Going long? Really long? Hammer’s Perpetuem sports drink may be for you. Unlike a lot of mainstream drinks, Perpetuem has a neutral taste - much more akin to oatmeal than fruit punch – and it’s packed with energy. A standard bottle has about 250 calories, including some fat and protein to spare your muscles and promote fat-utilization for those multi-hour efforts at an aerobic pace. And you don't need to feel hemmed in by standard formulations. Realizing athletes have varied needs, the Hammer website has tips for making a one hour bottle, a multi-hour bottle, and, less appealing to us, a thick paste for your gel flask. That Perpetuem has very little sodium can be a big down side to those going really long and who prefer not to take electrolye tablets or double shots of chicken bouillon. However, after our stress testing, and talking with fellow runners (most more accomplished than we are), it largely gets a thumbs up from the mileage junkies out there. If you’re going short and sweet, though, you may want to try something a bit less complex. Cheers.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
RJ Review: Hammer's Perpetuem
Going long? Really long? Hammer’s Perpetuem sports drink may be for you. Unlike a lot of mainstream drinks, Perpetuem has a neutral taste - much more akin to oatmeal than fruit punch – and it’s packed with energy. A standard bottle has about 250 calories, including some fat and protein to spare your muscles and promote fat-utilization for those multi-hour efforts at an aerobic pace. And you don't need to feel hemmed in by standard formulations. Realizing athletes have varied needs, the Hammer website has tips for making a one hour bottle, a multi-hour bottle, and, less appealing to us, a thick paste for your gel flask. That Perpetuem has very little sodium can be a big down side to those going really long and who prefer not to take electrolye tablets or double shots of chicken bouillon. However, after our stress testing, and talking with fellow runners (most more accomplished than we are), it largely gets a thumbs up from the mileage junkies out there. If you’re going short and sweet, though, you may want to try something a bit less complex. Cheers.
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3 comments:
I used Perpetuem several years ago at the two hour mark of a marathon and a 50K, and it worked wonderfully in both races.
I used it in a pasty consistency in a Hammer Gel bottle/container, which held about 1.5-2 hours worth of mixed Perpetuem for my body weight (150-155 lbs).
This year, I tried it at mile 13 of the Leona Divide 50 miler and soon after I was doubling over with stomach cramps that did not go away until I drank much water and several miles passed.
I used it again in a training run a few weeks later just to see if the cramps had been a fluke or caused by something else but almost immediately I had the same issue.
I haven't had these cramps during any other race or training run this year.
Perpetuem was a great product for me several years ago, but now, apparently, no longer works for me.
Rather, I resort to the PB or PBJ squares at the aid stations. They fuel me well and are free. That's the best thing about it.
Just an FYI, definitely try this product on a training run first, before you use it on race day, in order to see if it works for you.
What would be an example of something less complex? I like 5ks and 10ks.
Please email me at nicholasamacri@gmail.com!
Thinking of a Hammer product, HEED is a good, simple choice. Like most Hammer drinks, it's light on sodium - just something to be aware of if you start to go long.
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