Sports Drink Review: Orbana Energy Drink

I had the opportunity to try the Orbana Healthy Energy drink. I used it on two different occasions and found it a delightful drink. The packaging for Orbana describes the drink as a "Healthy Energy" drink. This is because Orbana contains vitamins and minerals in addition to the normal sugar and sodium found in similar drinks. In addition, Orbana contains no caffeine or other stimulants, a plus for me because I want my achievements to be due to my natural body not to the effect of stimulants. Orbana has the following ingredients (% relative to Minimum Daily Value) per package.

Total fat 0g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium 135g
Potassium 135 mg
Carbs 44g (Sugar 16g)
Protein 2g

Vitamin E 25%
Riboflavin 290%
Vitamin B6 250%
Vitamin B12 25%
Pantothenic Acid 40%
Vitamin C 200%
Thiamin 120%
Niacin 45%
Folate 60%
Biotin 100%
Zinc 15%

The mixing instructions say to mix the powder in one package with 250ml (about 8 oz or 1 cup) of water. When I first started stirring the mixture, some of the powder was floating on top of the water, but after 10-20 seconds of stirring, the powder was dissolved. The mixture has a pleasant taste.

Each package provides 190 calories, about twice that of gels that are commonly used. The Orbana website suggests that the powder be mixed about 30 minutes before a run is started. The website also suggests that the drink be carried with you as you run and that you take frequent sips of the drink. This appealed to me, because I normally take frequent sips of water, based on my assumption that since I sweat continuously, I should take replacement liquids frequently. When I tried Orbana, I drank it before I left home and didn't consume any liquids due to the relatively low temperature during the runs.

The big question, of course, is does Orbana actually serve as a sports drink? I can't answer that because I don't have the laboratory instruments to measure my intake and outgo of energy. I can vouch that Orbana does mix well with water and has a good flavor (orange). If I use Orbana for a few weeks, I'll have a good idea how my body reacts to it. Until then, I'll go on faith that it is quickly absorbed by my body and contributes to the nourishment of my body. The Orbana web site has quite a few testimonials from runners. The person who sent me the samples just qualified for Boston, and she said Orbana helped her during the race.

Orbana is a British product (hence the water is specified in ml), but it is available online from Amazon.