Torq Hydration Drink (540g)

Torq Hydration Electrolyte Drink – formerly known as Torq Hypotonic – provides 30 500ml servings containing five electrolytes and 15g of carbohydrate, and comes in a choice of three flavours. It avoids the excessive sweetness of many competitors and the price works out very well, but the bags are difficult to reseal between uses.

On hot days – I mean over 20 degrees, as this is the UK – the difference between Torq Hydration and plain water is stark, with noticeable performance drops towards the end of long rides for the latter. The Torq really helped my hydration during training rides up to 200km.

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This is because as you sweat, the body loses both ions and water. Only replenishing with water results in a loss of ions and increased fatigue – these powders contain plenty of delicious ions. Okay, ions are charged atoms and don't taste of anything, but work with me here – we're talking about healthy dust you put in water.

Flavours are subjective even beyond the atomic level, but I found all three – Lemon, Watermelon and Tangerine – very palatable, even when used repeatedly on long rides.

The Lemon is mercifully unsweetened to the point it leaves a sharp aftertaste, which is great if, like me, you're tired of endless oversweetened formulas. It's refreshing when combined with another bottle of a different flavour, too.

Watermelon is quite mild and leaves a pleasant aftertaste, and it's unlikely to clash weirdly with food or gels – plus it goes especially well with anything containing apple or blueberry.

The most authentic flavour has to be Tangerine, which is very convincing – and consequently the sweetest. It's never overpowering, though, and it's crisp without leaving an aftertaste. It goes particularly well with chocolate, but then, so does red wine... look, don't complain or I'll tell you more about ions.

It's important to note that the ions in Torq Hydration (you've done it now) are primarily to aid water absorption, and not the full replenishment of glycogen. So you still need sources of fuel, such as bars or gels, to get the 60-90 grams of carbs for sustained intense exercise.

> Cycling hydration: 1 water bottle or 2 on long rides?

Torq's powder mixes easily with water, but the big bags don't close easily again, which is a bit of a pain when they last for 30 servings. You don't want this stuff all over your car or kitchen, and all those tasty ions rolling everywhere.

Value

At £19.99 for 540g, each serving is around 66p, which is good value against the likes of SIS Beta Fuel (£2.50 per serving) or even Nuun Boost (70p). Torq also offers a bulk-buy scheme which further drives down the cost – buy three and you get 20 percent off, for instance, for a 53p serving.

Torq Hydration is an effective, palatable and well-priced way to reduce fatigue and (surprise!) dehydration while riding. If you find other products just too sweet, or are simply now wondering what ions taste of, it's an excellent option – though a jar to keep the opened pouch in is a good idea too.

Verdict

Effective, well priced and avoids the sickliness of many rivals