Once in a while, sports nutrition gets a real game changer - something that really (drink) mixes and shakes things up. Skratch Labs Superfuel is definitely one of those products and we have some happy news for Canadians - it’s here!
At RacedayFuel, we supply our athletes with the best sports nutrition and help you to be informed on what the most healthy and effective options are for you - so let’s talk Superfuel.
If our beloved Skratch Sports Drink Mix is a Lamborghini (or pick your favourite supercar), Superfuel is a rocketship. We all can agree that rocketships are awesome, but if you try to use one to drive to work everyday, it might be overkill. Superfuel is for the biggest of the big days - it’s your rocketship for when you’re going to Mars, not to work.
Analogies aside - Superfuel is for endurance athletes who can’t easily consume enough calories to keep them going during an ultramarathon or triathlon. Why is that? Superfuel has been developed by Skratch Labs using a very different type of carbohydrate that normal drink mixes, one that has significantly more energy per molecule. Most energy mixes use maltodextrin for their carbohydrate source, but Skratch Superfuel uses Cluster Dextrin (we know, it’s a weird name) - because it has as much as 20 times more energy than maltodextrin.
All of that sounds great, right? Why wouldn’t you want 20 times more energy in your everyday training? This answer is because more energy is another way of saying more calories - and we all know what happens when we consume too many calories. So, Superfuel isn’t for your daily workouts or training, it’s for days when your calorie burn is going to be so much higher than what you could consume in food or traditional sports drink mixes that you’ll burn through the roughly 4,000 calories per bottle of Superfuel.
Now that we’ve talked about what Superfuel is and when not to use it, let’s talk about when it will be a complete game changer for you.
When you need your energy source to burn slow and long. Superfuel has a unique molecular structure. Unlike other simple carbohydrate sources, like maltodextrin, it has a more complex structure. To borrow Skratchs’ own description, Cluster Dextrin molecules look like “tree branches wrapped into a wreath”. This is good because it means your digestive systems takes longer to break them down, which gives you more consistent energy over time rather than overwhelming your system all at once.
When you can’t eat enough over a sustained period of time to make up your calorie deficit. Endurance athletes, we’re looking at you! If you’re competing in a distance race - cycling, running, or triathlon - chances are you’re on the move for the better part of a day. This is the perfect time for Superfuel. Ultramarathoners, Superfuel was made for you. If the activity you’re doing is a short burst of intense energy (think under a few hours) and you can refuel right after, we have some suggestions for you, but Superfuel isn’t for that style of activity.
When you need something that will be calorie-dense, but easy on your stomach. The Cluster Dextrin molecule from Skratch is more soluble than traditional carbohydrate sources - which means it’s not only easier to consume, but easier on your digestive system, too. Its higher solubility means it drinks like water, not like mud. So when you’re running, cycling, swimming, or all three, you can fuel up without worrying about upsetting your stomach.
That’s the scoop(s) on Skratch Labs Superfuel. So, endurance athletes, go forth to your personal bests with energy and happy stomachs!