Osmo Power Fuel as reviewed by Sarah Barber who received product at no charge. Sarah is an avid trail runner (and recently a snowshoer) based in Boise, ID.
Osmo’s Roots
Endurance athletes have been fueled and hydrated by Osmo Nutrition for over a decade, but not everyone knows that its creator is renowned exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist, Dr. Stacy Sims. Most people think of her as the author of Roar, or the TEDx speaker on “Women Are Not Small Men.” Although Sims has moved on from Osmo, the company still benefits from her research and her reputation as an expert in sports nutrition. As such, Osmo continues to innovate, refine, and perfect the foundational products that get us across the finish lines of everything from 5Ks to 100-milers.
Just Fuel
One of the freshest trends in successful human-powered long-distance events is that more fuel is better. Remember Eliud Kipchoge’s record-setting time of 2:01:09 at the 2022 Berlin marathon? Of course you do. And his sub-two-hour marathon run in 2019 in Vienna, Austria is remarkable. Equally remarkable, however, is the fact that he reportedly consumed upwards of 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour to fuel his epic performance (quick math: that’s over 400 calories per hour—many of us are lucky to stomach half that during our races).
There’s no question that an important part of race prep involves training gut tolerance, and Osmo Nutrition is here to feed the metabolic furnace that fires up your pace. Their latest formula, Power Fuel, is one-of-a-kind in a number of ways. Some hydration mixes add color for visual appeal, random co-factors to aid digestion, and extra vitamins just in case. Not Osmo. The soul focus of Power Fuel is…fuel.
Ingredients
When reviewing the three-item list of ingredients, I was immediately reminded of Fritos. Yes, those flattened pellets of salty-crunchy deliciousness that contain only three ingredients: corn, corn oil, and salt. Fritos might be a splendid source of fuel, but they offer nothing in the way of hydration. On the other hand, Osmo’s unique combination of highly branched cyclic dextrin, fructose, and sodium citrate mixes easily in any fluid, providing functional hydration in the form of 20 grams of carbs per scoop. Because of its simplicity and solubility, up to 4 scoops can be added to a standard large water bottle; on a warm day, consuming that amount of fluid in an hour is a no-brainer. Even better, the “cluster dextrin” is rumored to be gentler on the stomach than other carbs like maltodextrin, more quickly absorbed, and softer on the palate than straight up glucose.
Speaking of palate, rather than being designed with taste in mind, Power Fuel is purposely devoid of flavor. The intent is that it can be mixed with any liquid and used in combination with other Osmo products. For example, if your post-workout drink of choice is heavy on protein but missing valuable electrolytes and replacement carbohydrates, sprinkle in the sodium-and-dextrin-rich Power Fuel as a sneaky supplement. Similarly, if your pre-race nerves make calorie consumption a challenge, slow sipping Power Fuel puts petrol in your tank while simultaneously addressing the all-too-familiar cotton mouth of anticipation. Missing your morning espresso? Osmo offers a caffeinated formula to pick up the slack.
The Test
Imagine water with just a hint of sweetness. That was my experience when I dumped two scoops of Power Fuel into a 16-ounce bottle, filled it from the tap, gave it a quick shake, and took a long pull. But what would happen if I shook my guts around for a few hours with Power Fuel swirling around inside them? The answer was a brilliant nothing. I sipped and swallowed continuously for more than a half-marathon of trail miles, and my steady energy was augmented with unmistakable oomph. As one who sometimes experiences gastric fallout on an almost nuclear scale from any sort of engineered nutrition, I’m thrilled to report that Power Fuel left no trace (the only person happier than me about this fact is my husband, who takes no joy in the stinky aftermath of my long runs).
For versatility in fueling and hydration, Power Fuel is unbeatable. And chances are good that athletes who use it will be, too!
