, tastes pleasant, and benefits from the mix of natural ingredients and sustainability credentials of the brand behind it.

> Buy now: Rawvelo Recovery Drink Mix for £29.49 from Amazon

Rawvelo says Recovery is a "100 per cent natural" post-workout recovery drink designed to aid in "refuelling, recharging, and unwinding" after exercise.

It contains 21g of protein per 100g serving, with a 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio to optimise recovery. There is only this one chocolate flavour available, and it comes in a 1kg package that is recyclable. (We were sent 2 x 100g serving bags, but these were only for review purposes.)

I liked the taste – it's quite chocolatey, though not drinking chocolate milk; I much prefer it to the taste of some whey-based recovery drinks I've had. I tried it mixed with water and with oat milk, and although the oat milk was a slightly superior option, it was fine with just water. The powder mixes with the liquid easily even without a shaker or blender, and the drink didn't feel too gritty.

Its 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio is what many studies say is optimal for efficient recovery. Similar to what you might consume during a ride, the carbs in the mix have a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio which Rawvelo says aids optimal carbohydrate uptake. The nutritional profile of the mix is good, and even though the protein is not abundant, it's enough.

Wholefood ingredients

Rawvelo focuses on wholefood ingredients in its products and that's the case with this recovery drink as well. The ingredients include organic coconut water powder and pink Himalayan salt for essential electrolytes for hydration, and psyllium husk (which is a strong prebiotic) to promote gut repair and health. For me, the fact that there are ingredients that promote your gut health is a huge perk; not all recovery products are created equal, and just going for a high protein content isn't going to cut it in the long run.

The base of Recovery Drink is pea protein which Rawvelo says provides a complete amino acid profile, and is blended with cocoa powder and organic date powder, which contain trace minerals and micronutrients to promote cellular recovery. Again, these ingredients are simple and easy to understand which I appreciated – and I found the sweetness of the dates a lot more palatable than artificial sweeteners.

I avoid dairy because of intolerance, so the fact that this product is vegan is also a pro. I cannot really say whether having this drink helped with my recovery, but it certainly didn't make it worse, and just knowing that I had something healthy lined up for after my ride was really helpful, and prevented me from going for the traditional cupboard-raid, eating a bit of this and that.

Value

In terms of nutritional values and ingredients, Rawvelo Recovery is very similar to Skratch Labs Sport Vegan Recovery Mix, but costs less: 1kg of Rawvelo sets you back £29.49 whereas the Skratch Labs mix is £36.95 for 736g. It's also cheaper than Battle Ready Fuel Military Whey, which comes in a 450g package for £24.99, though that's a protein shake rather than a recovery drink, as it contains very few carbs.

When comparing cost per recommended portion, Rawvelo is £2.90 (100g), Skratch Labs Sport Vegan Recovery Mix is £3 (79g) and Battle Ready Fuel (BFR) Military Whey is £1.67 (30g).

Neither Skratch Labs nor BFR has such 'clean' ingredient credentials, though, and if you want to focus on a more holistic approach to your recovery then I think it's better to invest in a product that has more natural and organic ingredients.

Conclusion

Overall, Rawvelo Recovery Drink is a great option for an easy post-ride recovery boost. It benefits from organic and natural ingredients and recyclable packaging, and the brand itself has great sustainability credentials and is part of 1% For The Planet, which means some of its profits go to addressing the environmental challenges of our planet.

Verdict

Very convenient and tasty recovery product that benefits from an easy-to-understand, organic ingredients list