Tested: Hammer HEED Sports Drink

If there is one sports drink company that stands out from the rest, it would have to be Hammer Nutrition. They pride themselves on (and aggressively sell) the fact that they use healthy, high-performance ingredients in all their products.
You won’t find high fructose corn syrup or table sugar in any Hammer products. Instead, Hammer uses maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate, along with healthy sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol. They also leave out citric acid (which could possibly upset your stomach.)
But… you certainly pay a premium price for all this. I never purchased a large quantity of Hammer HEED for this very reason, but I have had the opportunity to grab a surplus of free samples from some mountain bike races, so I am going to review it today.
Hammer HEED Nutrition Facts and Info
On paper, Hammer HEED is as close to perfect as an energy drink can be. It contains an “all-complex carbohydrate formula” (mainly maltodextrin) for a consistent and long-lasting energy supply, plus two sweeteners - stevia and xylitol - which are actually healthy. For electrolytes, HEED supplies a “full-spectrum, all chelated mineral, electrolyte profile” which beats the pants off most drinks containing just sodium and potassium.
Here are the actual ingredients:
Maltodextrin, Xylitol, Natural Flavor, White Stevia, Sodium Chloride, L-Carnosine, Glycine, Calcium Chelate, Magnesium Chelate, Potassium Chelate, L-Tyrosine, Vitamin B6, Manganese Chelate, ChromeMate brand Chromium Polynicotinate
Compare that to the label of your other sports drinks and you’ll wish you had HEED instead!
Not only is it healthy, but it should fulfill your caloric needs on rides up to two hours. You’ll probably put about two scoops of HEED into each 20 oz water bottle, giving you about 400 calories on a two hour ride (in which you consume two bottles.)
As you can see, things sound great so far. But how does it taste…
Hammer HEED Taste Test
Aside from the nutrition aspect, the unique flavor of HEED attracts a lot of riders. While I kind of like the super strong/sweet Gatorade flavors, many people find it too strong to drink while riding, or it gives them stomach problems. That’s why HEED has a very light and mild flavor, even when mixed at full strength.
I will say that again - HEED is very light and mild. It is nowhere near as strong as Gatorade, and it’s even lighter than other cycling-specific drinks (Powerbar Endurance drink is pretty light, but it’s strong compared to HEED!)
HEED is just tasty enough that it makes you want to drink it. I doubt it would be sweet enough to make you sick, even if you have a sensitive stomach.
I have tried the Lemon Lime and Mandarin Orange flavors, and Hammer recently released a couple new flavors - Mild Melon and Subtle Berry (strawberry.) If you just can’t stand any flavor, you can even get unflavored HEED!
First, Lemon-Lime. HEED’s Lemon Lime flavor is probably the best lemon-lime sports drink I’ve ever had. I actually haven’t had any recently, but if I remember correctly, it was like a light lemonade with a hint of lime. It tasted awesome after a hard mountain bike race.
Recently I’ve been using the Mandarin Orange HEED, because I got a handful of sample packs. It tastes pretty good and does taste a lot like mandarin orange; it certainly doesn’t taste like most “orange” sports drinks. It is much more mild than those drinks, and I think it was even more mild than the Lemon-Lime HEED.
Other than that, it’s kind of hard to describe because Hammer HEED does have that unique taste and texture that’s not quite like any other drink. Mandarin Orange is almost creamy, but not thick or slimy.
As for taste, I preferred the Lemon-Lime. I’d love to try the Mild Melon, though. I have this feeling that that would be a good flavor for HEED.
My Hammer HEED Experience
When first opening HEED, there was no doubt it was composed of maltodextrin. It was a real fine powder that looked and smelled like maltodextrin. That worried me because maltodextrin is hard to mix - it clumps and turns into a pasty substance.
Luckily HEED mixed up a little easier, but it was still hard to get well-mixed. I usually let it sit overnight after mixing in water. It doesn’t foam or clump too bad, but getting the perfect mix takes some time.
What matters more though is whether this stuff works or not. I used it before, during, and after workouts and races, usually on days when I wasn’t consuming other bars or drinks composed of simple sugars.
Unfortunately, I didn’t notice anything spectacular. HEED fueled my endeavors and kept me hydrated, all without stomach problems, but PowerBar Endurance formula does the same thing for me. I’ve had the same basic results with Hammer gel - it works just fine, but being a perfect drink/gel on paper doesn’t necessarily mean it will work well in real life.
Based on these experiences, I am willing to use and recommend Hammer Nutrition products, but I just can’t agree with all the Hammer aficionados who think it’s the best drink ever.
My final verdict is…
Personally I drink lots of Gatorade (I like the strong flavors and love the fact that it’s cheap) and whatever other drinks I find on sale. I also enjoy PowerBar Endurance, since it can be purchased on sale at a decent price, and provides more electrolytes and calories than Gatorade.
However, Hammer HEED has a decent taste and a very light sweetness that is still good. If you absolutely hate strong drinks like Gatorade, I recommend you try HEED. The taste is lighter, but it’s not a watered-down, bland taste. (If you’re unsure about flavor, go with the Lemon-Lime.)
I don’t see myself converting to HEED though. It didn’t impress me that much. Some day I’ll give it another shot, but I’m not sold on it.
Official website: www.HammerNutrition.com
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Posted August 9, 2008
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