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review
Energy & recovery drinks
Zipvit ZV1 Energy drink EliteZipvit ZV1 energy drink

Zipvit ZV1 Energy drink Elite

8
by Mat Brett
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jul 10, 2010

4
£16.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Fast-acting energy drink that's packed with electrolytes; great flavour too
Weight: 
1,050g
Contact: 
www.zipvitsport.com
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The energy in Zipvit’s ZV1 is provided by a combination of Maldex 6 (a form of maltodextrin), which is absorbed as quickly as glucose, and sucrose (plain old table sugar).

It provides you with nearly 32g of carbs and 129 calories of energy per 35g serving – you mix two scoops with 250ml of water, give it a good shake to mix it in and then top it up with another 250ml of water. On top of that, you get plenty of electrolytes to replace the minerals that you lose through sweat, including sodium, calcium and magnesium.

ZV1 doesn’t taste especially salty, though. In fact, it tastes really good, the fruit punch flavour reminding us of some sweets from way back – Opal Fruits… or Starburst, as we believe the young people call them. It’s also available in citrus and orange flavours.

We’ve got on really well with ZV1. It delivers the goods really quickly when you feel your energy waning and the flavour means you’re more inclined than usual to keep supping away regularly, topping up your fuel tanks.

We don’t usually bother with an energy drink on any ride below about an hour, trusting to normal, everyday nutrition and maybe a bottle of water on the bike. But for rides over an hour the ZV1 does a great job. We’ve been drinking about 750ml – a large water bottle – per hour on training rides and it’s kept us pedalling strong up the hills. For competition, you might want to drink about 500ml in the hour before you set off so the energy is ready and waiting when you reach the start line. Used alongside Zipvit’s ZV7 energy gels for an extra boost when you really need it, this is a winner.

Like all other Zipvit recovery and energy drinks, ZV1 is free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives. A 1.4kg tub of ZV1 gives enough for 40 servings.

Verdict

Fast-acting energy drink that's packed with electrolytes; great flavour too

road.cc test report

Make and model: Zipvit ZV1 Energy drink

Size tested: n/a

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 190cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding,

Zipvit ZV1
Energy drink
Electrolyte drink
Mat Brett

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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4 comments

Avatar
nikalway | 14 years ago
0 likes

Tried this as part of the free box of goodies from them. I didn't get on with either the flavour or the texture. Same goes for the pack of the lemon flavour.

Found it almost oily or greasy. Hard to describe, essentially I didn't find that it cut through the thirst. Actually wasn't overly impressed with their recovery drink either which had a similar feel to it. The gel was shockingly sweet compared to the SiS ones but the energy bar was very nice!

SiS PSP22 may be quite sweet but at the minimum mix levels it's acceptable for both pre-ride load and during longer rides. Blackcurrant is best flavour.

For on the go in take I prefer SiS GO lemon and lime to keep the fluids up and top up carbs with gels and bars.

Avatar
othello | 14 years ago
0 likes

Might give it a go. Though just about every energy drink I've tried leaves me feeling green. 31

Any recommendations for non-sick inducing energy drink?

Avatar
Trev Allen replied to othello | 14 years ago
0 likes

What do you think is causing the sick feeling? Is it the taste or does it slip down well then give you a kick in the stomach?

I used to really struggle with energy drinks especially in races but after years of experimenting with different types and flavours I have come down to mixing it up regularly and not using the same one all the time - in really long races I will use several throughout.

Another tip is I often mix flavoured drinks weaker than the reccomendation to reduce the intensity of the flavour but then top up the carb content with some unflavoured plain carbs - most brands offer this PSP22 from SiS for example. Or you can through the internet you can get bags of the stuff much cheaper than a branded powder. Get some plain maltodextrin and blend it in with an energy drink and you can get the same carb content without the sickening taste. A new "wonder" carb called Vitargo has been shown to have some really great results and helps stomach upset by having faster gastric emptying than other forms of carbs - you can get hold of this plain or flavoured.

Or of course you can just ride with water or electrolyte tabs like nuun and just eat more.

Well worth giving the ZipVit ago but just make sure you order the Elite not the Extreme because you'll get a reall shock!

Avatar
Trev Allen | 14 years ago
0 likes

Been using the Lemon flavour recently and got on really well with it. I think flavour is arguably one of the most important aspects of an energy drink. The composition of carbohydrates will have no affect if you cant drink the stuff and the Lemon flavour was great.

Great price as well.

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