The folks at Orbana sent me a couple of bottles of their energy drink to test through Twitter.
There’s two separate issues here, and the first one is the drink itself.
It’s a powder to which you add water, shake and drink (I have a pre-mixed version below) . It takes a bit of dissolving, I never managed it completely with either bottle which meant getting gritty blocks of powder on my tongue which fizzed away like Space Dust from the tuck shop at school. It tastes quite nice, with an odd kind of retro flavour to it, like Garvies Pineappleade or something.
This makes if different too, and I think a pleasant alternative to the sometimes harsh tasting and aggressively sugary alternatives.
It does have a refreshing kick to it, but to really learn what effects it has on the trail it would take a lot more regular use.
The bottle it comes in is empty apart from the powder, so you have to add water to it from a burn, a tap, or another bottle. I know for trips you could pre-mix it, or decant it into another bottle, but the principle is still wrong, it just seems so wasteful as whatever happens there’s a single-use plastic bottle to deal with. There’s a 20-serving tub available which is much better, but I’d prefer sachets for outdoor use so I can mix it up on the trail when I want it and keep my bottle for plain water most of the time.
The bottle thing just looks like a lifestyle gimmick to me, selling product to folks in offices to fill up at the water cooler.
So, good product, poorly packaged. If you’re getting some, get the tub and mix your own.
Sounds terrible, the packaging. And that in this time, where environmental matters are on the front page? Must be one blind marketing department/ product development team.
Aye, and the bottle is going to the talking point instead of the drink itself.
When it is dissolved though is it fizzy or does it go down like Nuun?
How long can you pre mix it in advance though with those sugars?
“Orbana™ contains a unique blend of ‘mixed GI’ carbohydrates.
Orbana is composed predominantly of complex carbohydrates (64% Maltodextrin) rather than simple sugars (36% Dextrose and Fructose). The high GI Dextrose gives an initial lift whilst the lower GI Maltodextrin prolongs your endurance without the spike and crash.
This mixture does not upset the stomach, so it goes down easily and is readily digested.”
One of the things I prefer about Nuun is the fact that I’m not puring loads of sugar down my neck. Even Irn-Bru is a luxury item that’s rarely drunk in this house, I’ve got all my own teeth too with no fillings either! I’d rather get my carbs/energy from the food I eat instead.
No time limit is given, but I’ve take “same day consumption” as a given.
It is more of a standard energy drink like SIS or High5, whereas Nuun lets you hydrate and fuel up separately.
But, Orbana does go down better than most others I’ve tried, it’s much more like a regular fruit drink.
I have to say I would use it if it came in sachets.
I have one tooth that isn’t my own, it’s bought and paid for. It all stared with a bit of grit in a poorly washed mushroom…
The ingredients list reads just like the liquid diet I was put on after I was diagnosed with Crohn’s. It had a retro orange and pineapple flavour with added puke for ‘mouth feel’ or something – I think it was the amino acids that did it. Maltodextrin might not harm your stomach but some people are allergic, or just don’t get on with it.
Sounds very much like they have taken the prescription only ‘complete nutrition’ stuff and brought it into the sports world, made it even more expensive, and set the marketing dept’ on to it!
Horrible stuff.
Good info Beth!
By the way, I think there’s still a trial offer on the website if anyone wants samples.
Hmm, I’ve tried SIS…I wont be trying it again. Think I’ll stick with a sigg and a Nuun tab.
When I did use energy drinks I did notice the effect, drinking Nuun you don’t as it’s doing different stuff, and doing it very well. I sometimes pack stuff like Sports Beans or Honey Stinger Chews which are slower acting.
Sometimes I do miss that “Let’s Rock!” feeling of the liquid hit!
It’s a lifestyle product, SIS, etc. developed for atheletes and marketed to the masses. Nunn much the same. How often do you see the local kids drinking Lucozade sport. A great alternative is Coconut Water, pick it up in health food shops, pure and naturally isotonic, it is all I now use for post training rides.
Good point about Nuun there, it really has passed into the realms off common usage.
Interesting about the Coconut Water, I’m always looking for something different. I get so bored of the same flavours on the trail all the time, food and drink.
Wow just looked at their site, and shop, that stuff makes Coconut water cheap!
But it must be good, because the guy who was runner up in BBC’s ‘So you think you can dance?” endorses it! But, I want to know what was the winner drinking?
This opens a side issue, which it turns out folk I’ve talked to in the trade are thinking about too. Are endorsements and sponsored athletes really helping?
I’ll need to see how much Orbana costs.
Trial offer £8 for four bottles.
Aye.
Sponsored Atheletes, who really cares! In the case of Bear Grylls, it stops you buying ;o)
…or a free pass straight to TK Maxx for your whole range of kit :o)
Orbana have been in comms, they’re looking at sachet-izing.
The bottles are evidenly BPA free too, I’ll reserve judgement until the free samples arrive. I think i can dance! ;o)
That BPA thing has left a hell of a lot of unsold Camelbak and Nalgene bottles on ebay!
Yeah, I’ve just ditched all mine. Kept a source bladder for occasional use, but have gone to unlined stainless steel bottles. Even the non BPA Sigg, are lined in a coating, so a traditional drop and dent is going to have a cracked lining and the eventual flaking.
Aye, I carry Tritan bottles most of the time and the stainless Sigg ovals. The Nalgene 1-litre canteen style ones are a favourite.
What worried me most was that baby bottles were all polycarbonate.
Yeah I bought my sister some stainless steel baby bottles for my neice, onegreenbottle.com have almost all bottle requirements covered. Makes you question all the adverts for mineral water boasting about the purity!
I’m immune to advertising now, I have to be or I just argue with the TV all night.
Here, that’s a good link there, I like their bottles. Might get to get one of those to try.
They look like half of a vaccum flask if you know what I mean?
The waterdogs although the don’t advertise it come with a very familiar looking sports cap, almost identical to a rather large manufacturers ;o)
photo here;
http://didnothingfatal.co.uk/#post150
Quality is great too, really pleased with the stuff we’ve had from them.
Ha, that sells it to me! I love the straw thing.
Yeah I was a bit, “I wonder if Camelbak” know about this ;o)
I stuck one of the Camelbak tops on my OMM bottle and it seals better than the original.
The bite valve freezes helluva easy though.
£2 a shot for the Orbana stuff? That’s not cheap!
I got the 2 bottle trial pack free, and have just used them both before spinning sessions at the gym. My top was a lot sweatier the last 2 sessions (after drinking the Orbana) than other sessions, which may mean I’ve been working harder. But it’s also getting Springier out there and thus a bit warmer in the gym. So I shall hold off concluding anything til I’ve done a couple more sessions now without the stuff, in the sun, and see what colour my top goes.
Anyone else used this stuff?
I’ve had some more too, I actually quite like it.
The packaging must die though.