Gu Brew Review

by Lindsay

Very recently I ran out of Accelerade, my go-to sports drink, and switched to Gu Energy's Electrolyte Brew.  Formerly known at Gu2O, Gu Brew is an up-and-coming sports drink looking to compete against Accelerade and Hammer Nutrition Heed.  I've used Heed in the past and while I think it is a very good drink with no artificial flavors or sugar, I find the taste to be a bit lacking.  Gu Brew, on the other hand, I found to be GREAT tasting!  For a powder mixed with water, you know how unusual this is.  I've been drinking the Lemon Lime flavor and it is ultra-light, yet still sweet enough to be tasty.  The directions say use 2 scoops per 16 oz of water (about a regular sized water bottle), but if I were going by taste alone I would have easily put in 3-4 scoops, it's that light.  This is great for people who gag at Gatorade, Accelerade, or other more strongly flavored drinks, and stays refreshing even when your water bottles get hot during a long day.

However, the best thing about Gu Brew isn't it's taste, but what's in it (or not).  It has far less sugar than Accelerade, Cytomax, Gatorade, or Clif Shot.  Only Heed has less among the major electrolyte replacement drinks.  It has a healthy 250mg of sodium per 100 calories, for ease in digestion and dehydration prevention.  If you are looking for even more sodium, perhaps for an exceptionally long or hot day, try the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor which has twice the amount.  Gu Brew also contains potassium and carbs for fuel.  It does not contain protein, which differentiates it from Accelerade or Perpetuem. For some, this may be a negative.  It depends on what your stomach is used to and what your workout calls for that day.

I'm a big fan of Gu products and use Gu gel during all of my longer workouts (and Roctane for races).  I've tried the Recovery Brew and was a fan of its more carbs, less protein than other drinks.  Gu Electrolyte Brew, meant to accompany Gu gel before and during your workouts (saving the Recovery Brew for post-workout), lives up to the Gu Energy standards.  If you are looking for something very light tasting but sweeter and generally more palatable than Heed, I strongly encourage you to give Gu Brew a try.  And at only $0.42/serving it's very cost-effective!