TESTED: Nuun Hydration range

Words: Imogen Smith     Photos: Mike Blewitt

Sports drinks like Gatorade have been around since the 1960s, laden with sugar. But it’s now possible to get calorie-free drink mixes from brands like nuun, and they have worked hard to define their place in a crowded market and expand their range for athletes and sedentary users.

We took a look at nuun active, energy, and plus, all new or reformulated. Part of this revitalisation is a turn to squeaky-clean ingredients. nuun stress their clean-eating credentials, so you can be sure that your drink is gluten free, diary free, soy free, vegan, GMO free, and certified ‘clean’ in the supplements sense. Phew!

nuun active now features a small amount of dextrose – basically sugar – to help the body absorb fluid, and its sweeteners and ingredients are now produced from plant-based sources. In about 10 calories a nuun contains: 360 mg of sodium, 100mg potassium, 25mg of magnesium, 13mg of calcium, 38mg of vitamin C, and 1g of sugar. Some of these electrolytes are reputed to help with cramping, but I’d advise some discretion: while sodium is important for optimal hydration and to prevent hyponatraemia (from over-hydration), experts have settled on other factors (like undertraining) causing cramps, rather than micronutrient imbalances.

nuun energy contains the same amounts of these electrolytes, plus 40mg of caffeine and B6, B12, and niacin ‘for energy’. While the 40mg of caffeine (from plant-based green tea extract) is a welcome addition, I question the need for Niacin, B6, and B12 supplementation, as well as its efficacy. The amount exceeds guidelines by between 25 and 250 per cent, and while going over the RDI by this much is unlikely to have any negative side effects unless there’s something wrong with your diet, this is just giving your kidneys something extra to do while you race or train.

Portability is one nuun’s great selling points. It’s easy to throw a tablet or two in your bag or pocket compared to drink mix. Nuun plus is a value-add for your nuun active, with a mix of dextrose and sucrose, plus sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The idea is to mix two nuun plus with a nuun active to create an energy/electrolyte drink. With 11g of carb (you’ll need up to 90g per hour in an endurance event), you’ll have to supplement with gels or food, but it is very convenient for long days or when travelling.