GU Roctane Energy Drink Review; GU Sampler Giveaway Contest

Before today’s giveaway post, a reminder that there’s another contest still going on, for a pair of New Balance Minimus Zero Trail shoes - so go sign up if you haven’t already.

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Now that spring is here and I’m ramping up my training mileage with some races on the horizon, I’m spending more time tinkering with fluid and calorie replacement issues out on the trail. Consequently, the timing of today’s giveaway was extremely fortunate, because it gave me a chance to try a new product from GU Energy, a company whose products have pulled me through countless tough miles.

Oh, and have I mentioned that there’s a giveaway involved? Not only that, but the prize is much better for you than it was for me: in addition to getting to try the product I was testing, you’ll also get a sampler of old and new GU products to fuel your endurance adventures this spring and summer. But before I get to the details, indulge me in a brief rundown of the product I tested.

You may recall that earlier this year I hosted a giveaway for GU Roctane Energy Drink before the product was even released – you may also recall that I didn’t get to actually test the stuff myself. (Not that I’m bitter – in fact, the whole thing ended in a cool way, with one devoted reader making a video that earned him the prize. I’m still impressed with that one.) Needless to say, I was happy for an opportunity to finally try the stuff myself after a sampler pack of all three flavors – Fruit Punch, Grape, and Lemon-Lime – arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago.

GU Roctane Energy Drink

As I described it back in January, Roctane drink mix is to regular GU Brew sort of like Roctane gel is to regular GU. Each serving contains 240 calories of complex and simple carbs that are optimized for rapid absorption and accessibility, along with electrolytes and other supplements for sustained performance during long-duration aerobic activity.

Interestingly, the sodium and potassium levels in Roctane drink are lower than they are in regular GU Brew, although it’s tough to tell at first glance because the serving sizes of the two are different. However, it’s the additional ingredients that set Roctane drink apart: taurine to support heart and muscle performance, beta-alanine to improve muscle buffering capacity, branch chain amino acids to reduce muscle damage and delay fatigue, and histidine to help buffer pH during exercise.

Another upgrade from an ultrarunning standpoint is the addition of caffeine, which is absent from regular GU Brew. The grape Roctane drink flavor is caffeine-free, but the other two flavors have 35mg of caffeine per serving to keep your brain alert during long hot days or long dark nights. Combine the caffeine boost with the rest of the nutritional profile, and the Roctane drink would definitely be my preference on race day if it’s available.

From a taste standpoint, Roctane drink has a similarly mild flavor as GU Brew, which is one of the main reasons I’ve always preferred GU drinks over other brands. I typically dilute mine much thinner than the serving instructions, but even at full strength there isn’t an excessively sweet taste. Of course, taste is subjective, which is how we’ll segue to the part you’ve been waiting for: the big giveaway.

Two winners chosen at random from the comments below will receive a few packets of each GU Roctane Energy Drink mix flavor to try for yourselves – but to “sweeten” the deal, GU is throwing in a couple of other goodies. Each winner will also receive one of these:

A GU Performance Energy sampler pack with multiple flavors of regular GU and three flavors of GU Roctane gel, plus sample packets of GU Chomps, GU Electrolyte Brew and GU Recovery Brew. Pretty cool, huh? Now how much would you pay to enter? But wait, there’s more …

You’ll also receive samples of GU’s newly released Chocolate Smoothie Recovery Brew. This is another item that I’ve never tried myself, but two of my readers will get the privilege of testing them out.

We’ll do the regular “one comment, one entry” system on this one, with one small twist to help tilt the odds in favor of endurance athletes. If you’re signed up for a trail ultra or long-distance triathlon this spring or summer, tell me the name of the race in the comments below, and I’ll put your name in for an additional entry. Winners will be announced Saturday night, April 21st.

Thanks very much to GU Energy for sponsoring this contest, and good luck to everybody!

*Products provided by GU Energy
**If you have a product you’d like reviewed, contact me at info@runningandrambling.com.




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