Learn more about Sports Drink

The foundation for most athletes' energy needs during activity often consists of sports drinks. They are easy to consume during intense physical activity and provide the body with energy, fluids, salts, and minerals.

U Sport was the first product we developed at Umara and is also very dear to our hearts. However, our vision is to follow what the latest research says, and therefore we always continue to develop our products as research progresses.  

The carbohydrate composition in U Sport, containing both glucose and fructose, allows for more transporters in the body to transport the carbohydrates to the working muscles. Glucose has one transporter, and fructose has another. This particular composition found in U Sport has been shown to be the best combination for maximizing the transport of energy (carbohydrates). Thanks to the increased transport, you as an athlete can consume larger amounts of sports drink without risking stomach issues. Problems with the stomach arise as soon as you consume more carbohydrates than your body can absorb, resulting in what can't be absorbed remaining in the stomach and sloshing around, triggering bowel movements, leading to "runner's stomach". This applies regardless of which sport you practice. By drinking a sports drink that has a combined carbohydrate composition and over 50% higher absorption than other sports drinks, you also minimize the risk of stomach problems by up to 40%.

More energy becomes available in the body as the intensity increases; when you increase the intensity, the utilization of stored carbohydrates (glycogen) increases, and the body eventually relies solely on glycogen as an energy source. You have about 500 grams of stored glycogen in your body, which depletes faster the higher the intensity of your training. In these situations, it is extremely important to continuously keep glycogen stores well-filled, as a reduction in glycogen levels signals the body to slow down and take it easy (since energy reserves are running low), resulting in decreased performance.

Fast replenishment of carbohydrates in the form of food and sports drinks after the workout also allows for an equally intense training session soon again, which can be very valuable if you train long and/or often.

Research has made significant progress in recent years in the area of energy supply during physical activity. The ratio of glucose to fructose has generally been the most studied.

In 2015, a review article was published that summarizes the research area on carbohydrate compositions in sports drinks. They went through a total of 14 studies, and the two most effective were 1:0.5, that is, 1 part maltodextrin and 0.5 parts fructose, which is the most tested variant so far and the one we have in U Sport 1:0.5 lemon. Composition number 2 is the 1:0.8 variant, that is, 1 part maltodextrin and 0.8 parts fructose, which is present in our U Sport 1:0.8 Elderflower/Lemon/Orange. In the studies included, the intake has been between 36-144g/hour divided into 3-4 intakes/hour, so a fairly wide span but with a steady intake.

We ourselves have been keeping an eye on the research regarding the 1:0.5 or 1:0.8 ratio between glucose:fructose for a longer period. We started reading the research about it back in 2013-2014 when our company Umara developed our first sports drink. However, the research was quite new at that time, so we didn't dare to take the plunge, especially due to factors that I will soon highlight. But as research has continued, it seems that at higher doses, the magic boundary is around 1:0.8.  

Dosage & "training the stomach" 

One of the advantages of Umara's Sports Drinks, especially the 1:0.8 version, is that it is designed to be dosed at different strengths. We as athletes want to get as high an intake of carbohydrates as possible. But we have different tolerances for how much we can handle. Some can manage about 70g/h while others can take in up to 120g/h. Our bodies also have the ability to learn to handle a higher intake. By "training the stomach". That is, over a period of 3-4 weeks, preferably during competition-specific training, provide energy in slightly higher doses than what one is used to. This will lead to the body adapting and becoming better at absorbing the carbohydrates.