For the past couple of weeks we’ve been trying out the range of energy products from Kinetica. While the company may be new to us (we’d certainly never heard of them before a box of samples arrived on our desk) they’ve actually been around for 30 years, and certainly know a thing or two about energy products.
Kinetica use 100 per cent natural ingredients to make a range that includes whey protein, recovery supplements and energy gels, all manufactured at the company’s base in Ireland in what is reportedly Europe’s largest cheese facility.
Fear not, the products don’t have a whiff of Stilton about them. Quite the opposite in fact. Their own ‘flavour lab’ ensures the products are more than palatable. We abuse our taste buds on a regular basis to test the latest energy products on your behalf (it’s a tough job), and we can safely say that the Kinetica products rank up there with the tastiest.
First up, we tried the company’s energy gel. A handily sized 60g sachet, about the same as most other gels, and each packs 20g of carbohydrate per sachet. To ensure the energy in the gel is easily and quickly absorbed by the body Kinetica use a three-way mix of Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Fructose to ensure a quick absorption of the carbohydrates.
In use the immediate impact of the gel was noticeable, reviving flagging energy levels towards the end of long all-day rides with a noticeable impact. Unlike some gels that can result in you choking over your handlebars as you cough up the sickly concoction, the Tropical Orange flavour we tested was quite a shock in that it actually tasted, dare we say it, rather nice. And it’s not often we say that about an energy gel. Pleasingly, there’s a good range of flavours including Cola and Berry Burst.
The next product we tried, upon returning home after that all-day romp around the hills, was Kinetica’s 100% Recovery. As with most recovery products, the company recommends you take it within 20 minutes of exercise, which most of the time for us is in the car on the way home. The contents of the sachet easily mix into a smooth and lump-free consistency in a water bottle, which is a great start. The Blackcurrant we tried was thoroughly agreeable, tasting much like a typical blackcurrant squash, a pleasant change from the typical strange tastes of other recovery products we’ve had the horror of testing.
Containing whey protein isolate combined with dextrose and maltodextrin, the mix of protein and carbohydrate is intended to feed quickly to tired muscles after hard exercise, leaving you ready and recovered for your next ride sooner. Additional ingredients, L Carnitine and L Tartrate are claimed to help convert fat to energy and L Arginine helps increase blood flow to the muscles for rapid recovery. We tried Blackcurrant but Orange/Mango is also available, and the 1kg tubs work out at £29.99.
Based on our brief sample of the Kinetica energy products, we’re impressed. Their most appealing quality is that, of the products tasted, they didn’t invoke a gag reflex when tested, making them a worthy alternative to the more established brands in the mountain bike marketplace.
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