NuunBy now if you’re an endurance athlete and you don’t know about the importance of staying hydrated, you probably deserve to become a desiccated roadside carcass. But most smart runners and cyclists know that being hydrated means more than just sucking down liters of water. Your body needs electrolytes, those sugars and salts that keep you energized and thinking clearly two hours into a century ride or half-Ironman. Until now, that has usually meant drinking syrupy sports drinks and dealing with messy powders. But a simpler solution (pardon the pun) comes in the form of Nuun, a dissolvable tablet you drop into your water bottle or hydration bladder.
Nuun tablets come in a variety of flavors, from Lemon Tea to Citrus Fruit to Banana, and is packed in either single serve packets or a small tube so they’re easy to transport to events or while traveling. I tried a variety pack of nuun tablets on several long bike rides this spring and found the flavors refreshingly subtle, not sugary like some other electrolyte drinks. It was enough to make the water tasty without making my mouth (and bottle) sticky. One tablet in a 12 ounce water bottle was sufficient to keep me refreshed on two-hour rides and I found myself adding a tablet to my water bottle at the office to keep my “eight glasses a day” more inviting. Nuun is available at many bike shops and outdoor stores in North America as well as online. Summer’s coming, better stock up.
Buy Now: $24 (four-pack, 12 tablets each)