Torq Energy Jellies Sample Pack

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?

These vegan "performance energy jellies" use a 2:1 blend of glucose-derivatives and fructose to keep your body energised while exercising. Each pack contains around 30g of carbohydrates and forms part of the Torq Fuelling System. 

Torq says: "Our TORQ Jellies energy chew product has been carefully formulated to deliver TORQ's unique blend of multiple-transportable carbohydrates to the working muscles extremely quickly and efficiently using research-proven 2:1 Glucose:Fructose technology.

"TORQ Jellies form part of the TORQ Fuelling System, so can be used alongside TORQ's energy drinks, gels and bars to fuel optimal performances."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product

The 2:1 Glucose-Derivatives:Fructose, according to Torq, "deliver over 40% more carbohydrate to the blood per hour than single glucose sources". The pack contain six 36g packets of jellies in three different flavours: berries, orange and lime.

From Torq:

Each pack of TORQ Jellies provides 30 grams of multiple-transportable carbohydrates (1 TORQ Unit). For optimal performances, our TORQ Fuelling System recommends consuming 2-3 TORQ Units per hour which can be achieved through consuming a variety of fuelling products...Consuming a pack of 6 TORQ Jellies is simply one method of ingesting a TORQ Unit.

Hypertonicity: The concentrated nature of this product pitches our TORQ Jellies tonicity firmly into the hypertonic zone, meaning that the product has been optimised to prioritise fuel delivery over fluid supply. This, in combination with the unique integration of multiple-transportable carbohydrates and their chewy, easy to swallow texture, makes our TORQ Jellies an extremely potent concentrated fuel source. The TORQ Fuelling System outlines how TORQ Jellies should be used in combination with our other fuelling products, so please take the time to read this section of the website.

Hydration Management: TORQ Jellies energy chews will clearly not satisfy your hydration requirements, so it is vital that you use this product in conjunction with TORQ Energy Drink to ensure optimal physical performance. As the TORQ Fuelling System confirms, you may experience high perspiration situations where the intake of TORQ Jellies units should be limited in favour of TORQ Energy Drink consumption to address the body's fluid and electrolyte requirements. On the other hand, in low perspiration environments, TORQ Jellies and our other concentrated TORQ Units such as TORQ Gel and TORQ Bar should represent a more significant proportion of your fuel intake. As long as 2-3 TORQ Units per hour is maintained in every scenario, fuelling will be optimal, you just need to drink more of your fuelling units if perspiration rates are high and less when lower. The infographics and video in the previous tabs clearly illustrate this concept.

TORQ do produce a hypotonic product, which prioritises fluid delivery over fuel supply and it's called TORQ Hydration. This product has been designed for situations where perspiration rates are exceptionally high and fuel delivery is less important – for instance, sessions lasting less than 1 hour in a warm environment, like high intensity indoor training. With these kinds of workouts, TORQ Hydration Drink would be a more functional choice over TORQ Energy Drink and certainly over any of our more concentrated fuelling products like TORQ Jellies. Read more about TORQ Hydration Drink HERE. By the same token, with the advancement of indoor cycling technology like Zwift and Sufferfest, exercise sessions lasting over an hour in duration are now commonplace. Sessions lasting longer than an hour, whether indoors or outdoors require fuelling as well as hydration, so again the principles of the TORQ Fuelling System will apply.

Easy & Pleasant to Eat: It's a simple concept, but a very important one. The flavour and texture of our TORQ Jellies energy chews have been painstakingly considered, so that fuelling with optimally with this product is also a pleasure. The closest resemblance to flavour and texture we could describe is that of traditional jelly before hot water is added to it – the chunks of concentrated jelly you used to be treated to as a kid. Our TORQ Jellies are however plant-based, don't contain any colouring and are formulated with physical performance in mind. The domed igloo shape of each energy chew also makes them very easy to dispense from the packet.

Gluten Free & Vegan Formulation: TORQ Jellies are a gluten-free fuelling product. The formulation for TORQ Jellies is also entirely plant-based, so is suitable for Vegans.

Natural Flavours & No Colours: Under exercise stress, digestion is affected as blood is diverted to the working muscles and any solutes added to a product will raise its osmolality unnecessarily making it harder to digest, so irrespective of the health debate surrounding the consumption of artificial ingredients, during exercise is certainly not the time to take them. Therefore, we only use natural flavours that the body can recognise and break down easily and we don't use colours (artificial or natural), because they simply don't need to be in the product.

No Artificial Sweeteners: For the same reasons as highlighted above, we don't believe in the use of artificial sweeteners like Aspatame, Acsulfame-K, Saccharine and Sucralose. These artificial sweeteners are 100's of times sweeter than sugar and Aspartame/Acsulfame-K are particularly controversial with regard to long-term health. They offer no performance benefit at all and our stance is the same with these as with colours and preservatives – if they don't need to be included in our formulations for functional reasons, why include them?

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The jellies were a better alternative to cereal bars that I'd often reach for if I didn't fancy a gel; I definitely noticed I felt more energised and alert on rides compared with when I've opted for a cereal bar.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I really liked how easy on my stomach they were, as well as the subtle flavour of the jellies; overpowering and strong flavours can be a bit nauseating when riding.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

For me, I would like more carbs from an energy-specific product; each packet has 28g or 29g of carbohydrates in, which isn't bad by any means, but the gels I'd normally opt for have 40g.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

They are quite a pricey option. One packet of these jellies works out at £2.75, for 28g or 29g of carbs. The very popular cult classic energy sweets, Clif Shot Bloks, are around £2.50 for 46g of carbs per pack, while Skratch Labs Fruit Drops are £2.49 for 38g of carbs per pack.

Use this box to explain your overall score

They're good: they perform well and I like the taste, but there are other options that cost less and deliver a higher amount of carbs.