Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem Review

By: Chris

I have a little confession to make: I haven't drank an official sports/energy drink in over a year. After a couple of bad experiences with Gatorade that left me in bad shape, I swore off all pre-mixed drinks unless I made it myself. In preparation for some longer races, though, I've been rethinking this and looking for something new.

I picked up Hammer Nutrition's Perpetuem Orange-Vanilla last week and tried it out in a couple of training runs as well as an Olympic-distance triathlon. My first impression (and I've continued to think this every time I've used it) is that it has a very mild flavor. I was surprised when I took my first sip at how under-powering it is, which I found very refreshing. Not only does it go down easily, but this also allows you to mix concentrated bottles for long rides without the taste becoming a problem.

It has a mixture of carbohydrates, electrolytes, protein, and a little bit of fat that are perfect for long endurance sessions. I probably should have looked this up before I bought it, but Hammer recommends Perpetuem for workouts lasting longer than 2 hours. For events lasting less than that, something like Hammer Nutrition HEED or Accelerade may be a better choice. The electrolytes minimize the amount of supplements you have to take during the event, the protein aids in rebuilding muscle for a quicker recovery, and apparently the fats kick-start your body into burning it's own fat stores for energy.

I found this to be true during my 2 1/2 hour triathlon this past weekend. Not only was it a good source of energy during a very hot bike, but I feel like this was one of my quickest recoveries ever. Now I'm planning to drink it exclusively during the bike leg of my upcoming 70.3. I'll be mixing a concentrated batch of it in one bottle and combining with additional bottles of plain water received throughout the race.

Overall I'd recommend this for long rides, runs, or races, so if you're looking for something to sustain you through the grueling hours, give it a shot.