REVIEW: VOOM NUTRITION

PRODUCT REVIEW VOOM NUTRITION

If you’re like me, and you’re always on the search for products to help you get through your runs and workouts that 1. Give you energy 2. Hydrate your body 3. Nutritionally sustainable. I have dabbled in different products over the years, and I always like to try new ones to see what my body is going to be able to get on with during my training/events.

Sometimes the problem us runners/athletes, we can definitely have sensitive stomachs, so finding products to use that don’t mean we have to find the closest toilet or bush – if you’ve been there, you know what I mean.

During endurance exercise your body needs carbohydrates for energy to help maintain your performance. You may also become dehydrated if you do not replace the water and electrolytes lost through sweat. This loss can vary in individuals but also cause fatigue, muscle cramps, dizziness, and loss in performance. So by replenishing your body, you allow yourself to perform as best as you can.

The guys at Voom were kind enough to send me some of their range to try out, particularly before and during my runs/workouts.

Who are Voom?

VOOM is a young brand from the UK, with a dedicated team with a passion for the outdoors and creating sports nutrition products! Complete with their own scientist behind the team, they research and work on nutrition development in order to provide us with efficient and tasty products to fuel and support our bodies!

Products

POCKET ROCKET ELECTRO ENERGY BAR (LEMON & LIME)

This little energy bar provides the perfect amounts of electrolytes to replace those lost in sweat. They contain:

40g of carbohydrate & 160kcal in a solid energy bar.
100mg full spectrum electrolytes to speed up hydration and fight cramp.
Added B vitamins contribute to a reduction in tiredness and fatigue.
Lemon & lime flavour from freeze-dried fruit.
The Electro Energy will keep you going faster for longer.

The bars take around 1 hour to provide you with the energy you need.

POCKET ROCKET BETA BLAST ENERGY BAR (ZESTY ORANGE)

This pre-workout bar is perfect for high intensity exercise. It contains:

40g carbohydrate or 150kcal in four chunks.
2g of beta alanine* – ideal for use in high intensity work.
150mg of caffeine to give a mental and physical boost.
Ideal mix of rapid energy delivery, fatigue resistance and stimulation.
Zesty orange flavour with real freeze-dried fruit.
Use pre-workout or before competition to give you the best start.

POCKET ROCKET CAFFEINE KICK ENERGY BAR (BERRY FLAVOUR)

Looking for that caffeine kick? This bar is a great booster, which can significantly reduce your perceived level of effort and increase your focus.

Provides a mental and physical boost.
40g carbohydrates and 160kcal.
175mg of caffeine with a fatigue-resistant effect.
B vitamins contribute to reduced tiredness and fatigue.
100mg of taurine can increase alertness.
Natural berry flavour and freeze-dried fruit.

HYDRATE SMART ELECTROLYTE DRINK (LEMON & LIME)

The perfect drink to hydrate before a race, this drink has been designed for rapid fluid delivery. A loss of 2% can significantly impact physical and mental performance. This electrolyte drink contains:

Hypotonic and Nootropic sports drink to speed up hydration.
460 mg full spectrum electrolytes for anti cramp.
VOOM cognition to boost alertness, memory and focus.
Light, refreshing lemon & lime flavour made with real fruit.

My experience

I decided to try out the products in my training and lead up to the my 10km running event, my first one back from my marathon knee injury, so I wanted to make sure I took all the precautions to support my body through the event.

In the lead up I made sure I was staying hydrated, preparing with my electrolyte drink. The flavour was great, I always love a good citrus flavour. It went down a treat. It actually is quite sweet in taste. Following the instructions, it tasted a little bit too watered down, so I added another small scoop and it made the taste a bit stronger, for me that’s what I prefer. The electrolyte drink is very easy on the stomach, and I had no issues.

The electrolyte drink is definitely a great one to get into your system leading up to your event, to get the electrolytes flowing through your body. It’s super easy to mix in as well, it doesn’t clump up when you pour it in. I will definitely continue to use this electrolyte drink; I would love to see some more flavours for this one!

I decided to get a quick energy blast just before the race. So, I grabbed the electro energy bar to quickly eat, I can tell you now the flavour really hits you as soon as you take a bite! It looks like it’s going to be a bar and solid, but once you bite in, it almost gives a jelly texture, which is really interesting. It melts in your mouth, and super easy to eat. The bar split up makes it really easy to consume as well, as you can break it up and split it between 15-minute intervals, it definitely does give you that glucose boost. The flavour is quite tart, and it can be a little bit overpowering, so if you’re funny with tastes – this might not be the easiest to taste.

I had a pretty strong race considering I had just come back from injury. I have also been using the electrolyte drink continuously for training to get used to it for my longer runs over the past few weeks, and have been getting on with it fairly well.

In my honest opinion, I’m not entirely sure the bars are for me for during events. Definitely pre-event, the texture and the taste I don’t think I can handle during a race – which is totally fine. I’m not sure my stomach would be able to handle the taste whilst I’m running. I can sometimes feel a little bit sick when I run, so an overwhelming boom of flavour can overpower how I’m going. However, I would totally recommend and use the bars before I run, it definitely is the right amount of energy kick. It’s a really easy texture to consume and eat, and I really like that it comes in 4 separate squares so that it can be broken up over the event or the lead up to the event.

Overall, I really enjoyed testing out the products. They definitely are useful when it comes to getting your extra boost before and during exercise. My personal opinion – I will definitely continue to use the electrolyte drink, it really gives me the boost I need for my runs and workouts. The bars are just a little bit too solid for me, but I can totally see how useful and helpful they are, so definitely give them a go!