Find yourself taken back to childhood memories of conquering hills in the UK with a Kendal Mint Cake in your back pocket? Voom (www.voomnutrition.co.uk) offers a refreshing change to gels and gummies.
We gave the Voom range a try – if you want to give them a go yourself, check out the discount code below.
The first time I tried out the Voom range, I was transported back to family walks in the Lake District as a child where Kendal Mint Cake provided our energy source. The texture of the Voom bars is almost a replica of Kendal Mint Cake and it is no surprise that this nutrition brand has been born by outdoor enthusiasts from the Lakes and Yorkshire Dales.
When compared to other products on the sports nutrition market it provides a welcome change to gels and gummies, and has the added bonus of not melting/getting too gooey in your back pocket when out riding. I found it a great option for being on the bike as the bar is split into blocks and you can just break a piece off and consume by either letting it dissolve in your mouth or eating it. This may also provide a great alternative to gels on the bike in a race if you prefer eating something. I think it may be more challenging to use this range on the go when running, but it would be a good option to take in the recovery periods of an interval session to give you an energy kick.
So, onto the products themselves…
This tastes very similar to the lemon and lime Solero shots but uses completely natural flavourings. A couple of squares of this bar got me through a decent swim set when I didn’t have time for a proper snack between sessions, so it’s great for on that go pick me up energy prior to a session. The rockets are short chain glucose-based meaning fast acting carbs and sweet but designed as a portioned 40g for optimum energy delivery and body digestion over one hour, that’s the science!
The Pocket Rocket Caffeine Blast bar has a slight metallic after-taste which is to be expected with the amount of caffeine in the bar (the equivalent of two strong cups of coffee), but otherwise has a great natural berry taste and it definitely provides a strong kick if you are flagging on a ride.
If you don’t have a particularly sweet tooth then the Pocket Rocket Beta Blast orange flavour is slightly bitter in taste compared to the rest of the range and offers a welcome change as well as a good caffeine punch.
Voom’s protein product tastes exactly like fudge. This bar is incredibly sweet so if you have a sweet tooth and are tired of artificial tasting protein products this is one for you. It contains 10g protein which may be a little on the low side if you are using it after a really hard training session, but it will get the recovery process started.
All-in-all, Voom is a nice addition to the nutrition market offering something quite different using only natural ingredients with the added benefit of electrolyte content. It will appeal most to those of you who prefer a bag of sweets over a flapjack bar when out training and if you are looking for a seriously packed carbohydrate bar for racing.