The Ride25 team have been introduced to Chia Charge, a sports nutrition brand that harnesses the goodness of what it calls ‘The Super Super Food’.
Using Chia Seeds, the bakers at Chia Charge have created great-tasting sports nutrition that is all about bonk-free energy. Attention grabbed! As cyclists we are always intrigued when a brand pops up offering something a little more than your average bar or gel. We also are not too keen on eating too many gels especially on training rides and as Ride25 is not a race and not just about the cycling we are constantly looking for alternatives to the tradition energy gels and bars.
So what is the Super Super Food? Well, research will tell you that each chia seed is packing in power! We’re talking about the highest plant based source of Omega-3, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants you can find.
The nutritional value of this whole-grain food fantastic:
Chia seeds are 20% protein, 20% omega 3, high in antioxidants and fibre as well as low in sugar and gives off a mild nutty flavour. Endurance is at the heart of the history of chia, dating back to 1500 B.C when it was considered a food that fuelled the body and saw Aztec warriors through conquests.
Chia seeds have recently gained a new lease of life, crashing back onto the scene and grabbing the attention of athletes. Still the question, chia seeds and sport, what’s the link? As any sports person, no matter what discipline, will well know burning up a lot of your body’s resources during activity eventually means having to put them back in. Chia seeds provide you with omega 3 and antioxidants aiding recovery, joint and brain function.
As good as a spoonful of the seeds is on its own, it’s certainly not favourable to be carrying a bag and a spoon with you when you’re out and about on your bike. This is where Chia Charge Flapjacks come in.
Many cyclist already favour flapjack over traditional gels and bars, so adding extra elements to an accepted format was interesting. Chia Charge have taken the Super (Super) Food and combined it with wholesome ingredients and formed the first sporting flapjack that tastes delicious.
Chia Charge state:
“We have created the perfect formulation for fuel that is delicious and easy to eat on the go. This recipe contains only wholesome ingredients that you would find in your kitchen cupboard”
Not for the faint hearted the flapjacks are ‘calorie dense’ but make the perfect companion for a Ride25 events amazing days the saddle.
A combination of Oats, Butter, Demerara Sugar, Golden Syrup, Chia Seeds (9%), Sea Salt Flakes makes a balanced recipe providing a fast energy boost on immediate consumption, backed up with slower burning carbs there is no “post gel crash”, which i’m sure we’re all familiar with. The chia seeds do their bit at pumping omega 3, fibre and protein into the body and the sea salts add a natural form of electrolyte replacement. The approach Chia Charge have taken is to provide natural, easy to consume and easy to digest sport nutrition.
Steve Way, recent winner and record holder of the UK National 100km says the flapjack are good for the ‘carb loading process’, full of “loads of good calories and are easy to eat”. You can read more info here.
It seems as well as Steve, Triathletes are digging the chia with GB Triathlete Katie J Synge declaring ‘“I absolutely love the Chia Charge flapjacks!… I had one before the race and immediately loved the product”.
A combination of good ingredients, good seeds and good energy makes us think these may be perfect for cyclists. Chia Charge believe in the super food so much they’ve based their range around it including flapjacks, a drink, a seed based Trail Mix with more products in the pipeline for the end of the year.
You can try the whole range with a Chia Charge Sample Pack for just £10. If you’re looking for great tasting, easy to digest sport nutrition to carry in you rRide25 jersey pocket, this might be of interest.
At Ride25 we have tested them and they are really good, but we wanted to give them a full road test (literally). So we will testing them out on a corporate bike ride we are running this Friday and will update you next week with some detailed Ride25 rider feedback.
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